OPENSPACE 24: The Future of Space Exploration | Page 10
“Holdover time determination
systems find more precise
weather conditions, so the
selection of fluids is appropriate.”
John D’Avirro
Director, Aviation Services
APS Aviation Inc.
revolutionizing the
industry with de-icing
technologies
T
he risk of an aircraft taking off in icy conditions
with critical surfaces contaminated by ice or
snow is a major concern among government and
transportation institutions. Every winter, airports across the
world battle extreme cold temperatures and related weather
and use a glycol-based solution, sometimes diluted with
water, to avoid aircraft aerodynamic failures that can cause
fatal accidents. The amount of fluid necessary to de-ice an
aircraft depends on a broad range of factors; however, the de- require new airports with 10,000 annual departures located in
icing of a narrow-body commercial aircraft typically consumes certain cold climate zones to collect 60 percent of aircraft de-
upwards of 1000 L of fluid, and that number can increase icing fluid after de-icing.
significantly in cases of extreme weather.
“Airports that discharge the collected de-icing fluid directly
After spraying the de-icing fluids, the remaining oversprayed to waters of the U.S. must also meet numeric discharge
and dripped quantities are typically collected for treatment requirements for chemical oxygen demand. The biodegradation
or recycling purposes, while the rest of the fluid is either of glycol in surface waters like lakes or rivers can impact water
trampled by foot traffic or blown away during takeoff, where it quality, including causing a significant reduction in dissolved
will biodegrade in the surrounding soil or aquatic environment. oxygen levels needed for the survival of aquatic life,” says John
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations currently D’Avirro, Director, Aviation Services of APS Aviation Inc.
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