Research on improving the efficiency of de icing and snow removal for civil transport aircraft

Research on improving the efficiency of de icing and snow removal for civil transport aircraft

Wang Fang

xi'an xianyang international airport  710065

Abstract: Ice and snow attached to the surface of an aircraft not only increase flight resistance, but also directly threaten the flight safety of the aircraft. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to the de icing and snow removal work of aircraft, especially on the critical surfaces of the aircraft. Ice and snow entering the interior can affect the mechanical components and engines of the aircraft. Through research, it has been found that for the de icing and snow work of aircraft, different methods should be adopted for key parts, such as the fuselage, wings, etc., and corresponding methods should be selected according to the actual situation to ensure that the aircraft will not freeze again in a short period of time. In order to ensure the safe operation of aircraft and improve the operational efficiency of airports, it is necessary to conduct research from different perspectives on how to improve the de icing and snow efficiency of aircraft.

Keywords: Aircraft; Remove ice and snow; efficiency

In recent years, China's air transportation industry has achieved rapid development. Among them, the civil aviation industry completed a total transportation turnover of 34.93 billion tons per kilometer in the first quarter of 2024, with a total passenger transportation volume of 177 million people, a year-on-year increase of 37.7%. From the above data, it can be found that the development speed of China's aviation industry is getting faster and faster. In order to ensure the safety of air transportation, the work of de icing and snow removal for aircraft operating in winter is receiving more and more attention from people from all walks of life. Especially in the northern regions of China, winter snow and ice removal has become one of the crucial support tasks for aircraft. Strict snow and ice removal procedures are required before takeoff to ensure the safety of aircraft flight.

1. Current Status of Deicing Support for Civil Aircraft

The importance and necessity of aircraft de icing and snow are self-evident. According to data statistics, airports in northern China with a long range of annual snowfall and a large amount of snowfall generally use designated slow train de icing methods; Airports with less snowfall and short duration each year generally adopt a de icing support mode that mainly relies on stand de icing and supplemented by fixed-point de icing, combining the two. From the perspective of guarantee efficiency, the spraying process of designated local vehicle de icing and de icing liquid takes a relatively short time, but the local vehicle de icing organization chain is long, the ground support chain is complex, and the connection between each link is time-consuming and frequent, with a long cumulative time.The de icing support operation for the aircraft is relatively simple, and the de icing operation can be carried out after the flight support is completed. The de icing of the aircraft takes a relatively long time to spray the de icing liquid. From the data of flight normalcy, airports affected by snowfall generally have lower flight normalcy. From the perspective of investment, designated de icing requires planning de icing pads near the runway head, as well as infrastructure construction such as de icing liquid filling and de icing command areas. Multi runway airports face greater investment in infrastructure construction. The manpower has also increased exponentially compared to the de icing of the machine. In terms of infrastructure investment for aircraft de icing, it is much smaller than fixed point de icing, making it more suitable for airports with short annual snowfall time and low snowfall volume. From an industry perspective, there is currently a lack of normative guidance on aircraft de icing and snow, and airports have a lot of room for freedom in aircraft de icing and snow support operations, which is not conducive to the organization of de icing operations and the overall efficiency improvement.

2. Difficulties in Aircraft Deicing and Snow Support

According to the process of aircraft de icing support operations, it is known that the aircraft needs to complete the spraying of aircraft de icing fluid, inspection after de icing, and taxiing takeoff within the anti icing fluid retention time, so there will be no secondary de icing work. Conversely, theoretically, the flight needs to slide back for secondary de icing. On the basis of ensuring safety, there are many difficulties in avoiding secondary de icing and improving the efficiency of de icing and snow protection.

（1） Different degrees of adhesion

In winter, the surface attachments of aircraft usually include phases such as frost, snow, and ice crystals. The difficulty of de icing operations varies under different temperature conditions, which brings great challenges to de icing and snow work. This makes it necessary to flexibly adjust the methods and tools for de icing and snow work according to the actual situation, to ensure the thorough removal of key areas of ice and snow, and to comply with flight operation standards.

（2） Limited time

Aircraft de icing and snow work needs to be completed within a limited time to ensure that flights can take off on time. In busy airports, each flight has a strict schedule for takeoff and landing, and once delayed due to snow and ice removal work, it will affect the overall operation order of the airport. Therefore, de icing personnel need to improve their work efficiency as much as possible while ensuring quality.

（3） Difficulty in organizing and scheduling

The de icing and snow dispatch personnel need to comprehensively consider the flight release situation, ground support situation, and the situation of de icing vehicles to arrange de icing operations reasonably. When de icing vehicles consume a certain amount of de icing fluid, they need to complete de icing fluid and fuel replenishment to ensure normal operation. Oil and fluid replenishment usually needs to be completed at designated locations. Both the de icing vehicle and flight situation need to be rolled and mastered, which increases the difficulty of organizing and scheduling.

3.Key factors affecting snow and ice removal efficiency

（1） Equipment

The performance of snow and ice removal equipment directly determines the efficiency of snow and ice removal. Efficient de icing and snow equipment can quickly and thoroughly remove ice and snow, reducing the risk of flight delays and cancellations.

（2） Technology

The progressiveness of snow and ice removal technology is also a key factor affecting efficiency. For example, some advanced snow and ice removal technologies use hot air or chemicals to accelerate the melting of ice and snow, thereby improving the efficiency of snow and ice removal.

（3） Weather conditions

The weather conditions have a significant impact on the efficiency of snow and ice removal. Under extremely harsh weather conditions, de icing and snow work will become more difficult, requiring more time and resources.

（4） Personnel quality

The work of removing ice and snow requires professional operators. The skill level and experience of operators will directly affect the efficiency and quality of snow and ice removal.

4.Strategies for improving the efficiency of aircraft de icing and snow removal

At present, common methods for de icing and snow include chemical de icing, mechanical de icing, and thermal de icing. Chemical de icing mainly involves spraying de icing agents to quickly melt or shed ice and snow.

（1） Strengthen technological innovation

With the continuous development of technology, intelligent de icing systems can be developed to achieve precise de icing by real-time monitoring and intelligent analysis of parameters such as temperature and humidity on the aircraft surface. Research on deicing fluids with longer maintenance times, conduct aircraft deicing operations in advance, and improve operational efficiency.

（2） Optimize the de icing process

During the de icing process, the flight sequence and de icing sequence should be arranged reasonably to avoid mutual influence and delay between flights. At the same time, a rapid response mechanism can be established, and once ice and snow weather is detected, the de icing plan can be immediately activated to ensure that flights can resume normal operation as soon as possible. In addition, airlines should develop scientific snow and ice removal plans based on weather conditions and flight schedules. Arrange snow and ice removal equipment and personnel in advance during dense flight periods and adverse weather conditions to ensure that flights can depart on time.

（3） Strengthen personnel training and collaboration

Airports should regularly organize professional training and drills for de icing personnel to improve their operational skills and ability to respond to emergencies. At the same time, communication and collaboration with air traffic control and airlines should be strengthened to jointly develop de icing plans and ensure the smooth progress of de icing work.

（4） Data analysis and decision-making assistance system

By collecting and analyzing airport operation data, weather data, etc., we can better understand the current situation and existing problems of de icing work, and provide a basis for formulating more accurate de icing plans. At the same time, auxiliary decision-making systems can help decision-makers have a more comprehensive understanding of the de icing situation and make more scientific and reasonable decisions.

（5） Strengthen collaboration with other departments

The work of removing ice and snow requires the collaboration and cooperation of multiple departments. Airlines should strengthen communication and collaboration with other departments to ensure the smooth progress of de icing and snow work. For example, working with airport management to ensure that snow and ice removal equipment can arrive at designated locations in a timely manner; Collaborate with meteorological departments to obtain accurate weather forecast information and provide strong support for de icing and snow work.

5. Conclusion

necessary to optimize the existing de icing and snow process and strengthen technological innovation. In addition, continuous improvement should be made in the training and collaboration of crew members, fully utilizing advanced decision-making and data analysis systems to continuously improve the efficiency of aircraft de icing and snow, laying a solid foundation for the on-time and safe operation of flights.

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