Aircraft anti-icing and de-icing through assem­blies of conduct­ing varnish and func­tional coatings

Project Funding:
FFG
Project Coordination:
FH Joanneum, Austria
Project Partners:
AAC, Rail Tec Arsenal Climatic Wind Tunnel Vianna (RTA), Joanneum Research, Rembrandtin Lack GmbH Nfg. KG, Villinger GmbH
Duration:
30 months

The current Ice Drip project aims at devel­op­ing a high-effi­ciency elec­tro-thermal ice protec­tion system for general aviation aircraft. The most signi­fic­ant differ­ence of this system as compared to tradi­tional ice protec­tion systems is that it is no longer neces­sary to melt – or even worse from an ener­getic point of view to evap­or­ate – the entire ice accre­tion. This will be achieved by coup­ling a combined continuous/cyclic thermal de-icer with (super)-hydrophobic surface coat­ings. This compound system is anti­cip­ated to result in a highly optim­ized ice shed­ding process, thereby avoid­ing melt­ing or evap­or­at­ing the entire ice mass.