Issued patent
New Coatings Reduce Impact Ice Adhesion Strength
An issued NASA patent from the Technology Transfer catalog.
About this technology
Overview
Aircraft icing is a serious problem. Wintry conditions on the ground and glaze, rime and mixed icing conditions aloft can cause ice buildup on aircraft wings increasing weight, creating drag, and causing loss of lift —conditions that compromise performance and safety. For commercial aircraft, active icing mitigation strategies —pneumatic boots, heated surfaces, and deicing agents —prevent or mitigate such ice buildup. The challenge is that they also require extra energy, added weight to the aircraft, and increased maintenance complexity. For general aviation and unmanned aerial vehicles that cannot support active anti-icing technologies, avoidance is the only recourse. Thus, there is a need for a passive durable solution for both commercial and general aviation aircraft. Scientists at NASA Langley have been developing passive solutions to this problem focusing on coatings for aircraft surfaces that will reduce the adhesion of impact ice.