EAGER: A bio-inspired approach for improving ice-prevention and ice-removal

在寒冷和潮湿的环境中，冰通过各种过程在表面上形成，包括凝结的蒸汽和沉积的空气中的水滴的冻结。对软表面上冰的形成和冰的去除的基本理解将导致更有效的防冰表面的发展。拟议的研究将有助于提高国家基础设施的防冰能力。这项研究有可能增强暴露于极端制造条件或户外天气的机器和无人机的抗冰传感器。目前解决结冰问题的方法受到刚性表面纹理和/或涂层的限制。该项目旨在可视化和理解湿空气强制对流下软材料（如一层合成头发）上的水冻结过程。先进的X射线成像技术将用于可视化热对流条件下的相变过程和液滴动力学。在软表面上对冰的形成和去除进行的现场观察将产生跨越各个领域的有价值的见解，包括交通，可再生能源和电信。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Ice forms on surfaces in cold and humid environments through various processes, including the freezing of condensed vapor and deposited airborne droplets. The fundamental understanding of the ice formation and ice removal on soft surfaces will lead to development of more effective anti-icing surfaces. The proposed research will contribute to improving the robustness of national infrastructures against icing. This study has the potential to enhance ice-resistant sensors for machines and drones exposed to extreme manufacturing conditions or outdoor weather. Current approaches to icing problems are limited by the incorporation of rigid surface textures and/or coatings. This project aims to visualize and understand the water freezing processes on soft materials (such as a layer of synthetic hair) under the forced convection of humid air. An advanced X-ray imaging technique will be used to visualize the phase change processes and droplet dynamics under heat convection conditions. The in-situ observation of ice formation and its removal on soft surfaces will generate valuable insights spanning various fields, including transportation, renewable energy, and telecommunication.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.