AIRCRAFT ICE PROTECTION OPTIMIZATION BASED ON ICE-DETECTION INPUT

• US 20130284856A1
• Filed: 04/26/2013
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Botura, Galdemir Cezar, Sweet, Dave Bert, Hindel, James Thomas, Jackson, Darren Glenn
• Granted Patent: US 9,555,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/134.D
• 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

Abstract

An aircraft ice protection system (10) comprises an ice protection device (21), an onboard power source (30), a supply line (31) from the power source (30) to the device (21), a controller (41) which controls the line (31), and an optimizer (50) which conveys operation-optimizing instructions (51) to the controller (41). An ice detector (60) provides an input (70) to the optimizer (50) and this ice-condition input (70) is used to generate the operation-optimizing instructions (51).

Claims

1. An ice protection system adapted to protect at least one ice-susceptible region of an aircraft, said system comprising:

an ice protection device associated with each region;

an onboard power source and a supply line to each ice protection device;

a controller for each ice protector which controls power supply through the supply line;

an optimizer which conveys instructions to each controller; and

an ice detector which provides an ice-condition input;

wherein the optimizer uses the ice-condition input to generate the operation-optimizing instructions.

2. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the optimizer uses the ice-condition input to determine an optimum power level and conveys this power level in the instructions, and wherein each controller controls power supply at a level corresponding to these instructions.

3. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the ice protection device operates in a fully-evaporative anti-icing mode.

4. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 3, characterized by the optimizer not using input from surface temperature sensors to determine the optimum power level.

5. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the ice detector is an optical ice detector which analyzes circularly polarized light scattered from airborne cloud particles.

6. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 1, adapted to protect neighboring ice-susceptible regions of the aircraft, wherein the optimizer considers the status of a neighboring ice protection devices when determining an optimum power level for the other ice protection device.

7. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the ice protection device operates in a fully evaporative anti-icing mode when the optimizer determines that runback will not refreeze on the neighboring region and operates in a running wet anti-icing mode when the optimizer determines that runback will refreeze on the neighboring region.

8. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the ice detector is an optical ice detector which analyzes circularly polarized light scattered from airborne cloud particles.

9. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ice detector detects super large droplets and provides a corresponding input, and wherein the optimizer only turns on the ice protection device when the input is indicative of super large droplets.

10. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 9, characterized by the absence of temperature sensors on the ice-susceptible region.

11. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the ice detector is an optical ice detector which analyzes circularly polarized light scattered from airborne cloud particles.

12. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the ice detector comprises a laser apparatus configured to direct a light signal into a cloud, a lens component configured to collect echo signals from a cloud caused by the light signal directed into the cloud, a beam splitter component configured to redirect signals received and passing through the lens component into at least first and second paths and a droplet detector to receive the redirected signals.

13. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the droplet detector includes a first signal detector component configured to perform a first color measurement on the first redirected signal, and a second signal detector component configured to perform a second color measurement on the second redirected signal, and wherein the droplet detector is configured to use the first and second color measurements to determine liquid water content and droplet diameter distribution for the cloud.

14. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 1, adapted to protect a plurality ice-susceptible regions of the aircraft, wherein the optimizer uses the ice-condition input to determine icing severity and compares this determination to threshold to produce instructions;

and wherein the thresholds vary among the ice protection devices.

15. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the ice protection devices are arranged in a spanwise row and wherein the thresholds decrease in the outboard direction.

16. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 14, characterized by the absence of temperature sensors on the ice-susceptible regions.

17. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the ice detector is an optical ice detector which analyzes circularly polarized light scattered from airborne cloud particles.

18. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the optimizer comprises an algorithm contained within a microprocessor installed in each controller.

19. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each ice protection device comprises a heating element which converts electric power into heat.

20. An ice protection system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the source comprises an onboard source of electric power.