Lufthansa Technik AG has developed a unique procedure to wash engines with dry ice, the solid form of carbon dioxide (CO2). The company has filed several patent applications, which means it can now develop an actual product, which will be called Cyclean Dry Ice. As of 2019, the system will be used alongside the water-based Cyclean® engine wash.
During the new engine wash procedure, dry ice pellets that are only a few millimetres in size are shot into the engine via a mobile blasting system. When they hit the components, the pellets release kinetic energy. Through this energy and the contact with the ice-cold pellets (-78.5 degrees Celsius / ?109.3 °F), dirt is dislodged from the components.
The new procedure has many advantages: The carbon dioxide used is a by-product of the oil refinery and fertilizer industries so that no additional carbon dioxide has to be generated. And since the pellets transition fully to a gaseous state, there are no residues to deal with. In addition, the procedure can also be applied at outdoor temperatures below freezing. Engines can thus be washed 365 days a year, even in permafrost regions.
The mobile Cyclean Dry Ice washing system is mounted on a platform with an omnidirectional drive. A height-adjustable scissor lift enables fast and thorough cleaning of all engine types, regardless of their size and height. Since there is no need to fasten any pieces of equipment to the engine or to perform a run-up after the engine has been washed, the time needed for the cleaning process – and thus the ground time – is reduced to just 30 minutes compared with conventional engine washes.
Dirk Deja, project manager at Lufthansa Technik, said: “With this new procedure, Lufthansa Technik will strengthen its leading market position and be the first MRO provider to offer engine washes with dry ice on the market. We are thus making another significant contribution to reducing fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions in civil aviation by several hundred thousand tons per year.”
12.07.2018
This post was published on 12 July 2018 22:10
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