Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Rotorcraft is vulnerable to rotor-blade in-flight icing. As so far only large helicopter may have rotor blades de-iced by means of electro-thermal systems, whereas small helicopter are lacking in the electrical power to run them. Therefore small rotorcraft manufacturers are interested in looking for new low-energy de-icing systems including a low weight mast-mounted generator (MMG) avoiding heavy slip rings. In 2006-2009 a first CNRCand CRIAQ-granted R&D project was realized at University of Quebec at Chicoutimi (UQAC) in partnership with Bell Helicopter Textron BTH and Sinters Canada. In that project the feasibility of five new de-icing ideas were assessed under simulated icing at technical research level TRL 2 and 3. Three of them judged practical to rotorcraft were recommended for higher TRL. These are: low-ice-adhesion coatings and piezoelectric actuators, as low-energy systems, and the low-weight MMG. The submitted CRSNG grant proposal is a second phase of Phase I project ended in June 2009. It consists of further studying the three retained technologies using static single blades of 1.5 m-long Bell 306 tail rotor TR, into which coatings, piezoelectric actuator variants, or a combination thereof, will be integrated. Like in Phase 1 the project is a joint NRC- and CRIAQ-granted involving five partners: Anti-Icing Materials Laboratory of UQAC, National Research Council Institute for Aerospace Research NRC-IAR, and two industries, BHT and Transonic Inc. Canada Inc. The R&D work will focus on three objectives: 1. Investigate at TRL 4 and 5 the low-adhesion coatings and piezoelectric actuators; 2. Design, build, and test a low-weight 20 kW prototype of a MMG; 3 Establish an ice numerical model capable of predicting ice adhesion on helicopter blades. Ice protection devices will be evaluated by comparison with an electro-thermal system whereas the adhesion model will be evaluated in icing tunnel on a rotated small rotor blade. The technologies judged the most practical will be proposed for further testing at higher TRL with a full main rotorcraft blade. This project will profit first to Canadian industrial partners and indirectly to all manufacturer of ice-exposed flying machines.