A new decision support system for chemical application on runways will make it easier for ground personnel to apply the right amount of chemicals at the right time - reducing costs and the environmental impact.
At airports with winter conditions, runways are kept free of ice and snow with the use of runway sweepers and the application of de-icing chemicals. Chemicals help to prevent ice formation or to remove snow and ice, ensuring that there is sufficient friction for aircraft during landing, take-off and taxiing. Winter runway operations with chemicals are therefore essential to operate Norwegian airports safely and efficiently. At the same time, the use of chemicals entails significant costs for airport operators, in addition to environmental consequences in the form of emissions.
The project will develop a decision support module that consists of prediction models for how long chemicals remain on the runway, and the development of runway temperature. Through a pilot, the module will be integrated into the current decision support system
for winter operations. SINTEF is responsible for field measurements, collection of data and evaluation of the models.