LOW COST, LOW WEIGHT ICING DETECTOR AND ANTI-ICING DEVICES FOR UNMANNED AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

DARPA IS SEEKING A LOW COST, LOW WEIGHT, ICING DETECTOR AND ANTI-ICING DEVICE FOR UNMANNED AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES (UAV'S). THE CURRENT ANTI-ICING DEVICES USING ELECTRIC HEATING SUFFER FROM HIGH COST, HEAVY WEIGHT AND HIGH POWER CONSUMPTION. E-TEK PROPOSES SPECIAL CONFIGURATION OF PYRO-PIEZOELECTRIC POLYMER FILMS WHICH WORK AS BOTH ICING CONDITION DETECTOR AND ANTI-ICING DEVICE. THE NEW ICING DETECTOR AND ANTI-ICING DEVICE HAVE THE ADVANTAGES OF LOW COST, LOW WEIGHT, FLEXIBILITY, DURABILITY, ALMOST NO POWER CONSUMPTION, AND COMBUSTION RESISTANCE. THE TECHNIQUES DEVELOPED IN THIS PROGRAM CAN BE EXTENDED TO DAMPEN VIBRATION OF PRIMARY STRUCTURES AND NOISE CANCELLATION. IN ADDITION TO THEORETICAL ANALYSIS FOR THE PROPOSED ICING DETECTOR AND ANTI-ICING DEVICE, A PRACTICAL DETECTOR AND DEVICE WILL BE DESIGNED IN PHASE I. AN EXPERIMENT OF PROOF-OF-CONCEPT WILL BE PERFORMED IN PHASE I PROGRAM ALSO. ANTI-ICING IN COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT NOISE ISOLATION DAMPING OF VIBRATIONS IN BRIDGE AND BUILDING STRUCTURES