DE-ICING AND/OR ANTI-ICING SYSTEM FOR THE LEADING EDGE OF AN AIRCRAFT WING

• US 20110036950A1
• Filed: 01/12/2009
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Nacelles
• Original Assignee: Aircelle Ltd (Safran SA)
• Inventors: Guillermond, Alain, Le Docte, Thierry
• Granted Patent: US 8,991,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/134.R
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/12 by electric heating electric heating elements in general H05B
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2033/0233 comprising de-icing means

Abstract

The invention relates to a de-icing and/or anti-icing system for the leading edge of an aircraft wing or for the lip (1) of the air intake of an aircraft engine, characterised in that it includes a plurality of infrared emitting members (13) arranged inside said leading edge or said lip (1), power supply means (17) for said emitters (13), and means (27) for controlling said power supply means (17).

Claims

1. A de-icing and/or anti-icing system for a leading edge of an aircraft wing or for an air intake lip of an aircraft engine, comprising:

a plurality of infrared emitting members arranged inside said leading edge or said lip,

power supply means for said emitters, and

means for controlling said power supply means, wherein said emitters are made of ceramic.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said infrared emitting members comprise heating resistors included in a ceramic having a highly emissive special outer coating.

3. The system according to one of claim 1, wherein said infrared emitting members are mounted away from an inner wall of said leading edge or said lip, on support means fixed inside said leading edge or said lip.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said support means are connected to a front partition of said air intake, or to structural stiffening pieces situated in the front portion of the air intake.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said support means extends between said front partition or said structural stiffening pieces and the inner wall of said lip.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said air intake lip comprises a metal inner wall, and the infrared emitters are fixed on said wall or in an immediate vicinity thereof.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said infrared emitters are distributed on an inner circumference of said lip so as to optimize their action.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said power supply means can be connected to a power source on board or located on the ground.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said control means are capable of adjusting voltage and/or intensity and/or duration of said power supply means, so as to regulate heating energy radiated toward an inner wall of said leading edge or said lip.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising first temperature sensors arranged near an inner wall of said leading edge or said lip and electrically connected to said control means, wherein said control means is capable of regulating voltage and/or intensity and/or duration of the power supply of said infrared emitting members as a function of signals received from said sensors.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising two temperature sensors arranged in an immediate vicinity of said infrared emitters and electrically connected to said control means, wherein said control means are capable of regulating voltage and/or intensity and/or duration of the power supply of said infrared emitters as a function of signals received from said second sensors.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein said emitters are organized to be controlled either individually or in groups depending on de-icing needs and a size of said air intake.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein said emitters are distributed such that a defect detected on one emitter by the control means causes an increase in power delivered by neighboring emitters, making it possible to offset said defect.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein an integrated self-test makes it possible to detect any defect of one components of the system during maintenance on the ground.

15. A method for controlling a system according to claim 1, comprising interrupting an operation of said power supply means for short periods during which one must make other equipment of said aircraft function.

16. A method for controlling a system according to claim 1, comprising controlling said power supply means such that said infrared emitters emit in a given radiation band, set in advance and depending on a material making up the leading edge or the air intake lip, so as to optimize heat transfer toward the surface to be de-iced.