Experimental study on electro-thermal deicing technique for carbon fiber composite

Based on recent research of electro-thermal deicing technique for carbon fiber composite airfoil, a multi-material structure is proposed. The deicer pad consistes of multi-materials, each with specific thermal properties. Some of these materials are manufactured in the laboratory based on the property requirements. The finite volume method (FVM) is adopted to simulate the performance of the deicing pad, and the proper thickness of the insulation layer is determined. Through numerical simulation the uniformity of the heating circuit is also verified. According to the scheme an electro-thermal deicer pad is developed, and a deicing validation device is designed and adopted to carry out the experimental study on the performance of the deicer pad. The impact of heat flux, airflow velocity and the angle between the airflow and the deicing surface on the deicing performance is studied. The study shows that the electro-thermal deicer pad so designed is able to provide good deicing performance, and that the proposed deicing scheme is feasible.