Joint control of icing and flow separation using co-flow jet

During climbing and descending, an aircraft operates at high angles of attack, where the boundary layer is prone to separation, resulting in increased drag and reduced lift. Additionally, these scenarios involve a high risk of ice accretion. These challenges highlight the need for an integrated control strategy capable of simultaneously addressing aerodynamic performance degradation and anti-icing requirements, both of which depend on modulating surface flow conditions. In this work, a Co-Flow Jet (CFJ) technique is proposed as a novel strategy for concurrently suppressing flow separation and mitigating ice accretion. Simulations demonstrate that the CFJ effectively introduces suction forces near the upper trailing edge, eliminating separation in this region. Meanwhile, the two-slot leading-edge blowing produces turbulent jets, generating a bubble and virtual surfaces for anti-icing around the lower leading edge and three-dimensional vortical structures around the upper leading edge. These structures reduce the pressure on the upper leading edge, enhancing lift and reducing drag, while also altering water droplet trajectories and impingement dynamics, thereby limiting ice accumulation on the upper surface. Overall, the findings indicate that the CFJ concept offers a promising pathway toward integrating aerodynamic performance enhancement with robust anti-icing capability under high-angle-of-attack conditions.