Windshield device, aircraft, and power control method for windshield heater

• US 10,046,860 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ishida, Toshiyuki, Morishita, Masatoshi, Uefuji, Yoichi, Ichikawa, Gento
• Primary Examiner(s): Berona, Kimberly S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sood, Anshul
• Application Number:
  US15/041,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20160272332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 701 36
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/1476 Canopies; Windscreens or similar transparent elements
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/1484 Windows B64C1/1492 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/12 by electric heating electric heating elements in general H05B
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/20 Means for detecting icing or initiating de-icing
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/22 Automatic initiation by icing detector
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0236 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/84 Heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas, e.g. for demisting or de-icing windows, mirrors or vehicle windshields

Abstract

The present invention provides a windshield device including: a windshield; a heater that is provided in the windshield and configured to generate heat by energization; a temperature sensor that is provided in the windshield and configured to detect a temperature; and a control unit that performs power control on the heater. The control unit is configured to supply an input power to the heater, the input power being acquired by applying a detected temperature detected by the temperature sensor to a function that is determined in accordance with a dew-point temperature of an inside of a compartment separated from an outside of the compartment by the windshield.

Claims

1. A windshield device comprising:

a windshield;

a heater that is provided in the windshield and configured to generate heat by energization;

a temperature sensor that is provided in the windshield and configured to detect a temperature; and

a control unit that performs power control on the heater, wherein

the control unit is configured to supply an input power to the heater, the input power being acquired by applying a detected temperature detected by the temperature sensor to a function that is determined in accordance with a dew-point temperature of an inside of a compartment separated from an outside of the compartment by the windshield, wherein the dew-point temperature is obtained by using absolute humidity calculated based on;

a ventilation volume between the inside of the compartment and ambient air outside of the compartment,

an ambient humidity of the ambient air outside of the compartment, and

an additional humidification amount released from a moisture source into the inside of the compartment,

wherein the compartment separated from the outside of the compartment by the windshield is a cockpit of an aircraft.

2. The windshield device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit is configured to perform feedback control on a temperature of the heater using the detected temperature.

3. The windshield device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit is configured to update the function in accordance with the dew-point temperature.

4. The windshield device according to claim 1, wherein

the function is expressed by an index temperature line that connects:

a point representing a first preset temperature and a high input power for the heater corresponding to the first preset temperature, the first preset temperature being the dew-point temperature plus a first margin; and

a point representing a second preset temperature and a low input power for the heater corresponding to the second preset temperature, the second preset temperature being the dew-point temperature plus a second margin that is larger than the first margin.

5. The windshield device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit has a power saving mode in which the input power having a relationship with the dew-point temperature is supplied to the heater, as one of a plurality of modes for performing power control on the heater.

6. An aircraft comprising the windshield device according to claim 1.

7. The windshield device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a dew-point temperature acquisition unit that is configured to calculate the dew-point temperature on the inside of the compartment, based on;

the absolute humidity; and

a pressure of the inside of the compartment.

8. The windshield device according to claim 1, wherein the ventilation volume and the additional humidification amount are acquired from an air-conditioning system installed in the aircraft.

9. A power control method for a windshield heater, comprising:

supplying an input power to the heater, the input power being acquired by applying a detected temperature of a windshield to a function that is determined in accordance with a dew-point temperature of an inside of a compartment separated from an outside of the compartment by the windshield, wherein the dew-point temperature is obtained by using absolute humidity, and wherein the absolute humidity is calculated based on;

a ventilation volume between the inside of the compartment and ambient air outside of the compartment,

an ambient humidity of the ambient air outside of the compartment, and

an additional humidification amount released from a moisture source into the inside of the compartment,

wherein the compartment separated from the outside of the compartment by the windshield is a cockpit of an aircraft.

10. The power control method for a windshield heater according to claim 9, further comprising:

a first step of detecting a presence of an iced condition in which icing occurs on the windshield; and

a second step of supplying the input power having a relationship with the dew-point temperature to the heater, wherein

the second step is performed when the presence of the iced condition is not detected in the first step.

11. The power control method for a windshield heater according to claim 9, wherein

a high-power mode and a power saving mode can be switched to,

the high-power mode being a mode in which an input power in conformity with a detected temperature of the windshield is supplied to the heater,

the power saving mode being a mode in which the input power having a relationship with the dew-point temperature is supplied to the heater.

12. The power control method for a windshield heater according to claim 9, applied to the heater of the windshield provided in the aircraft.

13. The windshield device according to claim 9, further comprising:

calculating the dew-point temperature on the inside of the compartment, based on;

the absolute humidity; and

a pressure of the inside of the compartment.