A Low-Cost In-flight Deicing System for Aircraft

The proposed innovation is a deicing system for aircraft leading edges using a high-efficiency, electrically actuated thin-film elastomer. The entire aircraft industry needs this technology to improve safety while minimizing the overall impact on aircraft weight and fuel consumption. We propose to use a low-cost, electrically actuated thin-film elastomer to break the ice bond in a manner similar to existing air bladder devices. A high-efficiency, electronic controller actuates the elastomer and recovers most of the energy used to break up the ice, resulting in very low, net-power consumption. In Phase I, we will demonstrate the feasibility of using the electrically actuated elastomer to prevent ice buildup on aircraft leading edge surfaces by fabricating and testing a model deicing system, evaluating performance in a sophisticated icing tunnel which simulates in-flight icing conditions, and designing a prototype system for demonstration in Phase II.