What not to do with TKS...

TheGolfPilot said:
Last I checked, one of the limitations to the FIKI airplanes is that you aren’t supposed to fly it in freezing rain. I don’t know what that looks like on a wing but if I had to guess it would look something like that
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Pretty much, except it's clear, not rime-looking.
 
NoHeat said:
I don’t understand why anyone would choose to run the TKS pump when the OAT is well below -20C. Airframe icing cannot occur at such a temperature, right?
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That's the interesting part of the scenario. Unless there happened to be a huge inversion above it and freezing rain (which the TKS wouldn't help that much), you are right - there's no reason to be running the TKS at all and the only result would be the gelling...

... if that is indeed what the photo is showing - it would be interesting to hear the full backstory. I think I'm a member of the same group as Nate so went back to take a look. I couldn't sift through all the usual arguing.
 
The most impressive part of this whole thing is that the cirrus’ heater is keeping the guy warm still


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midlifeflyer said:
I think I'm a member of the same group as Nate so went back to take a look. I couldn't sift through all the usual arguing.
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Yeah the comments on that thing went about 10x as sideways as stuff sometimes does here. That was somewhat impressive in and of itself, really. LOL. They might need an award for that mess or something. :)
 
TheGolfPilot said:
The most impressive part of this whole thing is that the cirrus’ heater is keeping the guy warm still


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George Braly, GAMI’s chief engineer, invented the intriguing Turbo-normalized Cirrus heat system... although it uses an exhaust heat muff at lower altitudes, the pressure differential is such that any leaks will result in cabin air leaking into the exhaust, not the CO dangerous other way around. And it gets MORE effective as you climb!

Paul
 
bflynn said:
TKS actually can be anti-ice as well as ice removal. At least according to google, definitely not according to my experience.
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I tried TKS sprayed from a lawn sprayer on an icy Cirrus wing, to zero effect.

11109030243_5f430e79f2_b.jpg


As an aside, none of the metal-winged planes on the ramp that morning had a hint of ice. My working theory was the smooth, polished Cirrus wing allowed blobs of dew to freeze in place, while the duller wings allowed it to flow off.
 
denverpilot said:
Aircraft is at FL240 at -43C. Both the TKS and *airframe* operating limits are being exceeded.
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TKS 406B fluid data sheet states that the freezing point is -60C. Why would it congeal at -43C?


TKS 406B Freezing Point.png
 
Is it diluted any before being put into the plane, or is it used %100.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
If fuel tanks can get water in them from condensation I don't see why TKS tanks can't. If TKS is water soluble, which I assume it is, then as the condensation/water enters the tank it can raise the freezing point. Just my theory.
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Can't say I've ever encountered fuel condensation amounting to anything in the gas tanks. Most water found in fuel comes from leaky caps.
 
flyingron said:
Can't say I've ever encountered fuel condensation amounting to anything in the gas tanks. Most water found in fuel comes from leaky caps.
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Yeah you're right. This thread is ancient. My post was from 6 years ago.
 
I have to admit you are a much better pilot than I am if you can look at a poor quality photo of a contaminated wing and determine both altitude and temperature.
 
It doesn’t work above about 50-60 F (too thin) nor at the temps below which ice isn’t going to form (say < -20 C or so).

Otherwise it works spectacularly. While it’s best as anti-ice, it can de-ice by flowing at a higher rate.

The cold lower limit is not the feeezing temp of the bug juice, but related to the polymer inside the panel that dispersed the fluid before it goes through the Ti leading edge. That’s the polymer that can fail if you don’t exercise the system regularly and then need suction to reprime or panel replacement in extreme cases.
 
Steamflyer said:
It doesn’t work above about 50-60 F (too thin) nor at the temps below which ice isn’t going to form (say < -20 C or so).

Otherwise it works spectacularly. While it’s best as anti-ice, it can de-ice by flowing at a higher rate.

The cold lower limit is not the feeezing temp of the bug juice, but related to the polymer inside the panel that dispersed the fluid before it goes through the Ti leading edge. That’s the polymer that can fail if you don’t exercise the system regularly and then need suction to reprime or panel replacement in extreme cases.
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We were taught to do it monthly and those of us flying the plane had a whiteboard in the hanger with the date of last wing wetting.
 
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