Description: The proposed program addresses NASA's need for a new generation of icing mitigation technology for manned and unmanned vehicles, particularly related to icing on airframe of flight into supercooled liquid water clouds and regions of high ice crystal density. The state of the art active deicing method on leading edges involves either an electrical, pneumatic or vibration induced debonding of accumulated ice. With the advent of icephobic nanocoatings, there have been attempts to develop a durable passive anti-ice coating. However, success to date has been limited. The state of the art can be advanced if anti-ice coatings can be made more durable, and are made to function synergistically with active de-icing techniques. The advantages are reduced power consumption, improved service life of mechanical components, lighter electronics and extra protection in case of failure of active device. Working in collaboration with a manufacturer of low power ice protection systems for commercial and military aircraft, we propose in Phase I to demonstrate the feasibility of incorporating a durable anti-ice coating with an active deicing device. The proposed program builds upon NEI's core competency of introducing desirable functionalities into engineered coatings. The anti-ice/deicing performance will be tested at our collaborator's icing wind tunnel. The objective of the Phase II program will be to further refine the coating composition and coating deposition process, as well as the configuration of the baseline active deicing device so as to deliver a working prototype of an integrated ice protection system that combines a passive anti-ice coating and an active deicing device.

Benefits: The proposed integrated deicing system directly supports NASA's continued interest in inflight icing hazard mitigation technology for aircraft. Existing and next generation aircraft, including N+2/N+3 aircraft as well as vertical lift and unmanned systems, will benefit from the technology as it will help enable all-weather operation, reduce weight and lower power consumption. The baseline active deicing system, upon which the proposed technology is based, is already being used on several commercial and military aircraft. Success in the proposed effort will advance the capabilities of the active deicing system. It will also serve as the basis for future deicing systems that incorporate a passive coating working in conjunction with an active deicing system.

Ice accretion on aircraft structures is a common aviation danger. Under non-icing conditions air flows smoothly over the airfoil and creates lift. Ice buildup on aircraft?s leading surfaces disturbs laminar airflow, leading to increased drag and decreased lift. Consequently, aircraft icing degrades performance and controllability and significantly increases pilot workload and aircraft fuel consumption. The proposed anti-ice nanoscale coating has the potential to drastically reduce the ice adhesion and/or prevent ice accumulation on surfaces in inclement weather conditions. The coating technology being developed in this program can be applied to military and commercial aircraft. Additionally, the coating can also find use in satellite dishes, transmission lines, wind turbine blades, communication towers, and train cars. The market presents an opportunity for NEI Corporation to develop and sell a nanotechnology based coating formulation.