Rotor test stand in the cooling chamber after a de-icing test using waste heat
Rotor test stand in the cooling chamber after a de-icing test using waste heat
The first technology investigated for alternative concepts for energy-efficient heating of the blades uses the abundant and normally unused waste heat from systems installed in the helicopter for thermal de-icing of the rotor blades. A new aspect of the investigated idea was the tapping of the gear oil as a heat source. The heating fluid heated in a closed circuit is pumped via fluid lines to the leading edge of the blade for de-icing (left rotor blade). The right-hand rotor blade is kept permanently ice-free by conventional electric heating foils to prevent sudden imbalance due to ice shedding.
