Analyzing gridded heater arrangement in anti-/de-icing systems through multiphysics thermal simulation

Abstract The electro-thermal system in anti-/de-icing systems, known for its reliability, is often favored despite its notable drawback of high-power consumption. Seeking to mitigate this issue, a gridded heated surface is studied which is composed of multiple small heating elements operating under continuous & pulsed heating. A two-dimensional heat transfer model based on the finite difference method is developed to simulate conduction, convection, and radiation effects and is validated through controlled laboratory experiments using infrared thermography. Continuous heating for 15 s resulted in a higher peak surface temperature (~ 35℃) in contrast to the 5 s pulsed signals (~ 16℃) of equal duration reflecting differences in thermal diffusion behavior. Pulsed heating exhibited a decreasing temperature rise rate (dT/dt) with successive pulses. The simulated mean surface temperature response showed good agreement with experimental measurements, lying within the ± 3 standard-deviations of experimental mean for both heating schemes. The infrared thermography profiles enabled to formulate a piece-wise analytical model in which heating segments exhibit linear temporal behavior while cooling phases follow first order exponential decay model. The combined numerical, experimental, and analytical framework provides insight into the thermal behavior of gridded heaters and supports the development of optimized electro-thermal ice protection systems with improved control over surface heating characteristics.