SMOS – SMART ON-BOARD SYSTEMS
Obiettivo
The project SMOS (SMart On-board Systems) aims to develop technologies concerning on-board systems such as low weight and low power Anti-Icing / De-Icing devices as well as diagnostic and prognostic systems. The SMOS project is funded by PRO.R.A.
A passive ice-protection technology was developed based on a micro and nano-structured coating. The developed innovative coating is able to avoid the formation and growth of ice on aircraft surfaces. Its properties drastically reduce the ice nucleation and growth on aircraft wings during the flight, increasing the flight safety as well as the flight efficiency, therefore also reducing the fuel consumption.
The new multifunctional coating with ice-phobic properties was obtained starting from an aeronautical commercial livery coating. A new formulation was obtained presenting new functional properties such as superidrphobicity and icephobicity. This was possible through the use of nanomaterials with innovative properties that allowed drastically to reduce the wettability of the surface and the adhesion between the water droplets and the surface. The new coating has the same aesthetical properties of the classic liveries but with ice-phobic properties. In particular in flight conditions (at pressure of 0,5 bar and temperature of -12°C) while the commercial coating shows a water static contact angle of 48°, for the new multi-functional coating a contact angle of 160° was obtained. The tests were conducted on a laboratory scale both in static and dynamic conditions. Preliminary results of a testing activity in the CIRA Icing Wind Tunnel facility have shown a reduction of about 50% of the accreted ice with respect to the commercial livery, demonstrating the effectiveness of the new developed product.
An active de-icing technology was developed based on the use of Lamb waves for detaching ice onto aerodynamic surfaces. The waves, generated through piezoelectric patches bonded onto the inner surface of the wing skin, cause a shear action at the ice/skin interface. The magnitude of the shear action is amplified at specific excitation frequencies (Lamb waves), corresponding to wave lengths commensurable with the skin thickness. The concept has been developed and tested through numerical and experimental investigations. A system prototype was manufactured to carry out dedicated tests, highlighting system de-icing effects. Further steps, including the implementation of the technology on more realistic structural elements such plane structure with larger dimensions, structures with curvatures or isotropic and anisotropic materials have been planned.
A second active ice-protection system will be developed within the SMOS project. It involves the integration of conductive elements within the wing leading edge structure to directly heat the skin and, therefore, keep ice from accumulating. The design of this type of de-icing technology present several challenges: the system should provide even, consistent heat distribution, it must be easy to replace in case of damage or malfunction, it must avoid the overheating of the structure and it requires a robust and accurate control over the heat source.
All the anti-icing/de-icing technologies will be finally tested at the CIRA Icing Wind Tunnel facility on an 2D wing model proving the effectiveness of the integrated system in a relevant environment.
Furthermore, the SMOS project is also focused on the development of advanced methods for the fault diagnostics and prognostics of aircraft electromechanical systems. Failures of aircraft systems can potentially cause catastrophic consequences such as loss of lives and huge financial costs. Thus, achieving high reliability and availability of critical electromechanical systems is a crucial task which requires adopting efficient maintenance policies. Innovative methods based on advanced techniques, such as chaos theory and wavelet transforms, can provide solutions for effective condition-based maintenance strategies which reduce the risk of failure while supporting low maintenance costs and increasing the overall productivity.
Attività nel progetto CIRA
CIRA è totalmente responsabile delle attività volte all'interno del progetto riguardanti il design, lo sviluppo, la realizzazione e la sperimentazione in volo delle piattaforme di validazione tecnologica.
Programma
PRORA D.M. 305/98 art. 4 comma 1
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data inizio:
Monday, January 2, 2012
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durata:
96.00
Thursday, September 15, 2016
87
Wednesday, August 31, 2022
SMOS – SMART ON-BOARD SYSTEMS
Aeronautics - Technology Integration and Flight Demostrators, Fluid Mechanics, Structures and Materials, Adptive Structures
The project SMOS (SMart On-board Systems) aims to develop technologies concerning on-board systems such as low weight and low power Anti-Icing / De-Icing devices as well as diagnostic and prognostic systems. The SMOS project is funded by PRO.R.A.
Computational Fluid Dynamics, Wind Tunnel Testing Technology, Structural Analysis and Design, Smart Materials and Structures, Composite Materials ＆ Basic Processes, Sensors Integration
Icing Wind Tunnel (IWT), Vibro-Acoustic Characterisation Laboratory
