Ice accretion on wings of aircrafts decreases significantly the aerodynamic performance. On the one hand, the aerodynamic drag is increased that has to be compensated with additional thrust of the engines. Consequently, this yields increased fuel consumption. On the other hand, the flow stalls at lower angles of attack. Therefore, the operational range of safe aircraft manoeuvring is reduced.
Failure to detect sensor icing or ice accretion on aerodynamic effective surfaces is a major cause of icing accidents. An enhanced situational awareness of the pilots for potential aircraft degradation aids to avoid critical flight situations.Detection of ice contamination is necessary to prevent an aircraft system failure, if sensor readings become unreliable.
The formation of ice on airplane wings affects the flight properties in a negative way.Ice layer as thick as a few millimeters already leads to a loss of lift and an increase of aerodynamic drag, which decreases the aerodynamic performance. Therefore in particular commercial airplanes are equipped with ice protection mechanisms to prevent ice attachment or to remove accreted ice.
Aerodynamic icing has a significant influence on aircraft performance. When an aircraft is not operating at the full capacity of ice free configuration, it is called degraded. A better understanding of degraded aircraft capabilities is necessary for the prevention of accidents, concerning different forms of ice accretion.
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