Aircraft engine nacelle ice protection system

• US 7,780,117 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2006
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• 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: Flosdorf, David C., Botura, Galdemir C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins; Timothy D
• Application Number:
  US11/456,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20070102582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,505 Days
• Field of Search: 244/134.R, 244/134.E, 244/1.R, 244/123.1, 244/121
• US Class Current: 244/134.00D
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/14 controlled cyclically along length of surface
• 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
• 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 2250/283 honeycomb

Abstract

A nacelle inlet lip (22) for an aircraft engine (16) comprises a structural body (30) and an ice protection system (60). The ice protection system (60) comprises a plurality of ice-protectors (62, 64, 66) independently controllable to allow inner zones (52, 54, 56) to be operated in different modes, different power levels, different time intervals and/or different energy amounts. In this manner, an inner aft zone (52), an inner mid zone (54), and an inner aft zone (56) can be anti-iced and/or de-iced to best preserve desired airflow patterns, to minimize ice particle shed size, and to optimize power consumption.

Claims

1. A nacelle inlet lip for an aircraft engine, comprising a structural body and an ice protection system;

the structural body defining the leading edge of the aircraft engine and having an inner wall portion defining an inlet for the aircraft engine;

the inner wall portion having a plurality of inner zones located sequentially aft from the leading edge, these inner zones including an inner fore zone located just aft of the leading edge, an inner mid zone located aft of the inner fore zone, and an inner aft zone located aft of the inner mid zone;

the ice protection system having an ice-protector associated with each of the inner zones;

each ice-protector being independently controllable to allow the inner zones to be operated in different modes, different power levels, and/or different time intervals;

the inner mid zone being operable in an anti-icing mode, wherein power is continuously supplied to its ice-protector to prevent ice from forming on this zone, and a deicing mode, wherein power is intermittently supplied to its ice-protector to remove ice formed on this zone.

2. A nacelle inlet lip as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ice-protectors use electrical energy to prevent/remove ice from the corresponding zones.

3. A nacelle inlet lip in claim 1, wherein the plurality of inner zones include an inner fore zone located just aft of the leading edge, an inner mid zone located just aft of the inner fore zone, and an inner aft zone located just aft of the inner mid zone, and wherein the inner mid zone is operable in the different modes.

4. A nacelle inlet lip as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least some of the ice-protectors comprise a conductive mesh.

5. A nacelle inlet lip as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least some of the ice-protectors comprise heating elements.

6. A nacelle inlet lip as set forth in claim 1, wherein some ice-protectors comprise a conductive mesh and other ice-protectors comprise heating elements.

7. A nacelle inlet lip as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of the inner zones includes sub-zones and wherein the ice-protector for this zone comprises sub-ice-protectors corresponding to these sub-zones.

8. A nacelle inlet lip as set forth claim 1, wherein one sub-ice-protector comprises heating elements and the other sub-ice-protector comprises a conductive mesh.

9. An aircraft engine comprising internal engine components and a nacelle housing the internal engine components, wherein the nacelle includes an inlet lip as set forth in claim 1.

10. A method of ice-protecting the nacelle inlet lip set forth in claim 1, comprising the steps of:

supplying power continuously to the ice-protector associated with the inner zone just aft of the leading edge to anti-ice this inner fore zone; and

selectively supplying power continuously or supplying power intermittently to the ice-protector associated with the inner zone just aft of the inner fore zone to selectively anti-ice or de-ice this inner mid zone.

11. A nacelle inlet lip as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inner aft zone is operable in a de-icing mode wherein power is intermittently supplied to its ice protector to remove ice formed on this zone.

12. A nacelle inlet lip as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inner fore zone is operable in an anti-icing mode wherein power is continuously supplied to its ice protector to prevent ice from forming on this zone.

13. A nacelle inlet lip as set forth in claim 12, wherein the inner aft zone is operable in a de-icing mode wherein power is intermittently supplied to its ice protector to remove ice formed on this zone.

14. A nacelle inlet lip as set forth in claim 1, wherein the structural body comprises an outer wall portion over which air travels around the aircraft engine, wherein the outer wall portion includes a zone aft of the leading edge, and wherein the ice protection system includes an ice-protector associated with this outer zone.

15. A nacelle inlet lip as set forth in claim 14, wherein the ice-protector associated with the outer zone is an electrothermal heater.

16. A nacelle inlet lip as set forth in claim 14, wherein the ice-protector associated with the outer zone is controllable independent of the inner zones whereby it can operated at different power levels and/or for different time intervals.

17. A nacelle inlet lip as set forth in claim 1, wherein the structural body comprises a back skin, a honeycomb core, and a front skin, and wherein portions of the front skin are perforated.

18. A nacelle inlet lip as set forth in claim 17, wherein at least some of the inner zones are located in the portions of the front skin that are perforated and wherein the ice-protectors for these zones comprise a conductive mesh.

19. A nacelle inlet lip as set forth in claim 17, wherein at least one inner zone has a sub-zone located on portions of the front skin which are perforated and a sub-zone located on portions of the front skin that are unperforated,

wherein the ice-protector for the inner zone includes a sub-ice-protector for the sub-zone and a sub-ice-protector for the sub-zone, and

wherein the sub-ice-protector comprises a conductive mesh and the sub-ice-protector comprises heating elements.

20. An ice-susceptible portion of an aircraft, comprising a structural body and an ice protection system;

the structural body defining a leading edge and having a wall portion with a plurality of zones located sequentially aft from the leading edge, these zones including a fore zone located just aft of the leading edge, a mid zone located aft of the fore zone, and an zone located aft of the mid zone;

the ice protection system having an ice-protector associated with each of the zones;

each ice-protector being independently controllable to allow the zones to be operated in different modes, different power levels, and/or different time intervals;

the ice protector associated with the fore zone operable in an anti-icing mode wherein power is continuously supplied to this ice-protector to prevent ice from forming on this zone,

the ice protector associated with the mid zone operable in an anti-icing mode wherein power is continuously supplied to this ice-protector to prevent ice from forming on this zone and is also operable in a deicing mode wherein power is intermittently supplied to this ice-protector to remove ice formed on this zone, and

the ice protector associated with the aft zone operable in a de-icing mode wherein power is intermittently supplied to this ice-protector to remove ice formed on this zone.