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Thermal Deicing of Polymer Composite Helicopter Blades

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Piyush K. Dutta
Affiliation:
U S Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, 72 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755 (Correspondence author)
Charles C. Ryerson
Affiliation:
U S Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, 72 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755 (Correspondence author)
Charles Pergantis
Affiliation:
U S Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, Maryland
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Abstract

This paper presents the results of an investigation to determine if thermal deicing methods (hot air, hot water, hot glycol, or radiative heat) would damage the composite materials in helicopter blades. Samples made from Blackhawk helicopter blades were thermally cycled in the regime of the temperatures of thermal deicing methods and then mechanically load tested. The strength reduction was compared with the number of thermal cycling and the temperatures of thermal cycling. The strength results and the modes of failure indicate that damages indeed do develop in the composites, especially along the bond line of the composite skin and the nomex core of the blade structure, and mechanical strength is reduced.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

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References

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