Integration and Testing of HeatCoat Carbon-Nanotube Ice Protection System on an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

The process for certifying an existing aircraft for flight into known icing is well defined and must follow specific guidelines and meet specific milestones. As UAVs are still a relatively recent development, guidelines for icing flight certification of a UAV have not yet been developed by the FAA, and no UAVs have yet been certified for FIKI under the FAA. As part of a research program, engineers at the Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, OH USA worked with partners to integrate its ice protection system, HeatCoat^TM, onto an existing UAV platform as a retrofit with the ultimate goal of flying in icing conditions. This research program was funded by the US Government with intent to integrate HeatCoat on the TigerShark-XP UAV. The integration on the TigerShark was demonstrated to present challenges specific to the nature of this UAV that had to be overcome. This research program required simulation of icing accretion using multiple software packages, ground based icing tunnel testing, dry air flight testing with ice shapes, and flight with a fully functional IPS. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen weather-related and contract delays, flight in known icing has not yet occurred.