An analysis of anti-icing coating longevity for use on airplanes

Stevens Institute of Technology, 1 Castle Point Terrace, Hoboken, NJ 07030

Joseph Whaley Aboaf and Dr. Chang-Hwan Choi
March 1st, 2017
I. Proposal Summary/Abstract
In this study, current methods of reducing ice adhesion on airplanes will be
evaluated to determine which factors contribute to a successful solution. Then, new
methods will be proposed, tested against the current methods to determine
improvement on ice-reducing capabilities and longevity. These coatings,
nano-structures, and/or new solutions discovered are of particular interest because
airlines de-icing planes after landing and before takeoff with chemicals that are harmful
to ecosystems surrounding airports, increasing the negative environmental impacts of
aviation industries and extravagantly expensive due to the repetitious nature of the
process. The aim of the overall study is to introduce a new method, or coating that is
either permanent or re-applied every time a plane is serviced in order to significantly
reduce both monetary and nonmonetary costs of the current forms of de-icing such as
delays for customers and cargo, harm to wildlife surrounding airports, and the industrys
overall environmental impact.

II. Background/Introduction:
Since all airplanes fly at such high altitudes and low temperatures, any moisture
that the aircraft is exposed to inevitability adheres to its surface. This causes one
problem in the air: added weight that could make the airplane use more fuel, not be able
to reach its destination, or in the worst case crash because the weight overpowers the
thrust, lift, glide of the aircraft. In addition, if the plane lands in a climate that has a
temperature lower than 0 C the ice wont melt, and thus need to be de-iced in order to
lighten the aircraft for its next flight, and especially for its takeoff. If a plane was coated
with ice during takeoff, it could overpower the lift needed to get the plane off the ground,
which would lead to a failed takeoff attempt, putting expensive equipment at risk along
with anyone on the airplane. Currently, airlines use aircraft deicing fluids (ADF) in order
to remove ice after landing and/or before takeoff. Although ADFs are quite effective,
they can cost airlines possibly hundreds of millions of dollars. It is estimated that 14
million gallons of ADFs are used in north america each year.[1] And at ten to fifteen
dollars a gallon, that's between 140 and 210 million dollars in ADFs alone, without
factoring in operational costs of machinery, disposal, and trained personnel.[2]
Furthermore, 250,000 dollars per deicing truck adds even more onto the price that
airlines must pay to keep their planes clean of adhered ice.[2] Since all of these
estimates are for north america, the global cost of ADFs and de-icing necessities are
much higher. As a result of such high costs, anti-icing coatings and nanostructures have
been explored as a means to reduce costs of keeping airplanes free of ice. In addition
to the technical advancements needed to keep airplanes safe, these advancements
would replace the current methods of deicing and anti-icing that have stark effects on
the surrounding habitat. The current sprays used to de-ice planes and keep them
ice-free during takeoff are made up of ethylene glycol or propylene glycol.[1] Although,
these chemicals are very biodegradable they do consume quite a bit of oxygen, thus if
exposed to a water source they can have a negative effect on aquatic life.[3] Even when
the chemicals are contained they must be shipped by truck to a chemical containment
facility, contributing to carbon footprint everyday.[1] The possibility of on site recycling
facilities has been explored at the Salt Lake City International Airport, where a 28 million
dollar recycling/recovery system was implemented, driving the cost of recycling these
chemicals to five cents per pound.[1] Despite the advancements made in recovery,
recycling, and protection of wildlife by airports with the help of the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) the cost-efficiency could be drastically improved if a
semi-permanent coating was synthesized, or a nanostructure that could be applied to
aircraft exterior metals we could better protect airplanes from not only ice hazards but
also the environment from oxygen absorbing chemicals or potential greenhouse gasses
as a result of transportation. In one paper, Effects of Contact Angle Hysteresis on Ice
Adhesion and Growth on Superhydrophobic Surfaces Under Dynamic Flow Conditions,
the anti-icing properties of four different superhydrophobic coatings on two different
types of substrates (aluminum and steel) were evaluated.[4] A closed loop wind tunnel
was used to asses these coating-substrate combinations at approximately -7C with
wind speed at approximately 12 m/s. With these parameters, 0.2 liters of water was
released in droplet form and ice adhesion was observed with high resolution CCD
cameras.[4]. It was found that the finest surface roughness and contact angle
hysteresis, a measure of the difference between the advancing and receding contact
angles on a tilted surface, were the major contributing factors in delaying ice formation
due to minimizing surface friction and allowing the water droplets to slide off the surface
quickly. Despite one study determining contact angle hysteresis as a determining factor
of anti-icing properties, contact angle has been a determining factor in underwater
conditions for reducing drag and a slip boundary layer, meaning that no water drags
slowly along the surface, which could also conceptually work to reduce ice adhesion in
wetter flying conditions.[5] This study brought up another factor that easily reduces
drag: surface air fraction. Increasing surface air fraction, the concept of increasing the
amount of air on the surface of the material in order to create a boundary between the
surface and any sort of precipitation or ice, is another possible way to reduce icing
because as there are more pores filled with air on a surface or coating the easier any
sort of water slides off.[5] Factors that allow water to slide off easier might also
contribute to superior anti-icing coating because water droplets and condensation wont
have as much time to freeze on the surface, thus new superhydrophobic coatings and
nano-structures will also be evaluated. Although improvements have been made on
anti-icing coatings and surface nanostructures, the longevity of these propositions has
not been tested nor have any of the solutions proven themselves ready for large
commercial application. Not only must the current methods of creating an anti-icing
layer be evaluated for effectiveness and/or cost efficiency in relation to current de-icing,
but new methods must be explored.

III. Project Description

In order to be able to effectively synthesize new ideas or methods of reducing ice
adhesion on an aircraft, the existing anti-icing coatings used during takeoff and current
icephobic coatings must first be evaluated to be able to determine the factors that
contribute to anti-icing properties. Thus, a two-step research process is recommended.
The first step will be to analyse what makes current methods effective by implementing
a one-variable detection process where single variables are changed in order to
determine the aspects of a coating or structure that have the greatest contributions to
an anti-icing effect. After the main aspects are isolated, a new coating or structure will
be created in an attempt to have more influential anti-icing effects that last longer than
the current alternatives. The first step of the research process should take between
three and six months. The second step will not have any specified estimated duration
because its timeline is based on the efficiency of the proposed solution. Ultimately, the
aim of the project is to create an anti-icing coating or structure that can minimize, or
ideally eliminate ice adhesion to aircrafts, for a regional flight in cold and wet weather.
Whether or not the second step is successful or not, the project can always return to the
first step in order to better understand what makes an anti-icing coating.

IV. Research Strategy

In this first portion of this study existing anti-icing coatings such as one made by
Helicity Technologies and oil impregnated bottles shaped pore nanostructure coatings
will be analyzed using a low-temperature wind tunnel with controlled, simulated droplets
in order to mimic flying at cruising altitude (12,000 meters). This would mean that the
speed of the wind tunnel would be placed at 900 km/h, or its highest possible setting,
and temperature at -10 C. The wind tunnel would run until an entire substrate is
covered in ice, then the wind tunnel would not push air but maintain 0 C in order to
mimic a landed airplane, taxiing, or resting at a gate before its next take off in a cold
climate. The time until the substrate is fully covered, thickness of ice, and video of
simulation will be recorded for analyzation after different coatings and structures are
tested. Figure 1 (a-d): Low temperature wind tunnel with droplet simulator used to mimic
airplane flight[4] The second portion of the study will mainly be based off of the results
warranted in the first study but any new coating or structure, such as different pore
structures or air layer based coatings, that has the aim of reducing ice adhesion will be
tested under the same conditions as the those of the first portion. Ice-reducing effects
will be compared to already tested samples for effectiveness and longevity.

V. Bibliography
[1] Barash, S., Covington III, J., & Tamulonis, C. (2000, August 31). Preliminary
Data Summary Airport Deicing Operations (Revised) (United States of America,
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water). Retrieved March 1, 2017, from
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-06/documents/airport-deicing-pds-2000.
pdf
[2] Aircraft Icing. (2011, January 10). Retrieved March 01, 2017, from
https://www.nbaa.org/ops/safety/in-flight-safety/icing/20110110-deicing-dollars-and-sen
se.php
[3] ENVIRONMENTAL FATE AND EFFECTS OF ETHYLENE GLYCOL USED
AT AIRPORTS. (2000, February 01). Retrieved March 1, 2017, from
http://www.huntsman.com/performance_products/Media%20Library/a_MC348531CFA3
EA9A2E040EBCD2B6B7B06/Products_MC348531D0B9FA9A2E040EBCD2B6B7B06/
Glycols_MC348531D11A3A9A2E040EBCD2B6B7B06/files/fate_and_effects.pdf
[4] Sarshar, M. A., Swarctz, C., Hunter, S. R., Simpson, J. T., & Choi, C. (2012).
Effects of contact angle hysteresis on ice adhesion and growth over superhydrophobic
surfaces under dynamic flow conditions. Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology,
427-435. doi:10.1007/s00396-012-2753-4
[5] Aljallis, E., Amin Sarshar, M., Datla, R., Sikka, V., Jones, A., & Choi, C.
(2013). Experimental study of skin friction drag reduction on superhydrophobic flat
plates in high Reynolds number boundary layer flow. Physics of Fluids, 25, 1-14.
doi:10.1063/1.4791602