De-icer
First Claim
1. In an object having a sheet-like skin formed of a material having a modulus of elasticity of at least 40,000 kPa and including an ice accreting surface, a de-icer comprising;
- a support surface positioned obversely to the ice accreting surface;
at least one principal inflation tube between the support surface and the skin; and
means for introducing a fluid under pressure into the principal inflation tube at a rate and in a quantity sufficient to slowly inflate in a period of 0.5 to 5 seconds the inflation tube to a desired extent at which a desired deformation occurs to the skin to a degree sufficient to detach ice accumulations thereon and dislodge the ice accumulations into a stream of fluid flowing over the ice accreting surface without exceeding a stress level characterizing an endurance limit associated with the material forming the skin and for subsequently deflating the principal inflation tube.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A de-icer for de-icing those ice accreting surfaces of a skin formed of a material having a substantially elevated modulus, wherein the de-icer is positioned between a support surface and a surface of the skin obverse to the ice accreting surface and inflated to produce a deformation in the skin sufficient to detach and dislodge accumulations of ice on the ice accreting surface but insufficient to exceed an endurance limit for the material from which the skin is formed. The invention finds use in de-icing aircraft surfaces such as wings, tail surfaces, propellers, rotors such as rotating wings, tail rotors and nose cones.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. In an object having a sheet-like skin formed of a material having a modulus of elasticity of at least 40,000 kPa and including an ice accreting surface, a de-icer comprising;
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a support surface positioned obversely to the ice accreting surface; at least one principal inflation tube between the support surface and the skin; and means for introducing a fluid under pressure into the principal inflation tube at a rate and in a quantity sufficient to slowly inflate in a period of 0.5 to 5 seconds the inflation tube to a desired extent at which a desired deformation occurs to the skin to a degree sufficient to detach ice accumulations thereon and dislodge the ice accumulations into a stream of fluid flowing over the ice accreting surface without exceeding a stress level characterizing an endurance limit associated with the material forming the skin and for subsequently deflating the principal inflation tube. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. In an aerofoil having an outer skin formed of a material having a modulus of elasticity of at least 40,000 kPa, the aerofoil having a leading edge and trailing surfaces therefrom defined by the skin, the skin having a surface upon which ice accretes and an obverse surface, a de-icer comprising;
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a rigid support surface positioned in spaced relationship away from the obverse surface of the skin; at least one principal inflation tube positioned between the obverse surface of the skin and the support surface and affixed to the support surface; means for slowly inflating the principal inflation tube in a period of 0.5 to 5 seconds by the introduction of fluid under pressure thereinto to a desired extent sufficient to cause deformation of the skin to a degree sufficient to detach and dislodge ice accretions thereon into a stream of fluid flowing over the aerofoil, but not to a degree exceeding a stress level characterizing an endurance limit for the material from which the skin is formed. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for de-icing an object having a shell-like skin including an ice accreting surface, the skin being possessed of a modulus of elasticity of at least 40,000 kPa, comprising the steps of:
employing a fluid under pressure periodically slowly inflating in a period of 0.5 to 5 seconds at least one principal inflatable tubular structure in a cavity between the skin and a support surface to a pressure sufficient to detach and dislodge accreted ice but insufficiently elevated whereby stresses placed upon the skin do not exceed an endurance limit for the material from which the skin is formed. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for de-icing an airfoil having a leading edge defined by a skin having an outer, ice accreting surface, the skin being formed from a material having a modulus of elasticity of at 40,000 kPa comprising the steps of:
- slowly inflating in 0.5 to 5 seconds, employing a fluid under pressure, a tube configured to lie generally spanwise with respect to the leading edge and positioned between a support for the tube and the skin, to a pressure sufficient to deform the skin to an extent effecting a detachment and dislodgment of ice accumulations on the ice accreting surface into an airstream flowing over the airfoil.
- View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A method for de-icing an airfoil having a leading edge associated therewith, the airfoil including a skin having an ice accreting surface formed of a material having a modulus of elasticity of at least 40,000 kPa, comprising the steps of employing a fluid under pressure slowly inflating in 0.5 to 5 seconds an inflatable tube positioned between the skin and a support surface and extending spanwise along the leading edge;
subsequently inflating employing the fluid under pressure utilized in inflating the spanwise inflation tube, a plurality of additional inflation tubes positioned in one of a chordwise and spanwise relationship to the leading edge and positioned between the support surface and the skin;
the inflation tube and the additional inflation tubes being inflated to an extent sufficient to produce a desired deformation in the skin sufficient to detach and dislodge ice accumulations on the ice accreting surface thereof into an airstream flowing over the airfoil but to an extent insufficient to exceed a stress level associated with an endurance limit for the material forming the skin.
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23. In an object having a sheet-like skin formed of a material having a modulus elasticity of at least 40,000 kPa and including an ice accreting surface, a de-icer comprising;
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a support surface positioned obversely to the ice accreting surface; at least one principal inflation tube between the support surface and the skin; and means for introducing a fluid under pressure in a rapid series of pulses into the principal inflation tube in a quantity sufficient to inflate the inflation tube to a desired extent at which a desired deformation occurs to the skin to a degree sufficient to detach ice accumulations thereon and dislodge the ice accumulations into a stream of fluid flowing over the ice accreting surface without exceeding a stress level characterizing an endurance limit associated with the material forming the skin and for subsequently deflating the principal inflation tube. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. In an aerofoil having an outer skin formed of a material having a modulus of elasticity of at least 40,000 kPa, the aerofoil having a leading edge and trailing surfaces therefrom defined by the skin, the skin having a surface upon which ice accretes and an obverse surface, a de-icer comprising;
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a rigid support surface positioned in spaced relationship away from the obverse surface of the skin; at least one principal inflation tube positioned between the obverse surface of the skin and the support surface and affixed to the support surface; means for inflating the principal inflation tube by the introduction in a rapid series of pulses of fluid under pressure thereinto to a desired extent sufficient to cause deformation of the skin to a degree sufficient to detach and dislodge ice accretions thereon into a stream of fluid flowing over the aerofoil, but not to a degree exceeding a stress level characterizing an endurance limit for the material from which the skin is formed. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for de-icing an object having a shell-like skin including an ice accreting surface, the skin being possessed of a modulus of elasticity of at least 40,000 kPa, comprising the steps of:
employing a fluid under pressure periodically inflating using a rapid series of pulses at least one principal inflatable tubular structure in a cavity between the skin and a support surface to a pressure sufficient to detach and dislodge accreted ice but insufficiently elevated whereby stresses placed upon the skin do not exceed an endurance limit for the material from which the skin is formed. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33. A method for de-icing an airfoil having a leading edge defined by a skin having an outer, ice accreting surface, the skin being formed from a material having a modulus of elasticity of at least 40,000 kPa comprising the steps of:
- inflating employing a fluid under pressure in a rapid series of pulses, a tube configured to lie generally spanwise with respect to the leading edge and positioned between a support for the tube and the skin, to a pressure sufficient to deform the skin to an extent effecting a detachment and a dislodgment of ice accumulations on the ice accreting surface into an airstream flowing over the airfoil.
- View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
Specification