SHIP DE-ICING USING TWO-PHASE FLASHING FLOW

MUCH ACTUAL SHIPBOARD DE-ICING IS CURRENTLY DONE MANUALLY WITH BROOMS, SCRAPERS, AND AXE-HANDLES. EXISTING HYDRODYNAMIC SYSTEMS INCLUDE HIGH PRESSURE PULSED WATER JETS (WHICH ARE QUICK TO CUT ICE WITH THEIR HIGH MOMENTUM, BUT SLOW TO BREAK ICE ADHESION DUE TO THEIR LOW ENTHALPY) AND STEAM SPRAYS (WHICH HAVE HIGH ENTHALP, BUT LOW MOMENTUM, AND LOW FLOW RATES FOR HOSE SYSTEMS). THE TWO-PHASE FLOW DE-ICING METHOD PROPOSED HERE PROVIDES THE ADVANTAGES OF BOTH SYSTEMS.SUPERHEATED WATER IS DELIVERED BY HOSE TO A SPECIALLY-DESIGNED TWOPHASE FLASHING NOZZLE. THE STEAM/WATER JET CUTS AND REMOVES ICE WITH HIGH MOMENTUM AND ENTHALPY. SINCE THERE IS NO BOILING PRIOR TO THE NOZZLE, SEA WATER CAN BE USED. PHASE I WILL INCLUDE RESEARCH TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMUM SUPERHEATED WATER PROPERTIES AND FLASHING NOZZLE DESIGN. AN APPROPRIATE DE-ICING TEST PROCEDURE WILL BE DEVELOPED AND USED TO EVALUATE CANDIDATE CONFIGURATIONS. A PROTOTYPE SHIPBOARD SYSTEM WILL BE DESIGNED, BASED ON DEMONSTRATED TEST RESULTS.