User:Lucasrelic/sandbox/Infratek

Infratek is a deicing system that uses infrared energy to remove snow, ice, and frost from airplanes before flight. IR emitters direct infrared energy at various components of the plane, which heats up and removes the snow buildup. Once a section of fuselage is dry, the IR energy reflects off the plane, resulting in a negligible effect on air and cabin temperature. Deicing is necessary to remove ice buildup on critical plane components, which could prevent them from working properly and cause a fatal crash.

Infratek is meant to compete with traditional deicing methods, which are to spray the plane with an ADF (Aircraft Deicing Fluid) such as glycol. The fluid mixes with the ice on the plane and both slide off to the ground. Conventional deicing methods consume between 3,000 and 5,000 gallons of ADF, which can contaminate aquatic ecosystems and harm the organisms within them. Implementing Infratek has proved to reduce glycol use by 90% in snow and ice conditions and by 100% for defrosting operations. It is currently the only FAA approved non-glycol alternative to conventional deicing.

Infratek systems are currently implemented in 4 airports in the US, including John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Another system was in use in Norway, but was shut down and removed in 2007.

Design
An Infratek system consists of an array of propane or natural gas powered Energy Processing Units (EPUs) arranged in an open-ended hangar. The combustion of fuel is controlled in the EPUs to create targeted IR energy. Infrared energy extends off the red light portion of the visible spectrum, with slightly longer wavelength. These EPUs are set up and arranged in the shape of an airplane silhouette on the ceiling. This formation directs the energy only towards the plane and not to other structures. To deice a plane, the floor of the hangar (which is embedded with heating elements) heats up in order to deice the components in the lower portion of the plane. The aircraft then taxis under the IR emitters. A single operator, using a central computer, turns on the system and calibrates the energy and wavelength based on the type and thickness of ice or snow to be removed. The deicing process then begins, and the IR waves melt the snow and ice off the fuselage. When a section of the aircraft is free of ice, the operator adjusts that zone to half power in order to conserve fuel. In approximately 6 minutes, depending on the size of the plane, the process is complete. The plane then taxis to the runway for takeoff, or heads to an anti-icing facility to prevent buildup before takeoff and throughout the flight.

Performance
In preliminary tests, an Infratek system was shown to deice a Boeing 727 in 6 minutes. After implementation, real-world data indicates that an Infratek system has the capacity to deice between five and seven planes per hour, as well as comparable times to traditional deicing methods on a plane-by-plane basis. The total time, from when the aircraft enters the hangar to when it leaves, is approximately 15 minutes.

If implemented correctly, an Infratek system will not create additional delays due to bottlenecking. At JFK, airplanes cannot get clearance to leave the gate unless they have a deicing slot ready. This means that the planes proceed to the runway immediately after deicing, which greatly reduces the chance of delays.

Benefits
Using an Infratek system has a wide range of benefits, from monetary savings to environmental preservation. Deicing a plane using traditional methods takes up to an hour and a half to finish, and uses between 3,000 and 5,000 gallons of glycol. At $10 a gallon, airlines could spend up to $50,000 to deice a single plane. Using an Infratek system can reduce the deicing time by up to an hour, allowing more aircraft to take off and yielding higher margins for the airlines. Additionally, the operators of an Infratek system charge a flat rate to deice a plane, while the price for traditional deicing varies with the size of plane and severity of snow conditions. The flat rate for deicing through Infratek is often less than that for deicing with ADFs.

Environmental Preservation
Traditional deicing methods use ADFs, which are harmful to aquatic ecosystems and the life within them. A typical plane requires 3,000 to 5,000 gallons of ADFs to be fully deiced. While there are efforts to contain and dispose of the ADFs properly, a percentage does leak into the surrounding environment. At high enough concentrations, ADFs are fatal to aquatic life. Airports who use an Infratek deicing system report a reduction of ADF use between 75% and 90% under snow and ice conditions. For defrosting operations, no glycol was used at all. Replacing the use of ADFs in airports with Infratek systems would prevent leakage into the environment and the death of surrounding life.

Drawbacks
Each Infratek system requires the use of a large hangar that can fit most planes, including the clearance necessary for the EPUs. Most airports do not already have this infrastructure, so they must build one to use. Some airports may not have the capabilities to build a suitable hangar that meets the rigorous FAA standards for structures. At JFK, the cost to set up the Infratek system was reported to be $9.5 million. With such a high startup cost, airlines need to commit to using Infratek in order to make it cost-effective.

While the use of infrared energy to deice planes is very effective, there is no protection against ice buildup during taxiing and flight (anti-icing protection). Depending on the weather conditions, some planes may need an application of ADFs to keep ice off the components and fuselage.

The Infratek system's IR emitters run off propane or natural gas, which are known to be harmful to the environment. The impact of powering these IR emitters has not been tested, leaving questions about the true environmental benefits of using Infratek over traditional deicing using ADFs.

Development
Infratek was developed under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between Radiant Energy and the FAA. Radiant is the sole holder for a patent for: “Method of, and apparatus for, deicing an aircraft by infrared radiation.”

The first Infratek system went into service in March 1997 at Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Later that year, Radiant Energy Corporation’s first sale of an Infratek system was to Rhinelander–Oneida County Airport Rhinelander, Wisconsin. In 2000, Newark Liberty International Airport opened their Infratek system for use, operated by Continental Airlines. The Newark operation was the first large-scale infrared energy deicing system to be used.

Implementation
Infratek systems are currently in use at 4 airports in the US, at the following locations: Another Infratek system was in use at Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, but it has since been dismantled and removed.
 * John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
 * Newark Liberty International Airport
 * Rhinelander–Oneida County Airport
 * Buffalo Niagara International Airport

The largest facility is at JFK, with the capability to accommodate any plane up to the B-747 classics and some B-777 types (about 95% of the aircraft at JFK).

For the 2006-2007 deicing season, Radiant signed with 5 companies and another 8 on an ad hoc basis. They signed an additional 3 airlines for the following season, plus 7 more ad hoc customers.