Development of anti-icing airfield pavement using surface-embedded heat wire

ABSTRACT

Snow and ice pose a significant risk for aircraft ground operation safety. Ploughing and chemical treatment are used for snow removal, but yield long-term detrimental impacts to the airfield infrastructure and environment. A proof-of-concept airfield heated pavement system (AHPS) prototype using near-surface embedded heat wire for pavement anti-icing is presented in this paper. Surface-embedded wires were used to study heat performance and energy warranted to maintain above-freezing slab surface temperatures. This approach concentrated heat energy to the pavement surface. Testing this AHPS prototype contained the following objectives: (1) optimise surface-embedded heat wire configuration, (2) investigate surface temperature distribution and (3) summarise system heating performance in outdoor winter conditions. Preliminary laboratory testing used a 150 mm wire spacing in a serpentine configuration. At this spacing, an energy flux of 142 W/m² produced a 6°C temperature rise in 6 h in a −14°C freezer chest. Sufficient surface temperature rise was attained in preliminary field-testing during the 2015–2016 winter season using a 213.1–697.5-W/m² energy range. Using the presented AHPS prototype, a 25-mm layer of crushed ice melted within 1 h during an experimental ice test.

KEYWORDS:

• Airfield pavement
• anti-icing
• electrical
• heat transfer
• heat distribution

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Mark Kuss, Master Scientific Research Technician, and David Peachee, Scientific Research Technician, at the University of Arkansas’ Engineering Research Center for their knowledgeable advice and support during the laboratory and field experimentation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.