Oxford Icing Group

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The Icing Group at the Oxford Thermofluids Institute, University of Oxford specialises in fundamental and applied research into icing phenomena in aeronautics. We have particular expertise in numerical modelling of ice crystal icing in engines and frosting of heat exchangers, and in experimental testing using altitude icing wind tunnels. Our work helps to support the UK aviation industry, leveraging our low TRL academic research into the underlying physics of icing for higher TRL applications.

Latest

People

Academic staff

• Professor David Gillespie [email] [www] [in]
• Professor Matthew McGilvray [email] [www] [in]

Researchers

• Dr. Natan Zawadzki [email] [www] [in]
• Dr. Mohammad Shahsavari [email] [www] [in]
  Developing numerical methods for frosting of hydrogen heat exchangers

Research students

• Thomas Cross (DPhil) [email] [www] [in]
  Investigating accretion and shedding of ice
• Matt Lenahan (DPhil) [email] [www] [in]
  Writing software and models for particle transport
• Alfie Gilmour (DPhil) [email] [in]
• Shiva Sudhan Rajamani (MRes) [email] [in]
  Developing icing codes and analysing particle heat transfer

Project engineers

• James Farmborough [email] [in]
  Designing the new Icing at Altitude Wind Tunnel
• Priyank Goel [email] [in]
  Designing the new Icing at Altitude Wind Tunnel

Publications

2025

• T. J. S. Cross, N. Zawadzki, M. McGilvray, and D. R. H. Gillespie, “Ice Crystal Shed Prediction in Turbomachinery Using Accretion Laser Scans and Subsurface Thermal Data,” AIAA AVIATION FORUM AND ASCEND 2025. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, July 16, 2025. doi: 10.2514/6.2025-3856.
  Awarded Best Student Paper at AIAA AVIATION Forum 2025
• L. Parker, M. McGilvray, and D. R. H. Gillespie, “Modelling Unsteady Ice Accretion and Water Runback in Aero Engines,” AIAA AVIATION FORUM AND ASCEND 2025. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, July 16, 2025. doi: 10.2514/6.2025-3857.

2024

• T. J. S. Cross, N. Zawadzki, M. McGilvray, and D. R. H. Gillespie, “A Finite Element-Based Fracture Model for the Prediction of Shedding in Ice Crystal Icing,” AIAA AVIATION FORUM AND ASCEND 2024. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, July 27, 2024. doi: 10.2514/6.2024-3927.
  Awarded Best Student Paper at AIAA AVIATION Forum 2024
• N. Zawadzki, J. Connolly, X. Yang, M. McGilvray, and D. R. H. Gillespie, “Ice Crystal Transport and Accretion in a Rotating Test Environment,” AIAA AVIATION FORUM AND ASCEND 2024. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, July 27, 2024. doi: 10.2514/6.2024-3846.
• N. Zawadzki, T. J. S. Cross, L. Parker, J. Farmborough, M. McGilvray, and D. R. H. Gillespie, “Wall Heat Transfer Measurements in a Turbomachinery Environment Subject to Ice Crystal Icing,” AIAA AVIATION FORUM AND ASCEND 2024. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, July 27, 2024. doi: 10.2514/6.2024-3848.
• L. Parker, M. McGilvray, D. R. H. Gillespie, and G. Jones, “Numerical Simulations of Ice Particle Transport at Representative Turbofan Compressor Conditions,” Volume 12B: Turbomachinery — Axial Flow Turbine Aerodynamics; Deposition, Erosion, Fouling, and Icing. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, June 24, 2024. doi: 10.1115/gt2024-121461.

2023

• M. F. Eberhart, S. Loehle, F. Grigat, J. Connolly, M. McGilvray, and D. R. H. Gillespie, “3D measurement of ice crystal accretion using a plenoptic camera,” AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Jan. 19, 2023. doi: 10.2514/6.2023-0806.

2022

• J. Connolly, M. McGilvray, and D. R. H. Gillespie, “Optical measurement of ice crystal icing on a NACA 0018 airfoil,” AIAA AVIATION 2022 Forum. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, June 20, 2022. doi: 10.2514/6.2022-3699.
• X. Yang, M. McGilvray, and D. R. H. Gillespie, “Modelling the particle trajectory and melting behaviour of non-spherical ice crystal particles,” International Journal of Multiphase Flow, vol. 148, p. 103949, Mar. 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2021.103949.

2021

• A. Bucknell, M. McGilvray, D. R. H. Gillespie, G. Jones, and B. Collier, “A thermodynamic model for ice crystal accretion in aircraft engines: EMM-C,” International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, vol. 174, p. 121270, Aug. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2021.121270.
• X. Yang, M. McGilvray, and D. R. H. Gillespie, “Numerical Modeling and Parametric Study of the Melting Behavior of Ice Crystal Particles,” AIAA Journal, vol. 59, no. 11, pp. 4660–4668, Nov. 2021, doi: 10.2514/1.j060351.