Electric De-Icing-The Aerostructures Group has conducted research in several concepts for electric de-icing of engine inlets. Electric de-icing offers benefits over RohrSwirl in unique applications, when either engine bleed air is not available or when acoustic treatment is desired in the inlet lip region. The concept shown to the right incorporates an array of electro-mechanical devices spaced around the perimeter of the inlet, which then vibrate the skin to dislodge the ice build up.

A thermo-electric heating anti-icing system applied to a turboprop inlet is shown during wind tunnel testing to the right. Current research is exploring the use of lower power consumption methods to reduce the adhesion properties of airborne ice and improve system efficiency.

RohrSwirl-The RohrSwirl system, as diagramed in the pictures to the left, is a patented bleed air, anti-icing system in use on the majority of today's commercial engine inlets. High pressure, hot air is ducted from the engine to the inlet lip, where it is injected into the cavity formed by the lip skin and the forward bulkhead. RohrSwirl offers a weight, durability, reliability, and cost improvement over the older Piccolo tube type system it replaced. (shown below) On-going research at the Aerostructures Group is focusing on improving the "swirl" efficiency of the system and extending its application to wing leading edge anti-icing.