ICING PREVENTION BY NUCLEATION OF ICE PARTICLES IN FRONT OF SUBSONIC AIRCRAFT

WE PROPOSE THE INVESTIGATION OF NUCLEATION PROCESSES CAPABLEOF CAUSING THE FREEZING OF SUPERCOOLED WATER DROPLETS IN FRONT OF A MOVING SUBSONIC AIRCRAFT. THE GOAL IS TO DEVELOPA NUCLEATION MECHANISM CAPABLE OF FREEZING THE WATER DROPLETS FAR ENOUGH IN FRONT OF THE MOVING PLANE SO THAT BY THE TIME THE PLANE REACHES THE DROPLETS THEY ARE FROZEN AND BOUNCE FROM THE LEADING EDGES AND THE IMPENAGE, WITHOUT FREEZING ON THE PLANE'S STRUCTURE AND CAUSING ICE BUILD UP. DURING PHASE I OF THE PROJECT, PROOF OF CONCEPT WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN AN EXISTING EXPERIMENTAL FACILITY AT AERODYNECAPABLE OF PRODUCING WATER DROPLETS SUPERCOOLED TO -20 DEGREES C HAVING DIAMETERS IN A RANGE OF 20 TO 200 MICRONS. THE TECHNOLOGY TO BE DEVELOPED IN THIS PROJECT COULD HAVE APPLICATIONS IN ARTIFICIAL RAIN MAKING, SNOW MAKING, AEROSOLTECHNOLOGY AND THE MANUFACTURER OF FINE POWDERS WITH CONTROLLED PARTICLES SIZE BY NEW FREEZE DRYING TECHNIQUES.