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mmtmagazine.org
Infrared Aircraft Deicing Facility at John F. Kennedy
By Henry Hessing, P.E., Project Manager, URS; Edward C. Knoesel, PANYNJ; and Ian Sharkey, RAS
Introduction
In March 2006, the Port Authority completed installation of an InfraTek ® Radiant Deicing System at John F Kennedy International Airport (JFKIA). The system will provide airlines the ability to deice up to a 747- 300 size aircraft more quickly and for dramatically less cost than traditional glycol deicing technology. While there are two smaller versions in the United States and one in Oslo, by volume, the new facility at JFKIA is approximately 2.5 times larger. The narrative below provides a description of the environmental benefits to be realized, and technical and financial information on the infrared deicing system designed and constructed using the design-build-operate-maintain (DBOM) project delivery method.
The owner of the aircraft deicing facility at JFKIA is the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Radiant Aviation Services held the DBOM contract. DY Consultants, who employed the services of Hatch Mott MacDonald and Stanton Chow, PC, led the design team. The construction manager was Sullivan and Nickel. The prime contractors were: Ruttera and Sons for concrete, Metropolitan Metals for steel erection, Ara Plumbing for gas and energy processing unit installation and Coastal Electric for electrical and communications.
Completed JFK Airport Deicing Facility
Background
The Federal Aviation Administration requires airlines and airports that operate during snow, ice, or frost conditions to perform deicing and anti-icing of aircraft and airfield pavement. This ensures the safety of passengers and cargo operations. However, when performed without discharge controls in place, these deicing operations can result in environmental impacts.
Glycol deicing of aircraft has increasingly come under scrutiny regarding the impacts of spent aircraft deicing fluid (ADF) on the environment.
Operators at JFKIA use Type I aircraft deicing fluid for aircraft deicing or the removal of snow or ice. Type IV is used for anti-icing or the prevention of snow or ice accumulation. The fluids contain either ethylene glycol or propylene glycol as the base. Deicing fluids are mixed with water and other additives while anti-icing fluids typically contain additional thickeners and additives.
The primary environmental concern raised over glycol based deicers is the effect on the aquatic environment. Ethylene glycol and propylene glycol along with the formulated products biodegrade which consumes oxygen and can lead to low dissolved oxygen levels in aquatic systems. When the receiving water does not contain adequate oxygen to support this breakdown, fish kills and odors occur.
Formulated deicing fluids include corrosion inhibitors, wetting agents and thickening agents. Manufacturers have focused on the toxicity of the additives in order to lessen the impact (1).
Airports have had to respond to a variety of environmental concerns over the years with increasingly expensive solutions:
Sand bags, then berms,
Trench drains – block and pump operations,
Street sweepers, then Glycol Recovery Vehicles,
Larger spent fluid storage and disposal facilities, and
Recycling and treatment infrastructure.
The result is that in most cases, an airport’s mitigation costs for treatment, collection, recycling or disposal of ADF far exceed those associated with the actual de/anti-icing application.
In its 2004 Effluent Guidelines Plan, EPA reviewed existing permits and decided to develop effluent guidelines for the airport deicing category. To support the effluent guidelines development, EPA is collecting data on the engineering, economic and environmental impact aspects of airport deicing operations. Data collection activities include:
visiting airport sites,
collecting field samples and performing analysis of airport wastewater/storm water,
administering industry questionnaires,
consulting with other federal agencies and state agencies,
reviewing permit files and monitoring data gathered by airports, and
reviewing technical and scientific literature.
The EPA conducted a site visit to JFK in the fall of 2005 as part of this effort, JFK’s infrared system, which utilizes patented two stage emitters, arranged in a configuration that directs safe radiant energy on to the entire aircraft. Aircraft just taxi into the facility and in a short time are free of snow and ice and ready for takeoff. As a result, JFK’s use of glycol is significantly reduced.
JFK’s system - how does it work?
Patented process creates targeted infrared energy waves,
Infrared energy causes the frost, snow or ice to melt and evaporate,
Infrared IR energy only reaches the aircraft surface after it is dry and it then starts to reflect away.
Figure 1: Diagram of How JFK's Deicing System Works
Time Efficient!
Since 2000, a smaller facility constructed at Newark International Airport has been deicing and defrosting aircraft with consistent proven results. The graph below depicts multi-year snow and ice deicing time achieved at that facility, which on average is as fast as or faster than traditional deicing operations.
Figure 2: Multi-year Snow and Ice Deicing Time Achieved Since 2000 at Newark International Airport
Glycol Source Reduction and Environmental Impact
During defrost operations, the FAA does not require that the InfraTek system uses any additional processes or glycol based fluids. This has the significant secondary benefit of considerably shortening any mandated Glycol Mitigation season and reducing glycol dependency.
While use of some glycol based products may be required during periods of active snow or ice precipitation, Continental Airlines has reported instances of 80 to 90 percent fluid reductions per aircraft as compared to its conventional deicing operations. The following chart shows how InfraTek’s minimal glycol usage requirements remain virtually consistent, as compared to conventional deicing methods, during varying snow and ice conditions.
Figure 3: Graph of Glycol Usage
As the chart indicates, conventional deicing methods used during icy conditions may require up to 30 times the amount of glycol than would be needed for defrosting. This increased glycol usage also has a significant effect on glycol mitigation efforts and costs aside from the deicing cost variations. “During typical wet-weather conditions, 150 to 1,000 gallons of ADF may be used on a single commercial jet. An estimated 1,000 to 4,000 gallons may be needed to deice a commercial jet during severe weather conditions” (2).
Naturally, the bigger the storm, the greater the load generated by conventional deicing methods on glycol mitigation systems. When coupled with the contaminated water associated with the storm event, which is typically much higher at coastal airports, the magnitude of controlling the glycol runoff increases dramatically. As an example, this dilution factor can turn 1000 gallons of glycol into 20,000 to 30,000 gallons of glycol contaminated water. Multiply that by the number of aircraft that a single deicing bay service’s during the day and the numbers are staggering.
Also note that, aircraft anti-icing fluids (Type IV) are applied in much smaller volumes than their deicing counterparts. A commercial jet may require approximately 35 gallons of fluid (Type IV) for anti-icing after deicing.
Cost Benefits
The variable costs associated with the use of the InfraTek system are significantly less than conventional deicing methods. This reduces the “Budgeting Uncertainty Range” that is experienced by airline managers during “good, average or bad” winters. This narrower range allows greatly improved annual cost predictions. The chart below is an example of total deicing costs experienced by an airport and the effect that the InfraTek system would have. This example does not include any allowance for glycol mitigation costs, which would cause the conventional range to dramatically increase.
Figure 4: Cost Comparison
Another benefit of this narrower variable cost range is the ability to have fixed deicing prices based solely on aircraft size. This is the model that is being used at JFK.
Acquisition Alternatives
As the FAA approves the InfraTek system for use, it qualifies for AIP and PFC funding approval. The system installed at JFK was funded in this manner. Other airports can work with the FAA to fund a significant portion of the total cost of the installation of similar systems.
Conclusion
The JFK Infrared Aircraft Deicing facility will de-ice aircraft in less time and for a lower cost than conventional de-icing. Constructing the infrared aircraft deicing facility increases the airlines’ capacity to deice aircraft and thus meet FAA’s available slot allocations for take off during winter operations. The facility’s employment of the infrared technology yields environmental benefits due to reductions in the use of glycol.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is proud of its role with this aviation industry innovation, the improvements in winter airline operations and the easing of the environmental impact of deicing operations at this major airport.
References
JFK International Airport Primary Deicing Pad Feasibility Study. The Louis Berger Group, (May 2001). Pages 4 and 17.
EPA Preliminary Data Summary – Airport Deicing Operations (Revised) – EPA 821-R-00-016. (August 2000). Page 4-7.
Authors' Biographies
Henry W. Hessing, P.E., M.ASCE has 30 years of experience as a professional engineer with extensive knowledge and experience in design, construction, transportation planning and construction management. He is a Board Member and Treasurer of the Long Island Branch of ASCE.
Edward C. Knoesel is a Manager, Environmental Services for the Aviation Department of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He manages all environmental programs for John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Teterboro Airport. Mr. Knoesel has a B.S. degree in Geosciences and a M.S. in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences.
Ian Sharkey is the Director of Deicing Services for Radiant Aviation Services, Inc. He has 33 years of aviation industry experience in England, Canada, and the U.S. In 1991, he expanded on his aircraft maintenance background by becoming involved in the creation of aircraft deicing operations for a major airline in Canada. Mr. Sharkey also managed deicing fluid recovery operations at large airports within Canada and the U.S. from 1993 until 2000. He has worked with various Canadian airports in the initial planning, and subsequent implementation of centrailized deicing operations, culminating in the world's largest single site operation in Toronto, ON. In 2000, he joined Radiant Aviation Services to bring the environmentally friendly InfraTek infared deicing system to commercial service. InfraTek systems at Rhinelander, WI and Newark, NJ have now been joined by new systems at Oslo, Norway and JFK, NY. Mr. Sharkey is an active member of various Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) deicing subcommittees. |
