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An Analysis of Blade Deicing Techniques for Multi-Rotor UAV Propellers

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become indispensable data acquisition tools for atmospheric research with their ability to collect data from an aerial perspective. However, current UAV technology restricts their operation to warm and dry weather. In subzero high-humidity conditions, the propeller blades on multi-rotor UAVs can accrete critical amounts of ice, reducing their thrust. Published methods for preventing ice accretion on full-sized flight vehicles are currently not suitable for small power-limited drones, so other methods of ice prevention must be explored. Two such methods explored in this work include coatings and propeller-reversal. The first method involved spraying the propeller blades with a hydrophobic chemical coating. Various coatings were tested, including: ethylene glycol, silicone spray, Rain-X, and WD-40. Each coated propeller was tested in an environmental chamber under atmospheric conditions known to cause severe mid-flight icing. The thrust curve for each coated propeller was recorded and compared to a set of control tests subjected to the same environmental conditions. The second method involved a propeller-reversal technique, where a propeller with accumulated ice was quickly spun in the reverse direction to dislodge buildup. A high-speed camera was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the propeller-reversal by observing ice shearing from the blade surface. The findings from this research serve as a foundation upon which additional deicing techniques for UAVs can be explored.