Aerodynamic profile for aircraft and wind power stations and method of measuring the thickness of ice on an aerodynamic profile

• US 8,434,365 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2007
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Bilgram, Rudolf, Gradolph, Christian, Friedberger, Alois, Kloeppel, Valentin
• Primary Examiner(s): Macchiarolo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, ROSE MARY
• Application Number:
  US12/280,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20090189020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,262 Days
• Field of Search: 73597-598, 7317001-17026, 416/1, 416/61, 416/39, 416/224, 416/229.R, 416/230, 374/16, 374/27, 374/28, 374117-119, 374/100, 374/109, 374/141
• US Class Current: 73/597
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/20 Means for detecting icing or initiating de-icing
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/40 Ice detection; De-icing means
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 17/025 for measuring thickness of coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

An aerodynamically shaped profile member for aircraft and wind power stations includes, for example, phased-array ultrasonic generator arrangement arranged therein. During operation of the profile member, the ultrasonic generator emits ultrasonic waves in a targeted manner in multiple directions to determine a profile of the thickness of an ice layer on the surface of the aerodynamic profile. The structure may be, for example, a composite fiber material arranged around a foam core, with the ultrasonic generator arrangement being laminated into the composite fiber material. For measurement of the ice thickness, ultrasonic waves are transmitted in a targeted manner to different positions of the surface of the aerodynamic profile, and the ultrasonic waves reflected on the interfaces of the ice layer are detected. At least one region of the surface is scanned by means of the targeted ultrasonic waves, to determine an ice thickness profile.

Claims

1. An aerodynamically shaped profile member for aircraft and wind power stations, said profile member comprising:

an aerodynamically shaped profile member body; and

an ultrasonic generator arrangement arranged in an interior space of the aerodynamically shaped profile member body,

wherein;

the ultrasonic generator arrangement is configured to emit ultrasonic waves in a targeted manner in multiple directions to determine the profile of the thickness of an ice layer on the surface of the aerodynamic profile,

the ultrasonic generator arrangement comprises a plurality of piezo transducer elements located underneath an erosion protector of the aerodynamically shaped profile member body,

the aerodynamically shaped profile member body is made at least in part from a fiber composite material; and

the ultrasonic generator arrangement is laminated into the fiber composite material.

2. An aerodynamically shaped profile member for aircraft and wind power stations, said profile member comprising:

an aerodynamically shaped profile member body; and

an ultrasonic generator arrangement arranged in an interior space of the aerodynamically shaped profile member body,

wherein;

the ultrasonic generator arrangement is configured to emit ultrasonic waves in a targeted manner in multiple directions to determine the profile of the thickness of an ice layer on the surface of the aerodynamic profile,

the ultrasonic generator arrangement comprises a plurality of piezo transducer elements located underneath an erosion protector of the aerodynamically shaped profile member body,

the aerodynamically shaped profile member body is made in part from a fiber composite material; and

the ultrasonic generator arrangement is arranged outside a region of the aerodynamically shaped profile member body made of fiber composite material.

3. An aerodynamically shaped profile member for aircraft and wind power stations, said profile member comprising:

an aerodynamically shaped profile member body; and

an ultrasonic generator arrangement arranged in an interior space of the aerodynamically shaped profile member body,

wherein;

the ultrasonic generator arrangement is configured to emit ultrasonic waves in a targeted manner in multiple directions to determine the profile of the thickness of an ice layer on the surface of the aerodynamic profile,

the ultrasonic generator arrangement comprises a plurality of piezo transducer elements located underneath an erosion protector of the aerodynamically shaped profile member body, and

the ultrasonic generator arrangement is a phased-array arrangement.

4. An aerodynamically shaped profile member for aircraft and wind power stations said profile member comprising:

an aerodynamically shaped profile member body; and

an ultrasonic generator arrangement arranged in an interior space of the aerodynamically shaped profile member body,

wherein;

the ultrasonic generator arrangement is configured to emit ultrasonic waves in a targeted manner in multiple directions to determine the profile of the thickness of an ice layer on the surface of the aerodynamic profile, and

the ultrasonic generator arrangement comprises a plurality of piezo transducer elements arranged as an at least two-dimensional array located underneath an erosion protector of the aerodynamically shaped profile member body.

5. A method of measuring a thickness of ice on an aerodynamic profile, the method comprising:

emitting ultrasonic waves to a surface of the aerodynamic profile;

receiving ultrasonic waves reflected at the interfaces of an ice layer; and

determining the thickness of the ice layer by one of i) analyzing transit times of the reflected ultrasonic waves within the ice layer, and ii) analyzing interferences between the reflected ultrasonic waves;

wherein

the ultrasonic waves are transmitted in a targeted manner to different positions of the surface of the aerodynamic profile;

at least one region of the surface is scanned by the targeted ultrasonic waves to determine an ice thickness profile; and

an ice thickness profile is determined by analyzing interferences between the ultrasonic waves reflected from at least two interfaces of the ice layer.

6. A method of measuring the thickness of ice on an aerodynamic profile, said method comprising:

emitting ultrasonic waves to a surface of the aerodynamic profile, wherein the ultrasonic waves are transmitted in a targeted manner to different positions of the surface of the aerodynamic profile from an ultrasonic wave emitter;

receiving ultrasonic waves reflected at interfaces of an ice layer;

determining the thickness of the ice layer by one of i) analyzing transit times of the reflected ultrasonic waves within the ice layer, and ii) analyzing interferences between the reflected ultrasonic waves;

making a reference measurement using ultrasonic waves of a temporal course of the ultrasonic waves between the ultrasonic wave emitter and the surface of the aerodynamic profile in the absence of ice; and

storing the temporal course of the ultrasonic waves in the absence of ice;

wherein

the determining of the thickness of the ice layer includes subtracting the stored temporal course in the absence of ice from the received ultrasonic waves reflected from the ice layer interfaces to minimize an influence of reflections from surfaces measured in the absence of ice.