The SENS4ICE EU project - SENSors and certifiable hybrid architectures for safer aviation in ICing Environment - A project midterm overview

Abstract

The EU project SENS4ICE (SENSors and certifiable hybrid architectures for safer aviation in ICing Environment) addresses the need for reliable detection and discrimination of icing conditions. This is specifically including particularly safety critical conditions with supercooled large droplets (SLD), as addressed by certification rules under Appendix O (CS-25 / 14 CFR Part 25). An intelligent way to cope with the complex problem of ice detection is the hybridization of different detection techniques. Direct sensing of atmospheric conditions and /or ice accretion on the airframe may be combined with indirect techniques in which the change of aircraft characteristics with ice accretion on the airframe is detected. SENS4ICE will address development, test, validation, and maturation of different detection principles, hybridization - in close cooperation with regulators to develop acceptable means of compliance - and the final airborne demonstration of technology capabilities in relevant natural icing conditions. The first part of the project is devoted to the development and maturation of icing detection technologies, with a focus on Appendix O icing conditions. Furthermore, several icing wind tunnel facilities have improved capabilities to represent Appendix O conditions. Icing wind tunnel testing (including Appendix O) of several icing detection sensors developed in the SENS4ICE project concludes the first part of the project. The main goal of the remainder of the project is flight testing of icing technologies in natural icing conditions including Appendix O.