Safer flights for drones and small aircrafts: better understanding of icing conditions in clouds

Description

The commercial use of drones is increasing in construction, agriculture, transportation, communication and surveillance, globally. This rise introduces the necessity to operate drones year-round and in an extended range of weather conditions. Heavy precipitation and strong winds are obvious limiting factors for both the operator and the aircraft / drones itself. However, during the winter season the risk assessment of icing conditions is a complex task, especially when the drone operates beyond the line of sight or autonomously. The operation of aircrafts in icing conditions introduces the risk of failure and can result in damage or loss of the aircraft, the freight or in the worst case, damage or injury to third parties’ health or property. The IceSafari project aims to reduce this risk. In order to do that, the project will: (i) develop  a cluster of sensors called “IceWarn”, to contribute to the safe operation of commercial drones, by avoiding icing conditions, (ii) advance the understanding of mixed-phase clouds (MPCs) through extensive aircraft measurements, which are critical for addressing current shortcomings in the representation of supercooled liquid in numerical weather prediction and climate simulations and (iii) build a sustainable cooperation between Romanian and Norwegian institutions. The value added of the partnership resides from the work performed together in order to develop high quality technology and scientific results at the research frontier. Furthermore, the above activities will l enhance the Romanian participation on the European and international science and innovation arena, through knowledge transfer and future joint activities

Summary of project results

The phenomenon of icing poses one of the most significant dangers to aviation. Consequently, the atmospheric science community is continually enhancing its understanding and prediction of icing conditions. The project aimed to:

1. Establish complementary research capacities for design and development of state-of-the-art devices, directly applicable on UAVs and small aircrafts.
2. Facilitate the transfer of knowledge among participants, from world-class research and education establishments (Pl, P2 from Norway) to research intensive organizations (PP - Romania) and higher education organizations (P3 from Romania).
3. Support the effort of Romanian organizations to increase their visibility and participation in European and international R&D programs (including pan-European initiatives,  joint undertakings, ERA NET calls, etc.)
4. Create a long-term partnership between world-class research education institutions from Norway and research intensive and education institutes from Romania, in the area of atmospheric physics.
5. Train early career researchers (master and PhD students) on particular topics within atmospheric physics.

The project utilized the expertise of institutes and universities from Romania (National Institute for Aerospace Research "Elie Carafoli" and University of Bucharest) and Norway (Andoya Space and  University of Oslo) to contribute to a better understanding of the processes that  lead to icing conditions in clouds. To this end, the following activities were carried out within the lceSafari project: Development  of the lceWarn sensor system that monitors the ambient conditions of the air mass and evaluates the risk of icing; Scientific flight campaign with the INCAS King Air C90 Gtx in mixed-phase clouds Compiled relevant data into an INCAS-based database; Modeling of cloud phase; Education, dissemination, and outreach to communicate  results. A  dedicated  webpage  was  developed which  allows  both researchers  and the general  public access to the activities that took place in the project [https://icesafari.whiteberrydesi gn.ro/].

To improve our understanding of the microphysical processes that lead to icing conditions, the lceSAFARI team used a combination of measurements and modelling. The measurements were used  to  characterize  the  cloud  microphysical  properties  during  icing  conditions  and  these observations were in turn used to inform modelling studies for understanding the importance of different  processes for icing to occur. With the key processes now identified, future model development  efforts for icing forecasts have a clear path forward. The  benefits of this  research are  multifold.  First, this  project facilitated the  development  of more  accurate  forecast   models,  which  are  essential  for   providing  timely  warnings  and mitigating risks associated with airborne  icing events. Second, the project established a long­ lasting collaboration  between the  project  partners with funding for  several future  research projects secured.  In summary, the  collaborative  efforts of the  lceSAFARI  team  have yielded significant  benefits for beneficiaries across various sectors. From enhancing safety in aviation to furthering the research profile of Romanian research institutions and education centers.

Summary of bilateral results

lceSafari project aimed to establish, expand, and maintain a long-term partnership between Romanian and Norwegian research and development organizations and academic institutions. The collaborators in this project worked together to produce high-quality technology and scientific results in the field of cloud microphysics. They contributed to educational activities resulting in the training of early career researchers as well as research results that are relevant for current societal needs. These activities not only facilitated advancements in instrumentation and process understanding but also established enduring partnerships based on scientific merit and respect. By leveraging the expertise of the partners in our collaborative research project, we were able to have bidirectional knowledge transfer from the host countries. As a result of this collaborative approach, the lceSafari project was able to obtain its goal of a sustained long­ term partnership as evidenced by the submission of several successful grant proposal for future research projects.