Skien, Norway-based MSG Production has developed a closed-system option for aircraft washing and de-icing, the first example of which is now in place as a demonstrator
MSG president Svein Maeland developed the concept and associated technologies for an under-cover, ‘closed’ aircraft de/anti-icing process that saves time and resources, and reduces environmental degradation, some years ago. It is now available for viewing at Skien Airport Geiteryggen and is, MSG says, attracting potential operators from airlines and airports.
Underneath the surface of the MSG system are tanks that can collect the fluids used during the process; that fluid can then be either treated on-site or taken elsewhere for treatment or disposal. Because the system has this closed loop, spent fluids can be collected and recycled, offering operators a more environmentally friendly option for their aircraft de-icing.
Also, the system is quick and efficient: it takes just a few minutes to de-ice an aircraft (three minutes for a one-step de-icing process, six minutes for a two-step de-icing and anti-icing process). Washing an aircraft wit the new system takes about 20 minutes, a significant saving on an aircraft wash that might take the best part of a night in many cases at present.
That time is entirely predictable, notes MSG, adding that this compares favourably to regular de-icing/anti-icing procedures elsewhere that are undertaken by trained specialists in de-icing machines on aircraft aprons. Adverse environmental conditions (such as high winds blowing the fluid away from an airframe) are also taken out of the equation. Plus, because the system is fully automated – nozzles fitted at the end of flexible, automatically controlled arms spray de-icing and anti-icing fluid over an aircraft – human error is not an issue, insists Frøydis Garmo Hovden, vice president sales at MSG.
The RS-500 can de-ice and/or wash any aircraft of up to Code C size. The RS-400 is designed for warmer climates in which operators only require the system’s aircraft washing and inspection capabilities. This model may well prove particularly popular in regions such as the Middle East, where sand contaminant is a problem needing to be cleared on a regular basis but where snow and ice are not an issue.
An aircraft being de-iced or washed by the RS-500 passes through an automated, staged process (pre-selected by the system’s operator depending on the aircraft to be serviced and the requirements of the pilot). For de-icing, the basic procedure is as follows: aircraft approach (approach and movement through the facility is controlled by means of a Mototok tug); removal of contaminant; quality assurance check; application of de-icing fluid; and finally, application of anti-icing fluid.
Both the RS-400 and RS-500 models offer brushless washing, with closely controlled nozzles performing high-pressure over- and under-washing of the aircraft. An MSG facility can also be equipped with inspection cameras that allow an airframe to be fully checked over for damage or other problems.
Two aircraft can pass through a facility simultaneously, the second entering once the first has reached the halfway point.
