METHOD AND APPARATUS TO FACILITATE ICE-ACCUMULATION ABATEMENT

摘要

A light source (401) is disposed in an aircraft (400) along with a light-to-electricity converter (403) and an optical pathway (404) that transports light (402) from that light source to the light-to-electricity converter. An energy storage component (407, 409) operably couples to the light-to-electricity converter to store at least some of the electricity from the light-to-electricity converter. At least one electrically-powered heating element (410) can be disposed on the aircraft in a location (411) where ice-accumulation abatement is desired and a heating element controller (413) then used to provide at least some of the stored electricity from the energy storage component to the electrically-powered heating element(s) in pulses (201, 301). These pulses can use a duty cycle that is insufficient to necessarily melt all ice but which is sufficient to melt ice such that other forces acting on the ice are able to effect removal of at least substantial portions of the ice.