Except for the TKS-powered anti-ice technology installed on some small aircraft, the ultimate system to keep wings and tail components free of ice is most certainly the heated leading edges used aboard turbine-powered aircraft. The downside of these near-perfect ice-shedding machines is that they drain valuable bleed air energy from the engine itself, often when the aircraft needs them most.
Is This a Better Method of Shedding Aircraft Ice?
Key Takeaways:
- Existing aircraft ice prevention systems, primarily heated leading edges, effectively shed ice but are heavy due to plumbing and drain significant bleed air energy from engines.
- Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast have developed a new, ultra-light ice-prevention system using carbon nanotube (CNT) webs.
- This CNT heater is significantly lighter, more energy-efficient, and provides rapid, uniform heating, outperforming current state-of-the-art aircraft de-icing systems.
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