Process for de-icing an air intake cowling of a reaction motor and device for practicing the same

• US 6,592,078 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2002
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Chene, Gilles, Porte, Alain, Montetagaud, Fabienne, Pascal, Nathalie
• Primary Examiner(s): Swiatek, Robert P.
• Application Number:
  US10/074,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20020139900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 244/134.R, 244/134.B, 244/134.C
• US Class Current: 244/134.00B
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/04 Hot gas application
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2033/0206 comprising noise reduction means, e.g. acoustic liners
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2033/0233 comprising de-icing means
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2033/0286 for turbofan engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/045 having provisions for noise suppression
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/047 Heating to prevent icing
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/963 by Helmholtz resonators

Abstract

A process for de-icing an air intake cowling (5) of a reaction motor, having an air intake lip (6a), a de-icing system (10) and acoustic attenuation part (11), where the acoustic attenuation part includes separate islands (11a) formed by a sandwich of an acoustically resistive porous layer forming a portion of the external envelope (6i) of the fan channel delimited by the air intake lip, a cellular core, and a reflector (13), has the steps of sending into the lip, preferably in the direction of the acoustic attenuation islands, the warm fluid under pressure of the de-icing system, and causing the fluid to escape outside the cowling, through one or several openings (20) of suitable shape and size, provided in the cowling.

Claims

1. Process for de-icing an air intake cowling (5) of a reaction motor, comprising an air intake lip (6, 6′

, 6″

, 6′

″

), a system (10, 1) for de-icing the lip provided with warm fluid under pressure, and acoustic attenuation means (11, 11′

) forming an integral portion of a predetermined region of said lip, said acoustic attenuation means comprising separate islands (11a, 11′

a, 11b, 11c, 23) each formed of a sandwich comprising an acoustically resistive porous layer forming a portion of the external envelope (6i) of the fan channel (3) delimited by said air intake lip, porous core, and a reflector (13, 13′

), the process comprising the steps of;

sending into the lip the warm fluid under pressure of said de-icing system, and

causing said fluid to escape outside said cowling, through one or several openings (20, 21) of suitable shape and size, provided in said cowling (5).

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the porous core is a single layer porous core.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the porous core is a multi-layer porous core.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein in said step of sending the warm fluid into the lip, the warm fluid is sent in a direction of said acoustic attenuation islands.

5. De-icing device for an air intake cowling, said cowling (5) comprising:

an air intake lip (6, 6′

, 6″

, 6′

″

);

means (10, 1) for the injection into the lip of a warm de-icing fluid under pressure;

acoustic attenuation means (11, 11′

) forming an integral portion of a predetermined region of said lip; and

means (20 to 22) for evacuating outside the cowling the de-icing fluid, wherein said acoustic attenuation means comprise plural separate islands (11a, 23) each formed of a sandwich comprising an acoustically resistive porous layer (14) forming a portion of at least the internal wall (6i, 6′

i, 6″

i) of the lip, a central cellular core (12) and a reflector (13, 13′

, 23′

).

6. De-icing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the central core (12) of the islands is a honeycomb structure.

7. De-icing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the central core of the islands is formed of tubular lugs (23).

8. De-icing device according to claim 7, characterized in that the separate lugs are strips (11a, 11b, 11c) formed of at least one row of cells, disposed in parallel.

9. De-icing device according to claim 8, characterized in that said strips (11a) are positioned oblique relative to an axis of the fan channel (3).

10. De-icing device according to claim 9, characterized in that the de-icing fluid is distributed in the lip (6, 6′

, 6″

) by circular tubing (10) provided with ejection openings (19) suitably oriented.

11. De-icing device according to claim 8, characterized in that said strips (11′

a) are orthogonal to an axis of the fan channel (3).

12. De-icing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the separate islands are alignments of juxtaposed tubular lugs (23) disposed in parallel.

13. De-icing device according to claim 5, wherein the islands share a common reflector (13′

), the reflector being provided with scoops (32) communicating with spaces (31) between islands and being bordered by non-porous portions of the internal wall of the lip (6′

″

).

14. De-icing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the assembly of the islands (11″

a) is covered with a piece (40) channeling the de-icing fluid toward spaces (31) between islands.

15. De-icing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the de-icing fluid is distributed in the lip (6′

″

) by at least one ejection device (1) creating a circular flow (A) of the fluid in the lip.

16. De-icing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the lip (6′

) is formed from two assembled portions of which one (6′

a) integrates the acoustic attenuation structure (11a).