A special case...

Brussels Airport contacted us with a relatively specific request. They have mobile trucks responsible for de-icing aircraft wings in winter, on the tarmac. These trucks intervene just before takeoff to apply a product to the aircraft wings, because if they are covered in frost, the plane won't be able to take off.

To remedy this problem, they use a mixture of water and alcohol (ethanol), similar to the winter windscreen washer fluid used for cars.

The mixture of hot water and alcohol they use causes rapid clogging of the spray nozzles. They therefore imperatively need to use treated water to prevent limescale deposits.

Trucks are filled in a large hangar near the runway, where 30,000-40,000-liter tanks hold ready-to-use mixes. Water, from a 2-inch pipe connected to the Zaventem network, is added first, then topped up with ethanol.

Town water in this region being very calcareous (probably around 35° French), it is therefore necessary to treat it before it enters the tank. This prevents limescale build-up at the bottom of the tank and prevents clogging of the unit's holes when spraying.

Salt and waste...

If salt softeners are used, the system will constantly regenerate. In fact, regeneration of salt softeners is legally required once a week.

However, between April and October, the deicers are not used, and the tanks remain inactive during this period.

The problem lies in the fact that installing a softener classical would result in consumption excessive water without genuine use, due to the need to regenerate the system regularly. This is one of the reasons why SoluCalc have been installed : these systems don't need not of regeneration, avoiding thus wasting water.

With regard to the interactions between ethanol and water after treatment with CO₂, it is important to specify that we only intervene on the pH of the water. Thus, there are no compatibility problems to report.

The installation was carried out by Willems Techno, acting as a subcontractor for TCR, the company responsible for maintenance of the entire airport site.

Currently, a SoluCalc of 2 inches is in place, equipped with six 10-kilogram bottles each.