Ice aluminum debonding with induction heating#

The strong ice bonding to solid surfaces makes deicing such surfaces a challenging task. In this study, a heat flux will be induced into the interlayer of the ice and in this case aluminum. With a high heat flux it is possible to obtain a small liquid layer between the ice and the aluminum. In metallic materials the heat flux can be induced with an electromagnetic field via induction heating. The thickness of the heated metal layer depends on the frequency applied for the induction heating. High frequencies result in very thin layers of metal heated and hence represent an energy efficient method for de-icing the metal surface. The reduction of the energy consumption for deicing is the main goal. One application is the ice removal in ice slurry generators in this study. Compared to ice removal (scraped surface ice slurry generators) induction heating deicing offers energy and maintenance saving potential.