GRC NEWS RELEASE 01-060



01-060
For Release: July 26, 2001



Pamelia Caswell
Media Relations Office
216/433-2901





Dennis M. Phillips
Cox & Company, Inc.
212-366-0200
dphillps@coxandco.com

Icing's Nemesis - A New Aircraft Ice-Protection System 

For the first time in forty years, a new aircraft ice protection 
system has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for 
use on a new business jet. The NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, 
OH, supported the development of the ice protection system through 
its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding program and 
through technical and testing support of researchers at Glenn.



The ice protection system, built by Cox & Company, Inc., New York, 
NY, is a hybrid that uses both thermal anti-icing and mechanical 
deicing to keep airfoils (wings and other lifting surfaces) clear of 
ice. The anti-icing part of the system heats the leading (or front) 
edge of the airfoil, preventing any ice from forming there. Past the 
heated leading edge, the mechanical deicing part periodically 
deflects the wing skin to break and remove any ice that forms there. 
The mechanical deicer is a new ice removal technology called EMEDS 
(Electro-Mechanical Expulsion Deicing System). Together, the two 
parts form an ice protection system well suited for airfoil leading 
edges where ice contamination can degrade aerodynamic abilities. The 
system uses much less energy than other systems that provide 
equivalent protection.



"Their idea to combine two ice protection schemes was particularly 
innovative," said Andrew Reehorst, an icing research engineer at 
Glenn. "For us, the FAA approval culminates 20 years of NASA efforts 
to foster the development of a practical, low power ice-protection 
technology."



The system is in production for Raytheon Aircraft's new Premier I 
business jet, where is it used on the horizontal stabilizer. Cox 
expects its revenues to be more than $10 million over the next 
several years.



"Now that we have FAA certification, we have a credibility that 
nothing else can give us," said Warren Achenbaum who is chairman and 
CEO of Cox & Company. "EMEDS is very efficient and adaptable. 
While our emphasis has been on the Premier I, it has also been 
selected by VisionAire for the Vantage. Other companies are 
considering its use." Achenbaum added, "The support from NASA and its 
SBIR program and from Raytheon during the development of the system 
was invaluable to our company."



Glenn, now celebrating its 60th year as a federal research facility, 
began testing ice protection systems in 1944 when its Icing Research 
Tunnel was completed. Most ice protection technologies in use today 
were largely developed at the tunnel. In 1987 the American Society of 
Mechanical Engineers designated the Icing Research Tunnel an 
International Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark for its 
leading role in making aviation safer for everyone.



For more information about Glenn's icing research and its SBIR 
program, see
http:// icebox.grc.nasa.gov
http://sbir.grc.nasa.gov/




For more information about the Cox & Co. ice protection system, 
see
http://www.coxandco.co




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Print quality images are available at
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/PAO/pressrel/2001/01-060addm.html

	
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