Periodic Reporting for period 1 - TRACES (TRAining the next generation of iCE researcherS)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-12-01 al 2024-11-30
TRACES JD is a European Joint Doctorate network focused on providing advanced training in in-flight icing. Its goal is to develop a new generation of high-achieving Doctoral Researchers (DRs) across various disciplines essential for understanding and mitigating ice formation on aircraft and aeroengines. The network's objectives are as follows:
- Joint Doctorate in icing sciences and technologies: To establish a unique joint doctoral program at top EU universities, offering comprehensive training across all disciplines needed to address the physical and technological challenges of in-flight icing for the first time. This includes certification and insights from the aerospace industry. It will lay the foundation for joint doctorate agreements that extend beyond the TRACES JD project, impacting research in aviation and other fields affected by icing, such as wind energy, ground and maritime transportation, and civil engineering.
- Icing physics and modeling: To provide academia and industry with numerical and experimental tools that enhance understanding of the ice accretion process by focusing on physics beyond previous projects. This includes the material properties of ice particles and layers, the effects of liquid-film dynamics and ice-induced roughness on ice buildup, and the uncertainties in operating parameters and icing models. Furthermore, it aims to incorporate new models into numerical tools for simulating complex aeronautical applications, utilizing this improved knowledge to explore conditions that were previously unresolved due to a lack of fundamental understanding.
- Safety in icing conditions: To develop tools and best practices for measuring how ice growth impacts the performance and handling of aircraft, helicopters, engines, and micro UAVs. The goal is to design innovative ice probes and disruptive Ice Protection Systems (IPS) based on new, untested technologies for industry, maintaining high safety standards while reducing the environmental impact of air travel.
- Virtual certification: To promote a “certification culture' early in the development of new in-flight icing technologies and foster collaboration among academia, industry, and certification authorities, building trust in numerical tools for virtual certification—i.e. certification by analysis rather than testing. This approach aims to enable timely, cost-effective certification under icing conditions.
- Sustainable research: To build on the legacy of current EU-led projects on in-flight icing by training future icing researchers through both fundamental and applied studies. The aim is to keep EU aircraft and engine manufacturers competitive by developing researchers with a multidisciplinary, cross-sectoral mindset capable of delivering certifiable solutions.
This will be achieved through a unique combination of hands-on research training, non-academic secondments, and courses and workshops on scientific and soft skills, facilitated by the diverse academic and non-academic partners in the consortium. Certification authorities will provide training on certification procedures, and together with leading industry partners, will evaluate DR projects during a team Design & Certify exercise.
- Joint Doctorate in icing sciences and technologies: To establish a unique joint doctoral program at top EU universities, offering comprehensive training across all disciplines needed to address the physical and technological challenges of in-flight icing for the first time. This includes certification and insights from the aerospace industry. It will lay the foundation for joint doctorate agreements that extend beyond the TRACES JD project, impacting research in aviation and other fields affected by icing, such as wind energy, ground and maritime transportation, and civil engineering.
- Icing physics and modeling: To provide academia and industry with numerical and experimental tools that enhance understanding of the ice accretion process by focusing on physics beyond previous projects. This includes the material properties of ice particles and layers, the effects of liquid-film dynamics and ice-induced roughness on ice buildup, and the uncertainties in operating parameters and icing models. Furthermore, it aims to incorporate new models into numerical tools for simulating complex aeronautical applications, utilizing this improved knowledge to explore conditions that were previously unresolved due to a lack of fundamental understanding.
- Safety in icing conditions: To develop tools and best practices for measuring how ice growth impacts the performance and handling of aircraft, helicopters, engines, and micro UAVs. The goal is to design innovative ice probes and disruptive Ice Protection Systems (IPS) based on new, untested technologies for industry, maintaining high safety standards while reducing the environmental impact of air travel.
- Virtual certification: To promote a “certification culture' early in the development of new in-flight icing technologies and foster collaboration among academia, industry, and certification authorities, building trust in numerical tools for virtual certification—i.e. certification by analysis rather than testing. This approach aims to enable timely, cost-effective certification under icing conditions.
- Sustainable research: To build on the legacy of current EU-led projects on in-flight icing by training future icing researchers through both fundamental and applied studies. The aim is to keep EU aircraft and engine manufacturers competitive by developing researchers with a multidisciplinary, cross-sectoral mindset capable of delivering certifiable solutions.
This will be achieved through a unique combination of hands-on research training, non-academic secondments, and courses and workshops on scientific and soft skills, facilitated by the diverse academic and non-academic partners in the consortium. Certification authorities will provide training on certification procedures, and together with leading industry partners, will evaluate DR projects during a team Design & Certify exercise.
The training events have been completed successfully. These included the opening Training School on in-flight icing, held in Milan, where an introduction to in-flight icing was provided. Training School 1 in Darmstadt covered the fundamentals of ice physics. In Braunschweig, Training School 2 offered training on numerical and experimental tools, including hands-on experience in the icing wind tunnel. Training School 3 took place at ONERA, focusing on design and certification under icing conditions.
The selected Doctoral Researchers (DR) have built strong connections with academic and industrial partners through joint supervision, participation in training events, and contributions to the ongoing Design and Certification exercise. Even before the project concluded, a company external to the Consortium funded a PhD through the double-PhD framework established by TRACES. The company Lilium funded a double PhD between POLIMI and TUBS, which is still ongoing.
All DRs are currently conducting their research under the guidance of their respective Individual Research Committees. Three journal papers have been published with acknowledgments of TRACES DN-JD MSCA funding. Seven doctoral candidates presented their work at the International Conference on Multiphase Flows in Toulouse (FR) in May 2025, and two will present in July 2025 at the AIAA Aviation Conference in Las Vegas (USA). Additionally, six more journal papers have been submitted and are currently under review in relevant international scientific journals.
The selected Doctoral Researchers (DR) have built strong connections with academic and industrial partners through joint supervision, participation in training events, and contributions to the ongoing Design and Certification exercise. Even before the project concluded, a company external to the Consortium funded a PhD through the double-PhD framework established by TRACES. The company Lilium funded a double PhD between POLIMI and TUBS, which is still ongoing.
All DRs are currently conducting their research under the guidance of their respective Individual Research Committees. Three journal papers have been published with acknowledgments of TRACES DN-JD MSCA funding. Seven doctoral candidates presented their work at the International Conference on Multiphase Flows in Toulouse (FR) in May 2025, and two will present in July 2025 at the AIAA Aviation Conference in Las Vegas (USA). Additionally, six more journal papers have been submitted and are currently under review in relevant international scientific journals.
Major scientific achievements are reported and linked to each Doctoral Researcher (DR):
- DR5 designed the testing setup for roughness characterization. The leading edge has been developed with an integrated slot to accommodate roughness patches, while the flat plate has been obtained from ONERA laboratories and refurbished. A trailing edge flap has also been implemented. This allows the testing setup to mimic an airfoil in the leading edge zone, with a long flat region that facilitates easy access for measurements. The rough surface geometries have been chosen from various sizes of sandpaper and will be tested in the leading edge zone, exploring different transition patterns. DR6 conducted 2D numerical simulations of flows over a flat surface, testing several conditions.
- DR1 performed numerical simulations of ice accretion on oscillating airfoils, which are relevant for rotorcraft and UAM applications, to identify the suitable simulation settings for unsteady conditions. Performance and acoustic signals were utilized to detect ice growth. Compared to previous studies related to formed ice, acoustic signals are found to be too weak to detect ice inception, at least regarding tonal noise. Performance indexes are more promising and are currently being evaluated DR1. DR9 is providing the UQ tools to propagate uncertainty in the simulation chain.
- A test article for the TUBS icing wind tunnel implementing a thermal IPS was designed by DR3, and it is currently being tested under nominal conditions. The test article is designed to allow for independent control of the heaters, facilitating the implementation of a general control law. The uncertainties of the operating conditions in the TUBS icing wind tunnel are being characterized by DR2, enabling DR3 to develop a robust control system. DR9 is providing the UQ tools to propagate uncertainty in the simulation chain.
- An Abaqus model of the mechanical ice protection system was developed by DR8.
- DR5 designed the testing setup for roughness characterization. The leading edge has been developed with an integrated slot to accommodate roughness patches, while the flat plate has been obtained from ONERA laboratories and refurbished. A trailing edge flap has also been implemented. This allows the testing setup to mimic an airfoil in the leading edge zone, with a long flat region that facilitates easy access for measurements. The rough surface geometries have been chosen from various sizes of sandpaper and will be tested in the leading edge zone, exploring different transition patterns. DR6 conducted 2D numerical simulations of flows over a flat surface, testing several conditions.
- DR1 performed numerical simulations of ice accretion on oscillating airfoils, which are relevant for rotorcraft and UAM applications, to identify the suitable simulation settings for unsteady conditions. Performance and acoustic signals were utilized to detect ice growth. Compared to previous studies related to formed ice, acoustic signals are found to be too weak to detect ice inception, at least regarding tonal noise. Performance indexes are more promising and are currently being evaluated DR1. DR9 is providing the UQ tools to propagate uncertainty in the simulation chain.
- A test article for the TUBS icing wind tunnel implementing a thermal IPS was designed by DR3, and it is currently being tested under nominal conditions. The test article is designed to allow for independent control of the heaters, facilitating the implementation of a general control law. The uncertainties of the operating conditions in the TUBS icing wind tunnel are being characterized by DR2, enabling DR3 to develop a robust control system. DR9 is providing the UQ tools to propagate uncertainty in the simulation chain.
- An Abaqus model of the mechanical ice protection system was developed by DR8.