An investigation of infrared deicing through experimentation

Traditional deicing of parked aircraft with Aircraft Deicing Fluids (ADF), while effective, has a significant environmental and cost impact, with an estimated 75% of the cost of using ADF attributed to permitting, storage and disposal. In addition, traditional ADF deicing fluids are harmful to helicopter components, and cannot be used for deicing helicopters. Infrared energy is a potential alternative to ADF. However, excessive infrared heating of the laminated composite helicopter blades during deicing could result in blade failure. This report investigates infrared deicing physical processes through experimentation and found excessive infrared heating of the ice substrate is only an issue when the ice thickness is less than 1 mm. In addition, this report evaluates IR heater designs for optimizing deicing and recommends future development that may allow hybrid infrared systems to reduce ADF use.