ANTI-ICING COATING FOR FIXED-WING UAV AND ROTARY-WING EVTOL AIRCRAFT

Research shows that UAV and eVTOL aircraft are highly susceptible to ice accumulation. UAV and eVTOL aircraft operate at low Reynolds numbers which has shown to increase ice accretion as a result of lower aerodynamic heating.  Due to their compact design, these aircraft are also subject to limited payload capacity which precludes the incorporation of complex in-flight de-icing systems. As a result, there is a significant need for technology that solves the problem of ice accretion in UAV and eVTOL aircraft without adding significant weight and complexity to the aircraft design. SurfTec has developed a semi-permanent, protective coating technology that reduces ice accumulation and ice adhesion by 70%. Our anti-icing/ice-phobic coating combines micro and nano-scale hierarchical structures with a pattern of hydrophobic and hydrophilic nodes to create a surface that prevents ice nucleation and accumulation from large and small water droplet precipitation as well as water vapor. This novel technology can improve payload capacity and maneuverability of UAV/eVTOL aircraft in freezing drizzle, freezing rain, and mixed phase icing conditions. During this SBIR Phase II Surftec will further develop and optimize the coating for the High Altitude Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Division within the Air Force Life Cycle Management. The High Altitude ISR is looking for an anti-icing coating to be applied to the RQ-4 Global Hawk. We will perform centrifuge ice adhesion, static ice accumulation, rain erosion, UV and weathering degradation tests, and dynamic ice accumulation tests.  Phase II will allow this solution to be tested in the lab and simulated field environment to determine the level of security it provides, the range of services and use-cases possible, and operational continuity in a variety of disaster scenarios.