In cold environments, aircraft and wind turbines can accumulate ice on their surfaces, creating roughness at the leading edge of airfoils. This roughness accelerates the transition to turbulence, increases the thickness of the boundary layer (δ), increases drag, and reduces lift.We conduct wall resolved large eddy simulations on the impact of ice on airfoil performance at a Reynolds number of 1.8×10^6, where the upstream transition to turbulence results in increased boundary layer growth, leading to early flow separation. This study helps in understanding boundary layer transition on complex geometries with ice roughness and aids in the development of improved wall models.
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