ONBOARD MIXING OF DE-ICING FLUID

• US 20140231587A1
• Filed: 11/21/2011
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vestergaard Company A/S (Vestergaard Co. Holding A/S)
• Original Assignee: Vestergaard Company A/S (Vestergaard Co. Holding A/S)
• Inventors: Svanebjerg, Elo, Vestergaard, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 9,776,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/134.C
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/20 Ground installations for de-icing aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/23 by liquid application; Spraying installations therefor, e.g. fitted on vehicles

Abstract

The invention pertains to a de-icer for airplanes, which comprises a self-propelled vehicle (32) which is provided with a lifting device (34, 36) for lifting and positioning a spraying nozzle (38) in the vicinity of an outer surface of an airplane to be de-iced. The nozzle (38) is fluidly connected to a tank assembly (40) via at least one pipe, wherein the tank assembly (40) comprises separate tanks (42, 44, 46) for an anti-freeze liquid, such as propylene or ethylene glycol, additives and water. Each tank (42, 44, 46) of the tank assembly (40) is fluidly connected to a mixing system (48) via pipes (50, 52, 54), the mixing system (48) is configured for mixing the liquids from each of the tanks (42, 44, 46) before supplying the mixed liquid to the nozzle (38). The invention also pertains to methods of providing onboard mixing of de-icing and anti-icing liquids in a de-icing vehicle.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A method for spraying de-icing liquid on a surface of an airplane, wherein de-icing liquid is supplied to and through a spraying nozzle of a de-icing vehicle through a pipe which connects the nozzle with a tank assembly of the de-icing vehicle, the liquid being delivered to the spraying nozzle as a mix of an anti-freeze liquid and additives, characterized in that the anti-freeze liquid is delivered to the pipe from an anti-freeze liquid tank via a first dosage pump and the additives are delivered from an additives tank via a second dosage pump.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the liquid being delivered to the spraying nozzle is a mix of anti-freeze liquid, additives and water, characterized in that the anti-freeze liquid is delivered to the pipe from a anti-freeze liquid tank via a first dosage pump, the additives are delivered from an additives tank via a second dosage pump and the water is delivered from a water tank via a third dosage pump.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein the flow from each of the first, second and third dosage pups is measured by first, second, and third flow meters, respectively.

21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of adjusting the flow from any of the first, second and third dosage pumps in dependence of the respective flow measurements made by the first, second and third flow meters, respectively.

22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of measuring outside ambient temperature.

23. A method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of adjusting the flow from at least one of the first, second and third dosage pumps in dependence of said temperature measurement.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the de-icing liquid supplied to and through the spraying nozzle comprises between 0.1% and 2% additives and between 4% and 88% anti-freeze liquid.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the de-icing liquid supplied to and through the spraying nozzle comprises between 10% and 96% water.

26. A method according to claim 19, further comprising the subsequent step of spraying anti-icing liquid on a surface of an airplane, wherein the liquid being delivered to the spraying nozzle is a mix of anti-freeze liquid, additives, water and a thickener, characterized in that the anti-freeze liquid is delivered to the pipe from an anti-freeze liquid tank via a first dosage pump, the additives are delivered from an additives tank via a second dosage pump, the water is delivered from a water tank via a third dosage pump and the polymers are delivered from a thickener tank via a fourth dosage pump.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein flow from each of the first, second, third and fourth dosage pumps is measured by first, second, third and fourth flow meters, respectively.

28. A method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of adjusting the flow from any of the first, second, third and fourth dosage pumps in dependence of the respective flow measurements made by the first, second, third and fourth flow meters, respectively.

29. A method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of measuring the outside ambient temperature.

30. A method according to claim 29, further comprising the step of adjusting the flow from at least one of the first, second, third and fourth dosage pumps in dependence of said temperature measurement.

31. A method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of adjusting the flow from at least one of the first, second, third and fourth dosage pumps in dependence of a transmitted temperature sent from a server at the airport, wherein the method is exercised or from a metrological weather station.

32. A method according to claim 26, wherein the liquid supplied to and through the spraying nozzle comprises between 0.1% and 2% additives, between 0.1% and 2% thickener and between 2.5% and 50% anti-freeze liquid.

33. A method according to claim 26, wherein the liquid supplied to and through the spraying nozzle comprises between 48% and 97.5% water.

34. A method according to claim 26, wherein the thickener comprises polymers.

35. A method according to claim 26, wherein the thickener is mixed with anti-freeze liquid prior to mixing it with additives and water.

36. A method according to claim 26, wherein the thickener is mixed with the anti-freeze liquid, and then with additives and then with water.

37. A method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of delivering the thickener and additives to the tank with the anti-freeze liquid, and homogenizing the additives, thickener and anti-freeze liquid, before delivering the homogenized liquid to the nozzle via a dosage pump.

38. A method according to claim 37, further comprising the step of mixing the homogenized additives, anti-freeze liquid and thickener with water at a mixing point before delivering it to the nozzle.

39. A method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of delivering the thickener, the anti-freeze liquid, and the additives to a buffer tank, wherein it is mixed together and homogenized, before being delivered to the nozzle.

40. A method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of delivering the additives to the tank with the anti-freeze liquid, and homogenizing the additives and anti-freeze liquid, before delivering the homogenized liquid to the nozzle via a dosage pump.

41. A method according to claim 40, further comprising the step of mixing the homogenized additives and anti-freeze liquid with water at a mixing point before delivering it to the nozzle.

42. A method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of delivering the anti-freeze liquid and the additives to a buffer tank, wherein it is mixed together and homogenized, before being delivered to the nozzle.

43. A method according to claim 42, further comprising the step of mixing the homogenized additives and anti-freeze liquid with water at a mixing point before delivering it to the nozzle.

44-56. -56. (canceled)