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Icing Research Tunnel (IRT)
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The Icing Research Tunnel at NASA Glenn has been in operation since the end of World War II.


Ice accretion on airfoil installed in the Icing Research Tunnel C95-2932: Delta wing in the IRT

Work continues today in the investigation of deicing and anti-icing fluids for use on the ground, deicing and anti-icing research on aircraft including rotor systems and certification of ice protection systems for military and commercial aircraft.
Facility Overview
As the nation’s largest refrigerated wind tunnel, devoted to investigating the myriad issues associated with aircraft icing, the IRT simulates and tests the effects of in-flight icing on various aircraft components and scale models.

Built at the end of World War II, the IRT was instrumental in developing and testing ice-protection systems for piston- and propeller-driven aircraft. The IRT has since been updated with a larger fan motor, a more efficient heat exchanger and turning vanes, improved fan blades, computerized controls, and electronic data acquisition, storage and processing.

Work continues today on investigations of deicing and anti-icing fluids for ground use, deicing and anti-icing procedures for rotor systems and certification of ice-protection techniques for military and commercial aircraft.

Technicians measure ice accretion depth on an airfoil in the Icing Research Tunnel at NASA Glenn
 
Above: Technicians measure ice accretion depth on an airfoil in the Icing Research Tunnel at NASA Glenn.
 
 
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NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA Official: Tony Springer
Last Updated: April 21, 2008
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