DE-ICER

摘要

A de-icer for de-icing ice accreting surfaces of a skin formed of a material having a substantially elevated modulus, wherein the de-icer is positioned between a support surface and a surface of the skin obverse to the ice accreting surface and inflated slowly or in a rapid series of pulses to produce a deformation in the skin sufficient to detach and dislodge accumulations of ice on the ice accreting surface but insufficient to exceed an endurance limit for the material from which the skin is formed and a chattering valve for use in producing inflation in a rapid series of pulses. The invention finds use in de-icing aircraft surfaces such as wings, tail surfaces, propellers, rotors such as rotating wings, tail rotors and nose cones.