Overview
The role of the project was to make an advance towards a better understanding of the runback ice formation mechanisms on aircraft wings, empennage and engine air intakes through experimental and theoretical research and to provide recommendations on the choice of efficient ice protection coatings for flying vehicles. This helped to increase safety of air flights in icing conditions. Thus, the project is aimed at collaborating its effort towards achieving the double and five-fold reduction of aircraft accident rate in the short and long terms respectively, which is one of the goals set for the year 2020 by the Strategic Research Agenda provided by the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE).
In order to solve the abovementioned problems related to runback ice formation on the aero-dynamic surfaces and aeroengine air intakes, the team of experienced scientists performed the following work within the frames of the ICE-TRACK project:
- conduct tests of the 30 surface profile samples provided by the relevant SFWA mem-ber in artificial icing conditions in the range of outside temperatures between 0С and -30С, liquid water content 0,2-2,5 g/m3, air flow speed up to 100 m/s and with given water droplets sizes;
- investigate runback ice formation processes;
- measure forces of ice adhesion to the surfaces;
- provide recommendations concerning the choice of the most promising surfaces.
Funding
Results
Executive summary:
Test subject were specimens of coatings intended for reducing the adhesion force to run-back ice.
Work objective was to obtain data on run-back ice adhesion to coatings, developed by the IFAM firm, and to choose among the tested coatings those, which has the minimal shear adhesion force to run-back ice.
In progress of investigations the test procedure was being worked out, the process of run-back ice formation was observed by eye and recorded with video camera, the parameters of water airflow were registered. The run-back ice thickness and adhesion force to coating surface were measured.
As a result of the research the comparative characteristics of different coatings in the runback ice conditions have been determined.
A review of basic icing mechanisms was performed. On the basis of the experimental results, the processes, which are concomitant to run-back ice formation, were analysed and physicomathematical modelling of these processes was done. The criteria for selection of anti-icing coatings were worked out.
The significance of the work consists in the fact that the worked out procedure allows developing research guide lines to creation of the materials with low adhesion force to run-back ice.
