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Contamination Mitigating Polymeric Coatings for Extreme Environments pp 217–233Cite as

An Overview of Insect Residue Accretion and Mitigation Strategies on Aerodynamic Surfaces

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Part of the book series: Advances in Polymer Science ((POLYMER,volume 284))

Abstract

Research in the utilization of laminar flow technologies on aircraft to improve fuel efficiency (and hence be more environmentally friendly) has been ongoing since the conclusion of World War II. A persistent issue with regard to the maintenance of laminar flow, however, is insect residue accretion. The residues are recurrent, distributed randomly across the surface, and have the potential to exceed heights that can result in a premature transition to turbulent flow. Numerous approaches have been explored over the decades, with success being seen in a research setting. In general, implementation of these approaches in the commercial sector has not been realized. These approaches are briefly discussed herein, along with a general description of the relevant insect characteristics and a discussion of why the reduction of insect accretion on aircraft is such a challenging problem.

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Abbreviations

AEROMUCO:

AEROdynamic Surfaces by advanced MUltifunctional Coatings

HLFC:

Hybrid laminar flow control

LEFT:

Leading edge flight test

LF:

Laminar flow

NLF:

Natural laminar flow

WWII:

World War II

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, USA

    J. G. Smith Jr.

  2. Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    R. Robison & E. Loth

Authors
  1. J. G. Smith Jr.
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  2. R. Robison
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  3. E. Loth
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. G. Smith Jr. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, USA

    Christopher J. Wohl

  2. The Boeing Company (Retired), Seattle, WA, USA

    Douglas H. Berry

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Smith, J.G., Robison, R., Loth, E. (2018). An Overview of Insect Residue Accretion and Mitigation Strategies on Aerodynamic Surfaces. In: Wohl, C., Berry, D. (eds) Contamination Mitigating Polymeric Coatings for Extreme Environments. Advances in Polymer Science, vol 284. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/12_2018_44

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