| An agreement between CIRA and NASA for testing in icing tunnels | <img alt="" src="https://www.cira.it/PublishingImages/CIRA%20IWT_NASA%20IRT.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | https://www.cira.it/en/communication/news/accordo-tra-cira-e-nasa-per-sperimentazione-in-ghiaccio/An agreement between CIRA and NASA for testing in icing tunnels | An agreement between CIRA and NASA for testing in icing tunnels | <p></p><p></p><p style="text-align:justify;">CIRA and NASA have now signed a collaboration agreement for testing in icing tunnels. The aim is to harmonise the methods for measurement and analysis of the clouds generated in icing tunnels for the study and certification of ice protection systems: to limit, as far as possible, the uncertainties arising from the use of different techniques, in particular under severe ice conditions like those prescribed by the latest certification standards (FAA 14 CFR Parts 25 Appendix O).</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The agreement envisages experiments for the comparison of methods and performance ratings in the most representative laboratories, such as CIRA's Icing Wind Tunnel, NASA's Icing Research Tunnel, and the National Research Council's Altitude Icing Wind Tunnel. It will also involve a group of international experts, the SLD Team, who for some years now have worked in fields like experimentation (NASA, CIRA and NRC), cloud microphysics (Environment and Climatic Change of Canada and Met Analytics) and the certification of aircraft (FAA).</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The new standards take into account the use of Supercooled Large Drop (SLD) clouds up to 6600 m which, unlike standard clouds, contain drops of more than 50 microns in diameter and with liquid water content values of less than 0.4 g m-3. Currently no icing tunnel is able to simulate these conditions properly, due to the limitations of spray nozzle systems and the difficulties posed by measurement techniques based on interferometric optical and imaging methods as well as on different drop sampling methods for the characterisation of low LWC values. </p><p style="text-align:justify;">To address these issues, CIRA has long been involved with international working groups like the SLD Team, or taken part in European projects such as EURICE, EXTICE and HAIC, assisting with the development of innovative measurement methods and improvement of the spraying techniques used by IWT. In this context, the collaboration agreement with NASA will see both parties working more closely together.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">In each of the three tunnels involved, and with the exchange of personnel and instrumentation, identical nominal conditions of artificial clouds will be measured to assess the differences and possible errors due to the disparate methods used to measure and analyse the data.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The initial tests will take place at IRT in November, and subsequent ones in the other tunnels; the final test will be in CIRA's IWT, which is currently being used for other test campaigns for clients.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">The five-year agreement will also cover other aspects like the improvement of numerical simulation methodologies and the characterisation of the behaviour of icephobic materials under SLD cloud conditions, more similar to real ones, at different altitudes. The formation of ice on full-scale models is only possible, with simulation also of the altitude, in CIRA's IWT.</p><p style="text-align:justify;">October 19th, 2017<br></p><p></p> | 2017-10-18T22:00:00Z |
