Our proposed technology has broad applicability across NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) and is especially relevant to the Airspace Operations and Safety Program and Advanced Air Vehicles Program. When fully developed, our technology can provide continuous, lightweight, rain-erosion resistant icing protection without adding manufacturing complexity or affecting payload for fixed and rotary wing vehicles. Our proposed technology is also in close alignment with NASA's Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) research. By mitigating the hazards of flight into icing conditions, our technology will dramatically increase options for flight path, range, altitude and duration of unmanned missions.
Icephobic coatings have numerous potential commercial applications within civil aviation, rail, wind energy, maritime transport, and logistics industries. Potential applications include airframes, rail infrastructure, railcars, switches, wind turbines, shipboard structures, and transit equipment. An economical, reliable, readily renewable, and long-lasting passive anti-icing solution could potentially improve the overall safety, performance, and efficiency of the future transportation system.
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