Electromechanical Resonant Ice Protection Systems: How to Favour Fractures Propagation

Many researches focus on piezoelectric ice protection systems with the objectives to develop light and low consumption resonant electromechanical systems for de-icing. These systems use the vibrations generated by piezoelectric actuators at resonance frequencies to produce shear stress at the interface between the ice and the support or to produce tensile stress in the ice. This article presents experimental results of de-icing tests performed with resonant piezoelectric systems that generate amplitudes of vibrations to exceed ice tensile strength or ice/support adhesive shear strength. The tests show that fractures are initiated but that the ice is not always completely detached. A methodology based on the energy release rate is presented to enable a better understanding of fractures initiation and propagation. The last section part of the article is dedicated to the study of a substrate made of a sandwich structure with a honeycomb panel in order to maximize fractures propagation while minimizing energy consumption.