Pulse Electrothermal De-icing (PETD)

by metavalent

CNET News.com reporting A high-tech way to defrost, I’m surprised the article doesn’t mention the potential for the leading edge of airplane wings, particularly in smaller aircraft, even though the very first thing the video shows is the leading edge of a wing.

Frost and ice can be particularly deadly to smaller aircraft, as even a thin coating of frost disrupts the smooth flow of air required to create lift. Lift his created by speeding up the flow of air ABOVE the wing. It could almost be said that airplanes fly because the top of the wing is sucked up into the sky more than the bottom of the wing is actually lifted upward. The effect is “lift,” but it’s that upper airflow that is most manipulated by the shape of wing, while the bottom flow remains undisturbed. Funny to think about it that way, but that is the way flying actually works. “Wings are able to create lift by accelerating air over their top surfaces, which are curved expressly for that purpose.”