Method of surface charge distribution

• US 8,687,342 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Rawlings, Diane C., Bauman, J. Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLARK, CHRISTOPHER JAY
• Application Number:
  US12/974,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20110096455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 361/220, 361/212, 361216-218, 244/1.A
• US Class Current: 361/218
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/02 Lightning protectors; Static dischargers in general H01T
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 13/00 Installations of lightning conductors; Fastening thereof to supporting structure
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 13/40 Connection to earth
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 13/80 Discharge by conduction or dissipation, e.g. rods, arresters, spark gaps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.

Abstract

A lightning strike protection system for protecting composite structures, an improved lightning strike appliqué (LSA) for such a lightning strike protection system, and a method of protecting composite structures, such as an aircraft fuselage. The LSA is electrically connected to adjacent conductive surfaces, e.g., by a fuzz button or a wire bond inserted in the bottom of the LSA. An adjacent conductive surface may be another LSA, a lightning diverter overlay, or a current return network. Charge, e.g., from a lightning strike to the LSA, flows to the conductive layer through the electrical connector.

Claims

1. A method for preventing static charge buildup comprising:

enabling charge to distribute across a first conductive appliqué

affixed to a surface;

passing charge to a conductor coupled to said first conductive appliqué

; and

directing the charge to a collection point in a second conductive appliqué

affixed to said surface, wherein at least a portion of said first conductive appliqué

overlaps said second conductive appliqué

.

2. A method for preventing static charge buildup as in claim 1, wherein said second conductive appliqué

is in a series of conductive appliqué

s including said first conductive appliqué and

said second conductive appliqué

, charge being distributed over said series of conductive appliqué

s.

3. A method for preventing static charge buildup as in claim 2, wherein said first conductive appliqué

overlaps a portion of one or more other conductive appliqué

s, charge being distributed among said series of conductive appliqué

s at appliqué

overlaps.

4. A method for preventing static charge buildup as in claim 3, further comprising passing charge from said first conductive appliqué

to said second conductive appliqué and

said other conductive appliqué

s through orifices through non-conductive layers to conductive layers in each conductive appliqué

.

5. A method for preventing static charge buildup as in claim 4, wherein passing charge comprises passing current through conductors in said orifices attached to the overlapping said conductive appliqué

s.

6. A method for preventing static charge buildup as in claim 5, wherein said conductors are contained in said overlapping conductive appliqué

s and are selected from the group consisting of a fuzz button and one or more wire bonds.

7. A method for preventing static charge buildup as in claim 2, wherein said surface is a surface of a composite material structure.

8. A method for preventing static charge buildup as in claim 7, wherein said composite material structure is a composite aircraft.

9. A method for preventing static charge buildup as in claim 8, wherein said series of conductive appliqué

s provide electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding to said composite aircraft.

10. A method for preventing static charge buildup as in claim 1, wherein said surface is a surface of an aircraft and said first conductive appliqué

is a conductive strap passing charge over windows.

11. A method for preventing static charge buildup as in claim 1, wherein said surface is a surface of an aircraft and said first conductive appliqué

is one of a plurality of conductive appliqué

s, each being a conductive strap passing charge over a respective aircraft seam or joint.

12. A method for preventing static charge buildup on an aircraft, said method comprising:

distributing charge across each of a series of conductive appliqué

s affixed to a surface, one or more conductive appliqué

s overlapping other adjacent conductive appliqué

s;

passing charge vertically between said conductive appliqué

s at appliqué

overlaps; and

directing accumulating charge from said series of conductive appliqué

s to a collection layer on a dielectric layer affixed to said surface, wherein at least a portion of said one of said series of conductive appliqué

s overlaps said collection layer.

13. A method for preventing static charge buildup on an aircraft as in claim 12, wherein said aircraft is a composite aircraft.

14. A method for preventing static charge buildup on a composite aircraft as in claim 13, wherein said series of conductive appliqué

s provide electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding to said composite aircraft.

15. A method for preventing static charge buildup on a composite aircraft as in claim 14, said method further comprising passing charge from overlapping said conductive appliqué

s to said adjacent conductive appliqué

s through orifices through non-conductive layers to conductive layers in each conductive appliqué

.

16. A method for preventing static charge buildup on a composite aircraft as in claim 15, wherein passing charge comprises passing current through conductors in said orifices attached to said overlapping conductive appliqué

s.

17. A method for preventing static charge buildup on a composite aircraft as in claim 16, wherein said conductors are contained in said overlapping conductive appliqué

s and are selected from the group consisting of a fuzz button and one or more wire bonds.

18. A method for preventing static charge buildup on an aircraft as in claim 13, further comprising passing current through conductive appliqué

s affixed over windows.

19. A method for preventing static charge buildup locally on an aircraft, said method comprising:

distributing charge across each of a series of conductive appliqué

s affixed to the skin of an aircraft, charge passing through the conductive appliqué

s affixed over seams and joints;

passing charge vertically through overlapping conductive appliqué

edges; and

directing accumulating charge to a collection layer on said skin.