In a nutshell, SP1 activities have been performed according to the plan and are mainly on schedule.
In what follows the significant results of each WP of SP1 are presented.
Compilation of the High Level Requirement Document (HLRD) for airborne icing instrumentation to be installed on airframer’s fight test aircraft. The new regulations for icing conditions proposed by FAA and EASA affect the performance required for the airborne icing instrumentation. This HLRD aims at specifying the requirements for airborne icing instrumentation accounting for Glaciated and Mixed Phase icing conditions and Supercooled Large Droplets (SLD) icing conditions. It identifies the main applicable requirements that the airborne icing instrumentation has to fulfil, including the system functionality, the performances to be achieved, the installation requirements and the operational requirements.
Description of the general requirements regarding the airborne icing instrumentation for research aircraft and their first application to the instrumentation of the Falcon 20 SAFIRE dedicated to research flight test campaigns.
ii) in wind tunnel for calibration in the Mixed Phase/Glaciated cloud simulation conditions.
The first measurement campaign is now scheduled for January-March 2014, the F20 will be equipped with a multi-beam Doppler cloud radar, four underwing cloud microphysics probes and additional microphysical instruments installed under the F20 fuselage.
The EASA-HighIWC has been a preparatory project to the HAIC project. Related to the NASA/FAA decision (November 2012) that the G-II aircraft will not be operational for the planned F20 campaign in early 2014 flying out of Darwin, a contingency plan has been proposed within EASA-HighIWC. The contingency plan has been particularly related to the design of a mini-IKP to be mounted on the Falcon 20.
Data were collected in CIRA icing wind tunnel with Robust probe to determine the first comparisons with reference Liquid Water Content (LWC) device (standard icing blade) at high speed and in the wide range of droplet size. Results show that the droplet break-up and splashing after the impact on the icing blade increases the water mass losses as their diameter reaches values higher than 60 μm resulting in a roll-off of measured LWC in comparison of those provided by Robust probe and PDI at same cloud conditions.
A new high-resolution imaging HSI (High Speed Imager) probe was designed and fabricated either for icing wind tunnel measurements or in-flight measurement. The HSI represents an innovative approach for particle imaging using CMOS cameras and pulsed illumination for characterizing mixed phase and ice particle size and morphology. The technology incorporates a reliable imaging system capable of detecting in-focus drops and ice crystal images. The scope is to limit the out-of-focus errors produced by other the available technologies. The method can simultaneously measure the particle velocity and is designed to improve the LWC and IWC derived from current optical probes. The HSI probe passed the preliminary design review (PDR).
WP15 will start in August 2014 (M24).
To view the progress performed within SP1 the second, third and fourth year of the project please follow the respective links.