An icy reception

Next-generation propulsion systems for next-generation aircraft still have to address an (ice) age old problem.

Ice crystals have been found to accrete in the core of commercial turbofan engines at locations where the temperatures are initially above freezing. This icing can lead to many different engine failure modes, including compressor surge/stall, combustor flameout, compressor blade damage, and engine rollback.

While ice shedding is the direct cause of most of these failures, the accretion of ice may also be responsible for engine power loss.