ICE
CAT™ Aircraft Deicing
System
A revolutionary, patented non-chemical
aircraft
deicing system
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The patented ICE CAT™ aircraft deicing system is designed around the flameless
Gas Cat™ infrared heat emitters. The infrared heat is created through a
catalytic process without any deadly nitrous oxides, carbon monoxide or
flames. The Gas Cat™ heaters use clean, plentiful, low-cost natural gas,
propane or butane fuel and have been successfully tested for the FAA, the
Air Force, Air National Guard and Canadian Transport.
The ICE CAT™'s heat
is transmitted directly to the aircraft surface via invisible infrared
rays. As much as 95% of infrared energy is absorbed when the heat waves
contact a solid surface directly in its path. The same way the sun heats
the earth or evaporates water in a lake, infrared heat is a directed safe
heat source.
The ICE CAT™ 's infrared energy not only melts the frost, ice or snow
already present on the aircraft's wing and tail surfaces, but also safely,
quickly and economically raises surface temperatures - temporarily preventing
further accumulations (with or without the addition of anti-icing fluid).
A microprocessor based temperature control system ensures that just the
right amount of infrared energy is transmitted to the aircraft surfaces – in
fact, a permanent record of the heating cycle can be stored digitally.
The
ICE CAT™ 's emitters can be mounted in fixed or retractable support
structures located at terminals or taxiways. The emitters can also be custom
designed or retrofitted onto mobile vehicles equipped with articulating
boom extensions, which lift and position the panels over the aircraft surfaces.
The ICE CAT™ offers these ADVANTAGES over existing methods:
• Convenient – ICE CAT™ deicing
systems either can be located on fixed structures, mobile vehicles, or
placed in existing hangars to best suit the aircraft's location and turnaround
requirements.
• Economical – The ICE CAT™ can
effectively de-ice an aircraft for a fraction of the cost of applying glycol
without any of glycol's enormous recovery, recycling, and disposal costs.
• Environmentally Responsible – The ICE
CAT™ eliminates
the use of massive quantities of glycol and its negative impact on the
environment and airport infrastructures.
• Fast – The ICE CAT™ can
effectively de-ice an aircraft in approximately 6-10 minutes.
• Safe – Over 10,000 Flameless Gas-Cat™ emitters
have been produced over the past two decades
for controlled, localized heating within hazardous locations.
• Safe Application – No
need to worry about spray effects on personnel applying glycol, being drawn
into engines, fouling rotor gears or other critical moving parts or coating
aircraft windshields.
• Recordable – Actual
aircraft skin temperatures can be digitally stored for future reference.
The surface temperature of the aircraft can be displayed on a Digital Temperature
Indicator, visible to the pilot, and can be transmitted to a PC based record
storage system.
•
Verifiable – The
skin temperature of the aircraft can be documented before, during and upon
completion of deicing verifying the removal of snow, ice and frost.
The cost to de-ice a DC-9 using heated Glycol is typically in the $2,800.00
- 3,500.00 range (not including recovery, recycling, or disposal costs).
As a comparison, the ICE CAT™ System,
using Flameless Gas-Cat™ Catalytic Infra-Red Heaters (rated at 2,160,000
BTU) would have an energy cost of less than $5.00 per aircraft (based upon
a gas cost of $5.00 per million BTU).
The ICE CAT™ system seen being tested at the Eglin Air Force Base
to demonstrate advanced Helicopter Deicing techniques.
The ICE CAT™ system currently
represents the only viable way on the market to deice a helicopter. |
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Downloadable Ice Cat Presentation
(PDF)
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