Optimizing the Use of Aircraft Deicing and Anti-Icing Fluids

Current understanding of the mechanisms of the formation, retention and removal of ice from, and its detection on, critical aircraft surfaces is incomplete, leading to conservative deicing and anti-icing practices that may waste some portion of the aircraft deicing and anti-icing fluids (ADAF) used for this critical function. Airports are under regulatory pressure to minimize the quantity of spent ADAF discharged to waterways or sewage treatment plants because the fluids can contribute to aquatic toxicity, excessive chemical and biological oxygen demand, and deterioration of the airport infrastructure. Sums in excess of $10 million have been spent at individual airports to mitigate ADAF stormwater runoff. The objective of this research was to identify procedures and technologies that optimize the use of aircraft deicing and anti-icing fluids, thus reducing their environmental impact while assuring safe aircraft operations in deicing and anti-icing conditions. The project produced (1) a description of the application of currently available procedures and technologies to optimize ADAF use, (2) the results of an experiment to validate the effectiveness of promising procedures and technologies, (3) a plan for implementation of these promising procedures and technologies, and (4) recommendations for further study. The project final report is available as ACRP Report 45, Optimizing the Use of Aircraft Deicing and Anti-icing Fluids. The appendixes from the contractor’s final report, computational tools, and presentation media may be downloaded as a ZIP file (32 MB).

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=122

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $448362
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 10-01

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Aviation Administration

  800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Airport Cooperative Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001
• Project Managers:

  Harrigan, Edward

• Performing Organizations:

  APS Aviation, Incorporated

  ,    
• Principal Investigators:

  D'Avirro, John

• Start Date: 20070320
• Expected Completion Date: 20100731
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• Source Data: RiP Project 11612

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aircraft; Anti-icing; Aviation safety; Deicing; Deicing chemicals; Environmental impacts; Optimization; Waste management
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Maintenance and Preservation; Materials; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01458465
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Airport Cooperative Research Program
• Contract Numbers: Project 10-01
• Files: RiP, USDOT
• Created Date: Jan 3 2013 12:43PM