LO Rotor Blade De-Ice Systems Evaluation

This proposal investigates candidate main rotor blade de-icing systems which offer signature reduction capabilities. In comparison to traditional mechanical boot style de-icing systems, electrical de-icing systems are considered. One such candidate is a novel electrical thin film resistive de-icing system, which shows potential to lower the RCS levels associated with main rotor blade systems. This de-icing approach is a modified form of resistive heating. The resistive element is comprised of a thin sheet of resistive material in the areas of ice accretion on the rotor blade surfaces. In contrast to traditional resistive heating where highly conductive wires are used, a film of resistive material can be used to achieve the desired low observable (LO) specifications. This approach would be applicable as both an ice prevention technique and a de-icing technique. Basic evaluation of this approach will be performed through numercial and experimental investigation. Comparisons will be made to the traditional mechanical and electrical de-icing systems with various signature reduction techniques to assess the viability of the thin film resistive de-icing system.