Self Cleaning Planes

Votes: 2
Views: 2349

Self cleaning planes which can clean the bug guts, dirt and remove acummulated ice to reduce drag and improve efficiency of the airplane.

My concept proposes for self cleaning airplanes which can clean and remove the bug guts which stick to the airplane and undergo chemical changes to turn into a sticky glue which causes drag.

The airplane will have strategically placed water spraying ports throughout the body which will open during cleaning and water along with a cleaning solution is sprayed to remove the bug guts and dirt to reduce airplane drag.

The plane can be connected to high pressure water source connected to ground and through embedded small pipings and tubes the water will be sprayed through out the body cleaning the plane.This will consume very less water.

As per the feedback received by judges I suggest to use self cleaning system to remove bug guts, dirt and ice accumulation on plane surfaces.I have evaluated other solution like coating the plane with nano paint so that bug guts and dirt don't stick to the surface. Inspired by nano paint for cars in the automotive sector, it is good and it does the job if we spend a few thousands of dollars but it has a problem: Nano paint and radar don't work well together, meaning, the long straws of pure carbon each just a few nanometres in diameter absorb a broad spectrum of light making the airplane invisible to radar...good for fighter jets but terrible for commercial planes. I have also evaluated alternative materials as suggested by the esteem jury I found a super hydrophobic metal created by etching micro or nano patterns on the surface of the metals, the water bounces of the metals.

I was impressed with it initially but on my further analysis this micro and nano patterns in fact might end up causing air drag. Leaving me with only two options either to adopt my cheap self cleaning technology or adopt coating with anti icing coatings, the problems with anti icing coating is that it wears out with time and coating a plane again and again is very expensive. So I think my suggested approach will be the most reliable.

What are other key benefits?
*Reduction in airplane drag due to bug guts and dirt.
*Improved performance and fuel efficiency due to removal of accumulated self cleaning technology.
*Water savings for environment, water required to wash a plane and the water required to clean a plane with my suggested approach is poles apart. Meaning with very less water effective cleaning is possible.
*No chemical deicing reduces mixing of de icing chemicals with ground water again good for environment.

References

NASA's Bug Repellent Aims to Save Airlines Millions in Fuel Cost
Nano paint in automotive
Nano paint could makes airplanes invisible to radar
A computational study of the aerodynamic performance of a dragonfly wing section in gliding flight
Multifunctional surfaces produced by femtosecond laser pulses,” was published in the Journal of Applied Physics on January

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  • ABOUT THE ENTRANT

  • Name:
    Aadhithya Sujith
  • Type of entry:
    individual
  • Profession:
    Engineer/Designer
  • Number of times previously entering contest:
    2
  • Software used for this entry:
    UNIGRAPHICS,SOLID EDGE,KEYSHOT 3
  • Patent status:
    pending