UAS Icing Performance Degradation

At a recent FAA Icing Tools workshop (August 2024), both FAA and NASA representatives expressed concern about the lack of existing cloud safety sensors as UAS and AAM enter the National Airspace. Work in this area is increasing but still retains fundamental gaps in both physical understanding of low velocity icing process, the low altitude icing conditions, and the performance degradation of the flight systems. This project focuses on performance degradation of iced propellors at UAS and AAM scales and flight rotation velocities. Additionally, GlennIce is used to generate representative ice shapes and begin comparitive investigation on low velocity rotor icing. The ice shapes generated with the GlennIce tool will be 3D printed into representative UAS and AAM rotors and analyzed on an indoor test stand. This will allow researchers to ascertain changes in thrust, sound, and rotational stability. Laser sheet imagery is used to gather qualitative understanding on flow seperation and ice shape impact. The long-term outcomes for the experiments will enable research expertise needed for UAS and AAM flight and improve low speed flight safety systems. The inital results presented will characterize icing conditions with accreted ice shapes and provide understanding on flow and performance changes on slow moving iced rotors.