Protecting aircraft from ice: Front view of the de-icing test bench
Protecting aircraft from ice: Front view of the de-icing test bench
During the winter, aircraft suffer in the biting cold. As is the case with cars, ice can form on aircraft flight deck windows and flight instrument sensors. The wings are also among the critical points of aircraft, and icing can lead to significant aerodynamic penalties. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) has found a solution to this issue. A new electric de-icing technology using carbon fibres melts the ice efficiently and can even prevent its formation. The functionality and energy efficiency of the innovative heating system were investigated using the de-icing test bed at the Technischen Universität Braunschweig (TU BS).
