UTC Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), has obtained an exclusive license from Metis Design Corp to a carbon nanotube (CNT) heater based technology for aircraft electrothermal ice protection, the company said.
This technology, co-developed by Metis Design Corp and the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, supports the aerospace industry´s growing need for more durable, lightweight, damage-tolerant and low-power ice protection systems.
Once implemented on aircraft, UTC Aerospace Systems´ electrothermal ice protection systems with CNT technology will deliver uniform heat distribution, enhanced damage tolerance, and improved fatigue resistance in a lightweight system.
UTC Aerospace Systems´ Sensors & Integrated Systems business is a supplier of pneumatic de-icing, ice detection and electrothermal ice protection, with a presence on hundreds of aircraft types. The use of electrothermal ice protection systems is expected to grow as new aircraft become “more electric,” resulting in a shift away from energy-inefficient bleed air systems. Products built with CNT enable the use of lightweight heaters, have lower thermal inertia and increased damage tolerance compared to traditional electrothermal systems.
Metis Design is a technical consulting firm that focuses on structural health monitoring and multifunctional materials. Integration of the new systems with CNT technology will take place at the UTC Aerospace Systems facility in Uniontown, Ohio, with support from Metis Design in Boston and the United Technologies Research Center in East Hartford, CT.
UTC Aerospace Systems designs, manufactures and services integrated systems and components for the aerospace and defense industries. UTC Aerospace Systems supports a global customer base with significant worldwide manufacturing and customer service facilities.
United Technologies Corp, based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems and services to the building and aerospace industries.
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