eVTOL Component Testing for Supporting Algorithmic Icing Detection

Component testing in support of the development of a model-based algorithmic Icing Detection Filter (IDF) for use on eVTOL aircraft is described. The IDF represents an extension of prior work on holistic aircraft icing detection where data from individual electric motor controllers is monitored to track performance degradation effects due to accreted icing on rotating components. Icing accretion tests were conducted at a variety of conditions on representative components from a Lift+Cruise eVTOL configuration in both an icing hover chamber and an icing wind tunnel. Several different simulation tools were used to assess their capability to predict observed trends from the test data, and while icing accretion on rotating components was modeled sufficiently, non-rotating components appeared to accumulate ice more uniformly than suggested from the droplet trajectory analysis used.