ABSTRACT
There are a number of suggested air-ice based technologies. One of the firsts of such technologies was a car washing machine, utilizing ice particles [1]. The stream of the charged frozen particles controlled by a set of coils was directed at surfaces to be cleaned [2]. Szijcs [3] proposed cleaning of sensitive surfaces by the impact of a fine grade blast material and air. The atomization of the liquid in the air stream and subsequent freezing of the generated fine droplets form the blast material. The freezing is achieved by the addition of a refrigerant (N2, C02, Freon) into the stream in the mixing chamber or by the addition of the refrigerant
into the jet after the mixing chamber. The use of ice particles, which have a uniform grain size, for cleaning the surface and grooves of ferrite block, was reported by Tomoji [4]. An ice blasting device using stored particles was suggested by Harima [5]. Vissisouk [6] proposed to use ice particles near melting temperature in order to effectively remove the coating from the substrate. Mesher [7] suggested a nozzle for enhancement of surface cleaning by ice blasting. Shinichi [8] suggested cleaning inexpensively various surfaces by mixing ice particles, cold water and air. Niechial [9] proposed an ice blasting cleaning system containing an ice crusher, a separator and a blasting gun. Settles [10] suggested producing ice particles of a size range below 100 jum within the apparatus just prior to the nozzle.
