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MIT researchers have developed a completely passive, solar-powered way of combating ice buildup. The system is remarkably simple, based on a three-layered material that can be applied or even sprayed onto the surfaces to be treated.
It collects solar radiation, converts it to heat, and spreads that heat around so that the melting is not just confined to the areas exposed directly to the sunlight. And, once applied, it requires no further action or power source. It can even do its de-icing work at night, using artificial lighting.
Icing is a major problem for aircraft, for wind turbines, power lines, offshore oil platforms, and many other places. The conventional ways of getting around it are de-icing sprays or by heating, but those have issues.
The team has achieved with the three-layered material they've developed. The top layer is an absorber, which traps incoming sunlight and converts it to heat. The three layers, all made of inexpensive commercially available material, are then bonded together, and can be bonded to the surface that needs to be protected. For some applications, the materials could instead be sprayed onto a surface.
[...] The system could find even wider commercial uses, such as panels to prevent icing on roofs of homes, schools, and other buildings.
http://www.rtoz.org/2018/09/08/a-new-way-to-remove-ice-buildup-without-power-or-chemicals/
Also at http://news.mit.edu/2018/remove-ice-buildup-airplanes-wind-turbines-solar-power-0831
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 25 2018, @10:55PM
If it is icing up, you need a new one. There are many issues that can cause that, from the thermocouples failing, to refrigerant leakage, to using the wrong size. Plus, if it is a non-energy star unit where the fan turns off when the compressor is off, that can cause icing and other problems. Around here, we replaced our dehumidifier with an Energy Star unit and saw a huge reduction in both the energy bills and the humidity in the air. We've already paid it off from the savings in the electric bill.