Tests Conducted In The Joint Technology Initiative's Integrated Technology Demonstrator

The European Union 'Clean Sky' Joint Technology Initiative is a research program aimed at developing breakthrough technologies which will significantly improve the impact of aviation on the environment. Within this initiative, the System for Green Operations Integrated Technology Demonstrator (SGO ITD) looks to improve aircraft operation through management of energy and mission trajectory.

Within this framework, AeroTex UK, working with AleniaAermacchi, was responsible for the planning, execution and reporting of an icing test conducted on an ice protected wing section provided by Dassault Aviation, as part of the SGO ITD, ‘HETEMS’ project. The equipment (a low power 'Hybrid', ice protection system, HIPS) for the test was manufactured by Zodiac Aerospace. The test conditions were taken from the in-flight icing design atmosphere specified in CS-25 Appendix C. The Icing Wind Tunnel of the Italian Aerospace Research Center was selected to conduct the tests. Specifically, the Additional Test Section (able to host large scale models), was selected due to large model size for the test.

The aims of the icing wind tunnel test campaign were twofold:

• To provide wing hybrid ice protection system (HIPS) performance validation in a representative icing environment
• To gather data to validate the HETEMS numerical simulation tool

The HIPS performance validation was intended to show that the system operates as designed, and is effective in providing the desired level of ice protection.

Under the same Clean Sky SGO project (HETEMS), AeroTex is developing a numerical simulation tool for the analysis of hybrid ice protection systems. This test was designed to gather data which can be used to validate the simulation tool to predict the correct thermal and structural response of the wing while operating in icing conditions. The success of the test campaign represents a significant milestone in such development.

FMI: http://cleansky.eu