System, unit and method for recovering deicing liquids from air-port apron surfaces

A deicing-liquid recovery unit comprising:

• a rotatable brush;
• and
• a collection tray fluidly connectable to said collection tank and located in front of said rotatable brush in a first direction,
• wherein the rotatable brush is arranged to sweep an apron/deicing platform surface such that deicing liquid and snow resting on the apron/deicing platform surface is forced into the collection tray,
• said collection tray having an external bottom side, said external bottom side arranged at a distance of 3 to 100 cm from the apron/deicing platform surface such that said collection tray passes over said deicing liquid and snow before said rotatable brush sweeps the apron/deicing platform surface when said deicing-liquid recovery unit is moving in the first direction,
• wherein no part of the deicing-liquid recovery unit, other than the rotatable brush, engages the airport apron/deicing platform during movement of the deicing-liquid recovery unit in the first direction,
• wherein a first conveyor is arranged in said collection tray and arranged for moving the deicing liquid and snow swept into the collection tray in a direction perpendicular to said first direction and towards an exit port, and
• wherein said system further comprises a second conveyor for transporting the deicing liquid and snow from said collection tray to said collection tank.

A method for recovering deicing liquids and snow from an airport apron/deicing platform surface, said method comprising:

• moving a deicing-liquid recovery unit over the airport apron/deicing platform surface in a first direction, the deicing-liquid recovery unit comprising a rotatable brush and a collection tray, wherein no part of the deicing-liquid recovery unit, other than the rotatable brush, engages the airport apron/deicing platform during movement of the deicing-liquid recovery unit in the first direction,
• sweeping deicing liquid and snow from the airport apron/deicing platform surface and into the collection tray by rotating said rotatable brush,
• said collection tray having an external bottom side, said external bottom side arranged at a distance of 3 to 100 cm from the airport apron/deicing platform surface such that said collection tray passes over the deicing liquid and snow before said rotatable brush sweeps the deicing liquid and snow from the apron/deicing platform surface and into the collection tray when said deicing-liquid recovery unit is moving in said first direction,
• moving the deicing liquid and snow swept into the collection tray in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction towards an exit port for removal of the deicing liquid and snow, and
• transporting the deicing liquid and snow from said exit port to a collection tank.