The “ADI” project involves the development and implementation of an innovative anti-icing system that can be integrated into the leading edges of wing profiles or dynamic intakes. The system leverages a patent from the Politecnico di Torino, employing Additive Manufacturing technology as an enabling element.
The patent describes a device composed of a sandwich panel, made of aluminum or titanium, with a special open-cell trabecular core. This type of structure is highly interesting for fulfilling both structural and thermal exchange tasks, significantly reducing the components required for the system.
Trabecular structures, characteristic of Additive Manufacturing, offer several advantages. They simplify and speed up installation, reduce maintenance costs, and almost entirely eliminate the need for welding or riveting. Thanks to the possibilities offered by the additive process, other ancillary and connection elements (fastenings, supply ducts) can be integrated into the artifact, continuing to reduce the number of components, the risks of unreliability associated with joints, potential performance losses, and their costs.
The anti-icing system, like others, uses compressed air bled from the engine. Thanks to the high thermal exchange efficiency made possible by the particular trabecular structures, better performance is achieved due to the reduced airflow required compared to traditional systems, with the same surface temperature and de-icing effect. This reduction in airflow results in increased efficiency of the propulsion system and its performance in terms of power and operational economy.
The increased efficiency of thermal exchange also leads to the need for a smaller exchange surface: this, with the same performance requirements, allows for a reduction in the material present in the device, reducing its weight, a crucial factor in the aerospace field.
