Research on the dual-channel electro-impulse de-icing system of aircrafts

The electro-impulse de-icing system (EIDI) is a mechanical de-icing system that guarantees the safe flight of the aircraft under icing weather conditions. It owns many merits such as high reliability and low energy consumption. To solve the problem of the small de-icing area under single-channel, a dual-channel EIDI system model is proposed. The electro-magnetic field and de-icing results of the dual-channel EIDI system are investigated. Comparisons of de-icing results between simulations and experiments on the flat aluminum plate are also made. Furthermore, the de-icing research is carried out with a real wing structure by varying the excitation time and magnitude of impulse load. Simulation results of the electro-magnetic field show that the maximum of the density of electro-magnetic force always appears at the midpoint of the inner and outer radius of coils. The excitation of the two coils is independent and can be decoupled. The de-icing results illustrate that the de-icing rate increases with the striking intervals and impulse load. The load multiple (LM) should be selected between 1.5 and 3 for the dual-channel EIDI system for energy optimization. In addition, it is advisable to distribute the impulse loads with the largest possible difference on both sides when the LM is 1–3.