Weather Conditions and Cloud Microphysical Characteristics of an Aircraft Severe Icing Process

Wang Zelin; Zhou Xu; Wu Junhui; Li Baiping; Lin Yujie; Yan Wenhui; Zhang Ying

doi:10.11898/1001-7313.20220504

Vol.33, NO.5, 2022

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Article Navigation > Journal of Applied Meteorological Science > 2022 > 33(5): 555-567

Wang Zelin, Zhou Xu, Wu Junhui, et al. Weather conditions and cloud microphysical characteristics of an aircraft severe icing process. J Appl Meteor Sci, 2022, 33(5): 555-567. DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20220504.

Citation:

Wang Zelin, Zhou Xu, Wu Junhui, et al. Weather conditions and cloud microphysical characteristics of an aircraft severe icing process. J Appl Meteor Sci, 2022, 33(5): 555-567. DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20220504.

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Weather Conditions and Cloud Microphysical Characteristics of an Aircraft Severe Icing Process

DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20220504

Wang Zelin^{1, 2},
Zhou Xu^{3, 4
,
,},
Wu Junhui¹,
Li Baiping⁵,
Lin Yujie¹,
Yan Wenhui¹,
Zhang Ying¹

1.
Chinese Flight Test Establishment, Xi'an 710089
2.
School of Software, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072
3.
CMA Weather Modification Center, Beijing 100081
4.
CMA Cloud-Precipitation Physics and Weather Modification Key Laboratory, Beijing 100081
5.
Shanghai Meteorological Service Center, Shanghai 200030

Received Date: 2022-03-16
Rev Recd Date: 2022-07-07
Publish Date: 2022-09-15

Abstract

Abstract

Based on the aircraft measurements on 28 February 2021, combined with ERA5 reanalysis data and sounding data, the weather background and the characteristics of cloud structure of a severe icing case on the aircraft are analyzed. The severe icing process is induced by the joint influence of high-level trough, low-level shear line, low-level jet and cold front. The ERA5 reanalysis data show that the maximum value area of supercooled water is mainly distributed at the height of 700 hPa to 600 hPa on the warm side of the front area and the ambient temperature is -4 to -12℃, accompanied by an upward movement of -0.2 to -0.8 Pa·s^-1. The sounding data show that the cloud system is distributed in multiple layers. There is a deep dry layer between the upper ice crystal cloud and the lower supercooled water cloud. The temperature in the aircraft detection area is -9 to -3℃ and the dew-point spread is 0℃, which are favorable for icing. During the icing process, the air temperature is -8 to -5℃. Aircraft measurements show that there is abundant supercooled water in clouds. The average liquid water content by cloud particles probe is 0.35 g·m^-3, and the maximum value is 0.7 g·m^-3. The average liquid water content by total water content measurement probes is 0.5 g·m^-3, the maximum value is 0.85 g·m^-3, and for 11 minutes the liquid water content is larger than 0.45 g·m^-3. The average median volume diameter of cloud particles is 20.3 μm, and the number concentration of cloud particles is 149.3 cm^-3 on average. The number concentration of cloud particles tends to increase from low level to high level and vice versa for the median volume diameter of cloud particles. Finally, the conditions with different icing intensity that the King-air 350 aircraft may encounte during weather modification work in the cloud are discussed. The calculation shows that the King-air 350 aircraft carries out observation research or weather modification tasks when the liquid water content in the cloud is higher than 0.04 g·m^-3, 0.15 g·m^-3 and 0.45 g·m^-3, it may encounter light, moderate, and severe icing, under certain conditions.
- aircraft measurements;
- aircraft icing;
- icing intensity;
- cloud microphysical characteristics

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References(44)

Figures and Tables

图 1 探测飞行情况

(a)飞行轨迹，(b)飞行高度-时间变化

Fig. 1 Detection of flight

(a)flight track, (b)altitude-time variation

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图 2 2021年2月28日08:00天气图

(黑色实线代表位势高度, 单位：dagpm;黑色虚线代表等温线，单位：℃;黑色三角代表观测到严重积冰区域)

Fig. 2 Weather chart at 0800 BT 28 Feb 2021

(the black solid line denotes the geopotential height, unit:dagpm;the black dashed line denotes the isotherm, unit:℃;the black triangle denotes the area of severe icing)

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Fig. 3 Sounding of Yan'an Station at 0800 BT 28 Feb 2021

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图 4 2021年2月28日09:00液态水含量垂直分布

(黑色阴影为地形；紫色矩形框表示飞机观测到严重积冰区域；填色表示液态水含量；红色虚线表示等温线，单位：℃；黑色虚线表示垂直速度，单位：Pa·s^-1)
(a)沿36.25°N纬向剖面，(b)沿111.25°E经向剖面

Fig. 4 Distribution of liquid water content at 0900 BT 28 Feb 2021

(the black denotes terrain;the purple box denotes the area of severe icing;the colour shaded denotes the liquid water content;the red dashed line denotes the isotherm, unit:℃;the black dashed line denotes vertical velocity, unit:Pa·s^-1)
(a)the zonal section along 36.25°N, (b)the meridional section along 111.25°E

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Fig. 5 The distribution of aircraft measurements

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Fig. 6 Vertical distribution of aircraft measurements in Phase 1

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Fig. 7 Vertical distribution of aircraft measurements in Phase 2

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图 8 暴露距离及积冰速率

(a)总水含量仪观测的液态水含量(WCM-LWC) 随暴露距离变化(黑色虚线表示积冰强度阈值)，(b)积冰速率(黑色虚线表示时间阈值)

Fig. 8 Exposure distance and icing rate

(a)WCM-LWC varying with exposure distance (the dashed line denotes the threshold of icing intensity), (b)icing rate (the dashed line denotes the threshold of time)

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Table 1 Airborne instrumentations and main parameters

仪器名称	设备功能	测量范围	精度
云粒子探头	测量云滴粒子	2~50 μm	1~12通道:1 μm；13~30通道:2 μm
综合气象要素测量系统	测量温度，风速，风向，经纬度，海拔	海拔：0~15 km温度：-20~+40℃	测温：0.05℃；风速：0.5 m·s^-1
总水含量仪	测量液态水含量，总水含量	0~10 g·m^-3	0.001 g·m^-3

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