Use of NBD Nano to prevent Ice buildup on Aircraft wings / Rotors

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The hydrophilic areas of a wing or rotor blade can be structured into narrow strips surrounded by hydrophobic material, causing water to condense preferably within these regions. This results in tombstone-like ice crystals forming on the surface. By strategically arranging these strips and directing the dominant airflow over them, the crystals bend and snap off before bridging occurs between them. This passive method can be applied to aircraft wings or helicopter blades as an affordable solution for de-icing, especially in small aircraft or hazardous rescue missions where heating technologies are difficult to implement or expensive. However, further research is required to determine the optimal dimensions of these hydrophilic and hydrophobic strips, which would likely be on a sub-millimeter scale.