Development of a small and transportable de-icing/anti-icing drone-mounted system. Part 2: Prototype testing and proof of concept

Abstract

During winter, aircraft de-icing and anti-icing is a significant part of the operations at large airports. These mandatory operations ensure that the aircraft is clean of any contaminations during take-off. However, these operations are complex due to the heavy equipment required. They cannot be performed at most small airports and remote northern locations. As part of Canada’s Department of National Defense Innovation for Defense Excellence and Security research program, a study to design a de/anti-icing system mounted onto a drone has been initiated. This system should greatly increase the flexibility of these operations, allowing them to be easily performed when no other infrastructure is available. The developed system can even be transported inside the aerial vehicle itself for operations at its initial location and at its destinations. This paper presents the second part of this study in which the system is first tested under laboratory controlled conditions to demonstrate its ability to perform de/anti-icing operations with a real fluid. Then, a flight test is performed for a proof-of-concept in which the system successfully cleans a commercial box truck from contaminants.