Systems and methods for modifying an ice-to-object interface

• US 20070045282A1
• Filed: 04/24/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Trustees of Dartmounth College (Dartmouth College)
• Original Assignee: The Trustees of Dartmounth College (Dartmouth College)
• Inventors: Petrenko, Victor
• Granted Patent: US 7,629,558 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/492
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 1/30 with special blades
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 2203/12 Electrically powered or heated
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 3/00 Accessories for skates
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 5/06 with special devices thereon, e.g. steering devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/12 by electric heating electric heating elements in general H05B
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/14 controlled cyclically along length of surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/22 Automatic initiation by icing detector
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/02 De-icing means for engines having icing phenomena
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/047 Heating to prevent icing
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/08 by heating bodies in contact with the ice
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A method for controlling a coefficient of friction between an object and ice includes steps of (1) pulsing power to an interface between the object and the ice to melt an interfacial layer of ice at the interface and decrease the coefficient of friction, (2) facilitating refreezing of the interfacial ice at the interface to increase the coefficient of friction; and (3) repeating steps (1) and (2) to control an average coefficient of friction between the object and the ice. A slider having a surface intended to interface with ice or snow includes a power supply for generating power. The slider also has a heating element that converts power to heat at the surface, the heat being sufficient to melt interfacial ice at the interface, and a controller for controlling delivery of power to the heating element to control friction between the slider and the ice or snow.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a coefficient of friction between an object and ice, comprising the steps of:

(1) pulsing power to an interface between the object and the ice to melt an interfacial layer of ice at the interface and decrease the coefficient of friction;

(2) facilitating refreezing of the interfacial ice at the interface to increase the coefficient of friction; and

(3) repeating steps (1) and (2) in a controllable manner to control an average coefficient of friction between the object and the ice.

2. The method of claim 1, the step of facilitating refreezing comprising the step of moving the object over the ice to decrease temperature of the object.

3. The method of claim 1, the step of pulsing power comprising the steps of blowing first air onto the object, the first air having a temperature above freezing, and moving the object in contact with the ice.

4. The method of claim 3, the object comprising a tire of a vehicle.

5. The method of claim 3, the step of facilitating refreezing comprising the step of blowing second air onto the object, the second air having a temperature less than the temperature of the first air.

6. A slider having a surface intended to interface with ice or snow, comprising:

a power supply for generating power;

a heating element configured to convert the power to heat at the surface, the heat being sufficient to melt an interfacial layer of ice at the interface; and

a controller for controlling delivery of power to the heating element to control a coefficient of friction between the slider and the ice or snow.

7. The slider of claim 6, wherein the slider takes the form of one of a shoe, a snowboard, a ski, and a snowshoe.

8. The slider of claim 6, the power supply comprising a battery.

9. The slider of claim 6, the slider being in a form of one of a ski, a skate and a snowboard, wherein the controller is responsive to user commands to modulate power applied to the surface such that speed of the slider is controllable.

10. A method for heating an object to a temperature T, comprising the steps of:

applying power W to the object in a magnitude approximately inversely proportional to the energy sufficient to raise a temperature of the object to temperature T; and

controlling time of the applied power W in a duration inversely proportional to W².

11. A method for cooling an object to a temperature T, comprising the steps of:

removing power W from the object in a magnitude inversely proportional to the energy sufficient to cool a temperature of the object to temperature T; and

controlling time of the power W in a duration inversely proportional to W².

12. A windshield deicer, comprising:

a windshield; and

a substantially transparent heating element disposed with the windshield that generates heat in response to applied power in a magnitude sufficient to melt an interfacial layer of ice on the windshield.

13. The windshield deicer of claim 12, the heating element being selected from visually transparent semiconductor material having an electron gap larger than about 3 eV.

14. The windshield deicer of claim 13, the material comprising one of ZnO, ZnS, and mixtures thereof.

15. The windshield deicer of claim 12, the heating element comprising transparent conductor material.

16. The windshield deicer of claim 15, the material comprising one of indium tin oxide (ITO), tin oxide, metal, and mixtures thereof.

17. The windshield deicer of claim 12, further comprising a protective coating on the heating element.

18. The windshield deicer of claim 12, further comprising a power supply for generating the power.

19. The windshield deicer of claim 18, the power supply comprising a vehicle battery.

20. The windshield deicer of claim 12, further comprising a controller for limiting duration of the applied power such that a heat diffusion distance into ice is less than about a thickness of the interfacial layer.

21. The windshield deicer of claim 20, the thickness being between about one micron and one millimeter.

22. The windshield deicer of claim 20, the heating element configured into a plurality of heating elements forming a plurality of segmented regions, the controller configured for applying the power to each of the plurality of heating elements to de-ice segments of the windshield.

23. A method of heating an object to a desired temperature, comprising steps of:

storing thermal energy insulated from the object and in a magnitude at least sufficient to heat the object to the desired temperature; and

adjusting one or both of physical and thermal properties of an interface between the thermal energy and the object to transfer at least part of the thermal energy to the object.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises a step of transferring the energy to an interfacial layer of ice to disrupt adhesion of ice to a surface of the object, the desired temperature being zero degrees Celsius or higher.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of transferring comprises disrupting the adhesion of ice to the surface of at least one of an aircraft, an aircraft wing, an automobile windshield, a boat, a road, a bridge, a sidewalk, a freezer, a refrigerator, an icemaker, a ship, a train, a drilling platform, a building, a runway, and a window.

26. The method of claim 23, the step of adjusting comprising transferring the thermal energy from a first surface of a membrane to a second surface of the membrane through deflation of the membrane.

27. The method of claim 23, the step of adjusting comprising periodically pulsing the interface to provide periodic heating of the object.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of periodically pulsing comprises a step of periodically moving components of a heating element to modify a heat transfer rate between a heat storage and the object.

29. The method of claim 28, the components comprising a plurality of grooved insulating elements.

30. The method of claim 23, the step of storing comprising heating one of a liquid and/or gas, the step of adjusting comprising flowing the liquid or gas adjacent to the object such that thermal energy from the liquid or gas transfers to the object, to heat the object.