PIEZOELECTRIC DE-ICING OF AN AIR INLET

• US 20110011056A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Nacelles
• Original Assignee: Aircelle (Safran SA)
• Inventors: Le Docte, Thierry
• Granted Patent: US 8,793,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/39.093
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/163 using electro-impulsive devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2033/0233 comprising de-icing means
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 33/02 of combustion air intakes air intakes for gas-turbine plants or jet-propulsion plants per se F02C7/04; air intakes for combustion engines in general F02M35/00

Abstract

The invention relates to a lip assembly (1) for the air inlet of a turbojet engine nacelle, that comprises an inner surface (9), an outer surface (11) and de-icing means, wherein the de-icing means includes an anti-ice coating (13) covering at least a portion of the outer surface (11), said anti-ice coating (13) including one or more piezoelectric actuators within the matrix of said coating (13). The invention also relates to a turbojet engine nacelle that comprises such a lip assembly (1).

Claims

1. An air-inlet lip assembly of a turbojet engine nacelle comprising

an internal surface,

an external surface and

de-icing means,

wherein the de-icing means comprise an ice-repellent coating covering at least part of the external surface, said ice-repellent coating comprising one or more piezoelectric actuators in a matrix of said coating.

2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the de-icing means further comprise lightweight vibration means able to cause the external surface to vibrate.

3. The assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the lightweight vibration means are piezoelectric actuating means.

4. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric actuating means comprise at least one piezoelectric actuator and electrical power supply means.

5. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one piezoelectric actuator is in contact with the internal surface.

6. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric actuator or actuators comprises or comprise a cylinder and a dipole.

7. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ice-repellent coating comprises at least one of polyurethane and fluoro polyurethane paints, resins, resins containing polydimethylsiloxane or plastics containing TEFLON.

8. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least part of the lip assembly is made of a material containing a composite or a metal and nanoparticles able to make a surface of the lip assembly ice repellent.

9. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thickness of the ice-repellent coating is between 20 μ

m and 100 μ

m.

10. A turbojet engine nacelle comprising a lip assembly as claimed in claim 1.