Script Document

Ice and Rain Protection

Script Writer: Andrew-John Biggs

Hello and welcome to the Ice and Rain Protection lesson in the PMDG 777 GroundWork from Angle of Attack.
The demanding schedules of todays airline industry push the 777 through less than ideal weather conditions on a
daily basis. So just how does this aircraft weather the storm? Join us to see how the 777s highly automated Ice and
Rain Protection System provides ice free wings in freezing Siberian snow storms, and excellent pilot visibility through
tropical torrential downpours.
This lesson will cover the following topics:

Icing and its effect on aircraft

Overview of Ice and Rain Protection systems on the 777
Automatic Ice Detection
Engine Anti-Ice
Wing Anti-Ice
Flight Deck Window Heat and Rain Removal
Probe and Sensor Heat
Lesson Summary

Icing and its effect on aircraft:

Icing destroys lift, adds drag, reduces thrust and adds weight. Flying in flight simulator may lull us into a false sense of
security as the effects of icing are not simulated. Real icing conditions, if severe could see you facing serious control
problems, unreliable instruments, and even multiple engine failures.
Over the years Icing has been a contributing factor in many aircraft accidents. The common standpoint amongst
aviators is, whenever you do encounter icing conditions, you should always start working immediately to get out of it.
To begin, let us define icing. In aviation, the term icing refers to the build-up of ice on an aircraft structure as a result
of flight in atmospheric icing conditions.
Airframe icing is not likely if you are flying in air above zero degrees Celsius as the airframe will probably also be
above zero degrees. At this positive temperature any potential ice forming molecules or water droplets will impact
the aircraft surface, melt and run off.
When flying in visible moisture, with an air temperature below zero degrees, some water molecules become frozen.
These dont pose much of a threat as frozen ice particles in their solid state do not stick to aircraft. A problem arises
however, when the vast majority of water molecules in a cloud that is below zero degrees, remain in their liquid state.
These are called supercooled water droplets and are the reason aviators must contend with aircraft icing.
To explain supercooled water droplets, lets quickly look at the example of cloud formation on a warm day. Clouds
form when the temperature at a certain height is cool enough to allow the water vapour in a rising column of air to
condense.
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Script Document
Ice and Rain Protection
Script Writer: Andrew-John Biggs

However in order to condense, these water vapour particles, which are practically invisible when separated; need a
nucleus onto which they can collect. These nuclei are provided in the form of atmospheric dust and many other tiny
particles that are in huge abundance in the atmosphere.
As the atmospheric temperatures decreases, water molecules in the air cool and slow down, their attractions
overcome their speed and they join together. When enough vapour particles clump together on a nucleus due to this
lowering temperature, they become visible as a water droplet. When many water droplets form they reflect and
scatter any light shining on them, the result? We see clouds.
Now when it comes to a cloud that is colder than zero degrees, water droplets inside the cloud want to transform into
ice and snow because it is so cold. However the nuclei we just looked at can only help the droplets change from
vapour to liquid, not liquid to ice.
Special nuclei are needed to transform liquid water into ice and snow; they are called freezing nuclei and they are 1
million times less common than the dust particles used in condensation. Without an abundance of these nuclei the
water droplets remain in their liquid state. The higher they are pushed above the freezing level by updrafts, the colder
they get.
Soon, the temperature of each droplet falls well below the normal freezing point of water, yet they still remain liquid;
they have now become supercooled water droplets.
If our 777 is trying to navigate around a towering tropical thunderstorm and takes a wrong turn, these supercooled
water droplets are suddenly presented with the perfect surface on which they can turn to ice! Wing leading edges,
engine cowlings, sensor probes, drain masts and wind shields will all be vulnerable to ice build-up in this scenario.
Proper anti icing procedures must come into play in order to prevent serious ice accretion. Consequences of
continuing flight in icing conditions without the proper defences can prove disastrous.
Luckily for 777 drivers, this aircraft takes icing in its stride, incorporating state of the art automatic anti-ice
technologies.
So just what are icing conditions, and as a 777 driver what do we need to look out for?
Simply put, Icing conditions are atmospheric conditions that can lead to the formation of ice on an aircraft.
The Boeing 777 Flight Crew Operations Manual defines icing conditions both on the ground and in the air as follows:

The Outside Air Temperature is 10 Celsius or below AND visible moisture is present,
or the OAT is 10 Celsius or below and ice, snow, slush or standing water is present on ramps, taxiways or
runways.

Worth noting, is that on the ground, the Total Air Temperature reading on EICAS, may not give an accurate readout of
outside air temperature due to the aircrafts proximity to the ground surface. Heat from ground service vehicles and
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Ice and Rain Protection
Script Writer: Andrew-John Biggs

their exhausts can cause the temperature to over read. Some airlines suggest taking the OAT from the ATIS instead to
avoid these potential temperature errors. Having said this, the 777s Total Air Temperature measurement is said to be
quite accurate when the aircraft is on the ground.
The definition of visible moisture can include the following:

Clouds
Fog with visibility less than one statute mile
Rain
Snow
Sleet
Ice crystals

In the air, all of the same indicators apply, but we use Total Air Temperature as our temperature reference, rather
than Outside Air Temperature.
Consideration should always be given by the pilot to both current and forecast conditions, especially if icing is likely.
When airborne, and the Total Air Temperature is below 10 degrees, ice can form on the aircraft if liquid water strikes
its surface. Something to bear in mind is that there are even less icing nuclei in clouds at temperatures between minus
15 degrees and plus 10 degrees.
Your 777s wings become the biggest icing nucleus in the area when flying in this temperature range. Because of this,
icing in clouds between minus 15 and plus 10 degrees Celsius is more likely and more hazardous.
Flight through visible moisture, with outside temperatures of below minus 45 degrees Celsius is not conducive to
airframe icing because theoretically, at this temperature supercooled water droplets freeze spontaneously. The
frozen ice particles will simply bounce off the aircrafts surface.
To summarize, if the total air temperature is between +10 and minus 45 degrees Celsius and you are flying through,
or about to fly through visible moisture make sure anti-ice defences are on and working properly.
Now we will take a detailed look at the 777s sophisticated ice and rain protection system

Overview of Ice and Rain Protection on the 777:

Areas of an aircraft where ice formation would affect the handling of the aircraft are known as critical areas. The
777s anti-ice and rain protection system keeps these critical areas free from ice and rain.
The 777s engine cowls are heated by engine bleed air. Bleed air is very hot compressed air taken from the running
engines.
Three mid-wing slats are also heated by bleed air from the left and right bleed air ducts.
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Ice and Rain Protection
Script Writer: Andrew-John Biggs

Flight deck windows and all probes are heated electrically.

Water waste lines and drain masts are also heated as any water in these may freeze, expand and cause a blockage or
cracking.
We will now explore each system in detail, starting with ice detection.

Automatic Ice Detection:

Primary ice detection on the 777 is fully automatic.
The Ice Detection System uses two probes, one each side of the fuselage, mounted near the nose of the aircraft. If
either probe finds a condition that can cause ice, it sends a signal to the Wing Anti-Ice (WAI) and Engine Anti-Ice (EAI)
systems and they begin to operate.
These identical probes operate independently and are constantly monitoring conditions likely to cause ice. The
probes vibrate at around 40 kHz. When ice forms on the probe its vibration slows, generating a signal to warn of ice
accretion.
Once this signal is sent, the probe heats up until any accumulated ice melts. The probe is then able to speed back up to
40 kHz. This is called an icing cycle.
During automatic operation, EAI activates soon after icing is detected. WAI activation is delayed until a greater
number of icing cycles has occurred.
If icing is no longer detected after several minutes, both systems are automatically deactivated and the ice detection
system is reset for the next icing encounter.
The ice detection probes send their data to the Aerofoil and Cowl Ice Protection System control cards. More on this
shortly.
That covers ice detection, so lets look at how the automatic anti-ice systems respond to the icing threat.
First off we have EAI.

Engine Anti-Ice:

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Script Document
Ice and Rain Protection
Script Writer: Andrew-John Biggs

Ice build-up on the engine cowl could break off and be ingested causing all sorts of problems. Furthermore ice
accretion on the cowl can affect the air flow going into the engine, leading to reduced thrust and possible compressor
stall, over temperature, flameout and even engine failure.
The EAI systems for the left and right engines are identical. A high stage bleed port on the engine supplies bleed air to
heat the cowl leading edge from the inside. An EAI controls the airflow from the bleed port to the cowl via an air duct.
A vent in the cowl then ducts the bleed air overboard.
The EAI valve is pneumatically actuated. Control pressure for the valve comes from an EAI controller.
All anti-ice controls, including EAI are located here on the overhead panel.
Assisting the pilot in interpreting the anti-ice system operation is the AIR synoptic, accessed by pressing AIR on the
Display Select Panel.
Engine anti- ice indications are displayed here.
Pilots control the EAI using these two selectors. Each selector is a three position rotary switch. Either OFF, AUTO or
ON can be selected.
The OFF position commands the EAI valves closed.
The ON position commands the valves open, allowing manual operation of the system both on the ground and in
flight, for example, during taxi in icing conditions. The EICAS advisory message ANTI-ICE ON shows if the EAI selector
is on, no ice is detected, and the TAT is more than 10 degrees Celsius. The selectors must be ON for the EAI system to
operate on the ground. In icing conditions EAI must be turned ON immediately after engine start.
The AUTO position enables automatic operation of the valves in flight. AUTO is the normal pre-flight setting. Note that
EAI does not operate automatically when the aircraft is on the ground, so must be selected to ON manually.
System operation is indicated by the open valves and green flow lines to the engine cowls. Note that each engine
system is self-contained, no other anti-icing air source is available should an engine fail.
EAI operation is also indicated here on EICAS above the N1 display. The EAI symbol displays whenever the associated
EAI valve is open.
This helps pilots remember that increased N1 IDLE is likely when anti-ice is in operation as bleed air is being used for
heating and not for thrust. Therefore there will be a performance penalty.
Engine icing may occur when there is no evidence of icing on the windshield or other parts of the aircraft. Once ice
starts to form, accumulation can build very rapidly. Engine anti-icing system should be on AUTO or turned ON
manually whenever icing conditions exist or are anticipated.
Now we know our engines are well protected, but what about the 777s huge wings?
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Script Document
Ice and Rain Protection
Script Writer: Andrew-John Biggs

Wing Anti-Ice:
Ice accumulation on the wing has a negative impact on its lifting ability. By distorting the shape of the aerofoil,
laminar airflow quickly becomes turbulent because the boundary layer separates much earlier.
NASA icing research aircraft reported a drag increase of an astonishing 40% with lift reduced by as much as 30%
when encountering icing conditions.
Results of wing ice accretion include a decreased stall angle, an increase in stall speed and reduced controllability.
Furthermore vibrations set up by the disrupted airflow can cause stress on iced components leading to structural
damage.
To directly counter this threat, the 777s pneumatic system supplies large quantities of engine bleed air to heat three
mid wing leading edge slats on each wing. Slats 3, 4, and 5 on the left wing and slats 10, 11, and 12 on the right wing
are heated.
The very hot air heats the leading edge of the slat surface, this melts or evaporates ice and any supercooled water
droplets on contact. The bleed air then escapes through small holes on the bottom of each slat.
Two WAI valves control the air flow from the pneumatic system to WAI ducts. The WAI duct directs the air to the
slats.
The aerofoil and cowl ice protection system (ACIPS) control card controls these WAI valves. WAI pressure sensors
send WAI duct air pressure data to the control card so it can adjust the flow to the slats as required.
The required positions of the WAI valves change as bleed air temperature and altitude change. The left and right
valves operate at the same time to heat both wings equally. This helps to keep the airplane aerodynamically stable in
icing conditions.
The WAI valves close for a short time during auto slat operation. This makes more bleed air available to the air-driven
hydraulic pumps.
Hot air systems like WAI require a shutoff valve and temperature overheat sensor. This way the system can be
isolated in the event of excess temperatures as continued heating many cause structural damage.
Bleed air WAI systems will usually overheat without a flow of cooling air across the wings, which is why the system
only operates in flight.
Air/ground information from the weight on wheels cards or airspeed data from the air data inertial reference unit
(ADIRU) tells the control card when the airplane is airborne.

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Ice and Rain Protection
Script Writer: Andrew-John Biggs

Because WAI cannot be used on the ground, ground de-icing facilities are available at most modern airports. De-icing
is used to remove initial build-ups of ice and snow, and then different layers and types of anti-ice are sprayed onto the
aircrafts critical surfaces to delay further ice accretion.
A full discussion of ground de-icing procedures is beyond the scope of this lesson but we strongly recommend
viewers investigate the subject further as it is an essential and fascinating part of aviation.
Now we know what the system is and how it works, lets look at the corresponding cockpit controls and indications.
WAI is controlled by a single selector and its indications are displayed on EICAS and the air synoptic.
The OFF position commands WAI valves closed.
The ON position is used to manually operate the system, but as discussed system logic inhibits all WAI operation on
the ground.
The AUTO position enables automatic operation in flight and is the normal pre-flight setting.
Indications for WAI are located on the air synoptic. When activated in flight, WAI is displayed as each valve opens.
When the valves are commanded open, flow lines are displayed. Also notice that both wing ducts can be supplied
through a single air source through both bleed air ducts and the isolation valves offering redundancy in the event of
an engine failure.
Important to highlight here is that automatic WAI is inhibited for up to 10 minutes after take-off in the TO thrust
mode, or until the transition to CLB thrust. In most normal climb out situations transition to CLB thrust will be made
before 3000 feet above ground level.
The reason for this is because WAI introduces a significant performance penalty. Bleed air used to heat the wing slats
is needed for thrust during this critical flight phase. We need all the air to go out the back of the engine, not up into the
wings!
Useful to note here is the use of WAI again will require an increased idle N1, therefore, during descent planning it is
important to keep in mind this increased thrust requirement which will increase the descent distance.
The anticipated anti-ice altitude should be entered into the Descent Forecast page in the FMC to assist in computing a
more accurate descent profile. This will be discussed in more detail during flight work.
Both our engines and wings are taken care of. Next we will examine Flight Deck Window Heat to understand why the
Captain and First Officers windows dont accumulate ice or get fogged up.

Flight Deck Window Heat and Rain Removal:

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Ice and Rain Protection
Script Writer: Andrew-John Biggs

Electric heaters in the window laminations heat the flight deck windows. When the system is first activated, a reduced
power warm up cycle is used to reduce thermal shock.
If your 777 was spending the night in Moscow, Russia for 8 hours in sub-zero temperatures, applying full window
heat may cause structural damage due to heating the material too fast.
All windows are heated for anti-fog protection. In an emergency situation, a visual landing may be necessary so there
can never afford to be fog build-up on the window. As we discovered in the Electrical lesson, the forward windows are
also provided with a backup power source for anti-fogging.
As expected the forward windows are also heated for anti-ice protection.
The Window Heat switches are located on the overhead panel. The inoperative light illuminates whenever a switch is
OFF or the system has failed. During normal operations however the switches remain ON.
Now lets look at the concept of windshield rain removal. There is no liquid rain repellent system installed on the 777.
Instead the pilots front two windshields are treated with a Hydrophobic coating.
This coating inhibits surface wetting and causes water droplets to roll of with minimal wind. As speed increases, so
does the effectiveness of the coating. Sounds ingenious but how does this work?
Lotus leaves are great at repelling water. When water lands on a lotus leaf, it forms tiny balls that roll straight off,
taking any dirt away in the process. Great for staying clean in muddy swamps! Looking very closely at the lotus leaf
surface, scientists saw extensive folding and small wax crystals jutting out from the leaf surface resulting in a
roughened micro-scale topography.
Now by their nature water drops stick better to solids than to air. Because a roughened surface traps lots of air
between its tiny folds and sharp contours, the water drops really have very little to grip on to. In fact water drop
contact with the Lotus leafs surface can be reduced by as much as 95%.
This lack of solid contact, coupled with the fact that water droplets always want to form a sphere, means any water
hitting the leaf can quickly form a tight ball. The slightest breeze then causes the balls of water to roll off the leaf
taking any small pieces of dirt with them.
Many innovative technologies directly mimic nature, hydrophobic surfaces included. By replicating this roughened
micro surface texture for 777 windshields, engineers have devised an excellent way of keeping the view out the front
as clear and clean as possible.
When windshield wipers are required, their controls are located here in easy reach of the pilots.
Three speed windshield wipers are controlled by these selectors.
OFF stops the wipers.

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Ice and Rain Protection
Script Writer: Andrew-John Biggs

INT- the intermittent position operates the wipers with a short delay between wipes.
LOW operates the wipers continuously at low speed while,
HIGH- selects high speed.
To avoid scratching the hydrophobic coating, do not operate the wipers on dry windshields. To help prevent this,
before electrical power up, make sure both selectors are in the OFF position.

Probe and Sensor Heat:

On any aircraft, a reliable airspeed indication is paramount. Pitot probes mounted to the fuselage feeding pressure
data to the Captains and First Officer's flight instruments are susceptible to ice accretion and will fail if blocked.
The pitot probes are therefore heated electrically. Unlike other aircraft like the 737 NG there are no flight deck
controls and indicators for probe heat on the 777. Heating is fully automatic.
The static ports on the 777are not heated. Probes that have heaters include:

Left, right, and centre pitot probes

Total air temperature probe
Left and right angle of attack sensors

Pitot air data modules control the heat for the pitot probes and the angle of attack sensors. The pitot probes receive a
low heat after engine start. This increases to a higher temperature when the aircraft reaches 50 knots airspeed or is
airborne. Again a cooling airflow over the probes prevents overheat conditions occurring.
The angle of attack probe is heated after engine start.
The TAT probe is heated once the aircraft is airborne.

Lesson Summary:
In summary, remember that in icing conditions, EAI needs to be turned on as soon as the engines start. In addition
WAI is not available on the ground so make sure your virtual wings are well clear of snow and slush and have been
seen to by anti-icing truck.
Use anti-ice, or check that anti-ice systems are working when:

Outside Air Temperature or Total air Temperature is +10 Celsius or below AND visible moisture is present,
or the Outside Air Temperature is +10 Celsius or below and ice, snow, slush or standing water is present on
ramps, taxiways or runways.

Andrew-John Biggs 2012

Script Document
Ice and Rain Protection
Script Writer: Andrew-John Biggs

Visible moisture includes:

Clouds
Fog with visibility less than one statute mile
Any type of Rain
Snow
Sleet
Ice crystals

Other factors being equal, the most rapid build-up of ice is where there is the highest concentration of supercooled
water droplets. Large supercooled water droplets are found in active convective clouds as they need strong updrafts
to keep them aloft. Cumulus and Cumulonimbus or thunderstorms are likely icing candidates.
The worst airframe icing can be found in tropical thunderstorms, in areas where temperatures are just below
freezing, often near the base of the cloud where there is plenty of warm saturated incoming air.
There is something to be said for keeping the speed up during an ice encounter as kinetic heating will go some way in
easing the icing condition, however if you dont go fast enough for this to have an effect, you will just accumulate ice at
a faster rate!
When operating with the possibility of significant ice accretion, careful management of angle of attack and drag are
required. When configuration changes are made, such as flaps or gear deployment, anticipate the possibility of rapid
performance and control degradation. Be prepared to immediately reduce angle of attack and increase airspeed.
Understand that there can be no warning, either from a stall warning system or through aircraft buffet that a stall is
imminent in a severe icing build-up scenario.
Finally angle of attack viewers are strongly encouraged to research tail plane icing, especially on aircraft with T tail
configurations. Stall recovery in tail plane icing conditions is a fascinating subject and should be understood
thoroughly by all aviators, virtual included.
This lesson covered the following topics:

Icing and its effect on aircraft

Overview of Ice and Rain Protection systems on the 777
Automatic Ice Detection
Engine Anti-Ice
Wing Anti-Ice
Flight Deck Window Heat and Rain Removal
Probe and Sensor Heat

Although the 777 is well defended against supercooled water droplets, icing in its severe forms can still lead to
reduced flight performance and ultimately aircraft uncontrollability. Therefore when flight into icing conditions is
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Ice and Rain Protection
Script Writer: Andrew-John Biggs

expected, make sure Anti Ice systems are working to their full capacity so the 777 is fully protected against the
elements.
Until next time, THROTTLE AND ANTI-ICE ON!

Andrew-John Biggs 2012