A RADIANT ENERGY de-icing system has been demonstrated to airlines, airports and regulatory authorities at Rochester in New York. The InfraTek system developed by Process Technologies (PTI) burns low-cost natural gas to generate focused infra-red energy which melts the ice and dries the aircraft without damaging the surface or heating the interior (Flight International, 25 October-1 November, 1995).
A US Federal Aviation Administration Boeing 727 used for the March demonstration was de-iced in 6min, in the first full-scale test of the InfraTek system. Cheektowaga, New York-based PTI says that a 727 can be de-iced for under $250, compared with $3,500 using glycol fluid.
PTI's InfraTek System 2000, which can de-ice narrowbodies up to Boeing 757 size, will cost $1.7 million and consists of an open-ended structure with gas burners suspended from the ceiling.
De-icing and drying takes 5-7min, enabling one system to handle six to seven aircraft an hour. Energy costs for the demonstration were $100-200 an hour, according to PTI.
Changes are being made as a result of the demonstration, including reconfiguring the burners to increase tail clearance and remove ice on the fuselage sides. An air curtain is being developed to blow snow off the aircraft as it enters the structure. A Boeing 747-sized structure is being designed in response to airline interest, says PTI.
The system was developed under a co-operative research and development agreement with the FAA, which conducted tests on the InfraTek in 1995. The FAA's technical report is due out soon and is expected to describe the system as an acceptable alternative to glycol de-icing.
According to PTI, the increased use of glycol resulting from tighter de-icing regulations, introduced after several ice-related accidents, has led to "skyrocketing" glycol costs, while escalating opposition from environmentalists has resulted in tougher restrictions on the recapture and treatment of the de-icing chemicals.
Source: Flight International
