Two Iowa State professors were recently awarded a grant totaling almost $85,000 from NASA to study the effect of ice on airplanes.

Alric Rothmayer, professor of aerospace engineering and mechanics, and Jen-Ching Tsao, temporary assistant professor of aerospace engineering and mechanics, will be helping NASA with the study.

“We’re basically generating computer models of how the icing behaves at the surface [of the aircraft],” Rothmayer said.

Rothmayer explained that ice can freeze on an airplane wing, or foil, dramatically altering the shape of the foil. This can affect the safety, speed and performance of the aircraft, he said.

“The worst case scenario is it can cause a crash,” he said.

Accumulated ice on the wings of airplanes has caused many previous crashes, including some commercial flight crashes, Rothmayer said.

Rothmayer and Tsao, as well as several graduate students, will try to aid NASA in preventing this from occurring.

“We hope to be able to improve NASA’s prediction capability,” Rothmayer said. “Ultimately, we hope to contribute to [combating] that problem, but indirectly.”

He said they will be using theoretical and computer simulations in their work.

“The main use of the money is to pay computer researchers,” he said.

Rothmayer said the remainder of the money will be used to set up a computer simulation at Howe Hall, when the building is completed.

Wade Huebsch, research assistant in aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics, has worked with NASA before.

He said he is pleased that Rothmayer and Tsao received the grant.

“Money is always good,” he said. “It’ll be good for the department in the long run.”

The grant will also strengthen the department’s ties to NASA, Huebsch said.

“It’ll be a good working relationship with NASA for a long time to come,” he said.