This proposal addresses the specific aeronautical challenge relative to the improvement and optimization of nacelle/engine integration to reduce drag and save weight thanks to high technology devices leading to significant CO2 savings. The ultimate goal of this proposal is to replace the today ice protection systems mounted on the surfaces of engine intakes by a two-phase passive thermal system with the following main benefits: • Reduction of fuel consumption and raise of the engine effectiveness by the use of a highly efficient thermal system for the extraction of heat load from the engine to the protected surface (high heat transfer capacity compared to the two-phase system mass); • Decrease of mass and ease of thermal icing protection integration by removing the today electro-thermal and pneumatic usual device used to collect power from power plant; • Increase of reliability of a critical function such as anti-icing by removing active control and operations; • Lower impact on environment and operating cost reduction through the use of passive and maintenance free thermal equipment. At two-phase system level, the main innovation will concern the adaptation of the space qualified product to the specific aeronautical requirements. TRL6 is considered for the two-phase product in order to enable the European aeronautical communities to propose more efficient aircrafts with less environmental impacts. The most relevant characteristics to be assessed and managed through this project are: • The severe thermal and mechanical environment around the engine and its nacelle and • The specific geometry of the protected surface. This project will so contribute to the strengthening of the competitiveness of the European industry by introducing two-phase heat management systems contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions and airplane noise, toward an eco-conception and an eco-utilization point of view.

This proposal fits within the framework of aircraft effectiveness constant improvement by reducing fuel and power consumptions. Its ultimate goal is to economically remove ice accreting on aircraft structure critical parts and thus increase reliability and mass saving on the global function. By comparison with the present existing solutions which are based on active pneumatic and electro-thermal means the targeted solutions will enable electrical power consumption, cost and mass reductions and ease the overall integration process. The subject of this proposal is to integrate and test two innovative ice protection systems in aircraft structures. The first system is based on two-phase heat transport and will be tested in a turboprop metallic air intake. The second system is based on electromagnetic induction and will be tested on a wing fixed leading edge and on a flap leading edge.

In this project, we aim at building a computational framework and a network of competence to extend the applicability of state-of-the-art formulations to industrially-relevant multiphase turbulent flows. We focus on applications characterized by the transport of particles/droplets in two-phase flows with gas-liquid or liquid-liquid deformable interfaces, which are ubiquitous in process, chemical, and power engineering. The targeted applications are at the crossroads between academic research and practical concerns (e.g. particle deposition in boiling flows, droplet coalescence/breakup in emulsions, freezing/defreezing in heat pipes or changes in two-phase flow patterns) and their modeling in an industrial context represents a major challenge. This is due to the complexity arising from the co-existence of different phases, but also to a lack of cross-fertilization between academia and industry: Several methods and ideas exist but their application is often limited to flows of academic interest, with scarce transfer of skills, poor experimental validation and, most importantly, no unified framework into which existing methods could be cast. This represents a serious obstacle to industrial developments since engineers and practitioners can be unaware of which method to use and in need of support. To build the new framework, we consider emerging complementary methods, including Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics and Phase Field. COMETE leverages on the complementary expertise of the industrial and academic partners to ensure successful combination of technology-driven objectives and original research developments. To this aim, we will build an international network of excellence by putting forward synchronized training-through-research and training-on-the-job activities, and we will form PhD students fully capable of mastering the next-generation scientific methodologies for complex industrial applications of multiphase flow technology.