US 12,391,405 B2
Method and system for dispensing fluid onto an airplane surface
Elo Svanebjerg, Roskilde (DK)
Assigned to VESTERGAARD COMPANY A/S, Roskilde (DK)
Appl. No. 18/578,348
Filed by VESTERGAARD COMPANY A/S, Roskilde (DK)
PCT Filed Jul. 8, 2022, PCT No. PCT/EP2022/069180
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 11, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/285324, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 19, 2023.
Claims priority of application No. 21185326 (EP), filed on Jul. 13, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0308690 A1, Sep. 19, 2024
Int. Cl. B64F 5/23 (2017.01)
CPC B64F 5/23 (2017.01) 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for de-icing a surface of an airplane, said method comprising:
providing said airplane,
providing a vehicle loaded with a fluid, said vehicle having a nozzle for spraying said fluid onto said surface,
said vehicle comprising a first sensor for determining a position of said airplane,
providing a second sensor and a processing unit for determining a 3D representation of said surface by means of said second sensor and said processing unit, said 3D representation comprising a point cloud,
determining said 3D representation by means of said second sensor and said processing unit, and
translating the datapoints of said point cloud to a common reference frame by means of said first sensor and said processing unit,
determining a plurality of points off said surface such that each point having a distance to said 3D representation,
said plurality of points determined such that an area of said surface being de-iced by sweeping said nozzle through a number of points of said plurality of points one sweep at a time, and said plurality of points determined such that the number of sweeps being minimized,
moving said vehicle to a position for moving said nozzle through said plurality of points, and
moving said nozzle through said plurality of points and applying said fluid to said surface as said nozzle being moved through said plurality of points.