Posted by Courtney E. Howard
COLUMBUS, Ohio, 27 Oct. 2011. Battelle experts are developing anti-icing technology that incorporates carbon nanotubes. Battelle's heatable paint is lighter and uses less power than traditional aircraft ice-protection systems, and is applied to even curved surfaces via simple painting methods. Carbon nanotubes are dispersed into a coating that goes on with the plane's standard paint, which then can be heated using available on-board power, according to a representative.
Battelle's innovation is a departure from current ice-prevention systems, such as bleed air (heating the surface with hot engine air), mechanical boot (physically breaking the bond between surface and ice), or weeping wing (releasing toxic antifreeze fluid from the wing). These methods are often too complex, too heavy, or draw too much power, especially when used on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which often have limited payload capacities and power supplies.
The technology will resume icing tunnel testing in the coming months, after which Battelle officials expect to secure additional funding to continue the effort toward full operational status in the next two to three years. Airplane (manned and unmanned) system-level integration needs must be met before the technology can be integrated and deployed.
Battelle also actively supports and promotes science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
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