General question about anti-icing
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A question from a non pilot in the real world: what are the inconveniancies to not let all anti-ice systems on all the time even if not in moisture air ? I mean its usage is not draining fuel, electricity is provided by the engines... Thanks for any explanations and sorry if it sounds silly.
Souheil
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@s.mellah The answer may vary depending on the aircraft and the specifics of its anti-ice systems, but the general principle is to avoid unnecessary wear and tear. Running anti-ice systems continuously can accelerate degradation of components like valves, ducts, and heating elements, shortening their lifespan and increasing maintenance costs.
There are also performance penalties: bleed air diverted from the engines for anti-ice reduces the air available for thrust and pressurization. This can lead to reduced engine efficiency, especially during high-demand phases like takeoff or climb, and may increase fuel burn due to the loss of performance.
Lastly, electrical anti-ice systems contribute to the total electrical load. Keeping all systems on unnecessarily could overload the electrical system or trigger load shedding, especially in scenarios with limited generator capacity.
