Electro-expulsive de-icing system for aircraft and other applications

• US 9,108,735 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2010
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TMC Aerospace Incorporated
• Original Assignee: TMC Aerospace Incorporated
• Inventors: Olson, Richard Alexander, Bridgeford, Mark Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tien
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fabula, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US12/658,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20100288882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/163 using electro-impulsive devices

Abstract

An apparatus for removing ice from an object (e.g., in-flight ice removal from the skin of an aircraft) includes an actuator assembly that forms an elongated electrically conductive loop. The actuator is mounted in a position enabling it to impact the object to be de-iced in response to movement of the loop that is produced by electric current pulses flowing in opposite directions in two mechanically independent loop subassemblies. The loop subassemblies include multiple electrically conductive elements interconnected at their ends using elongated flexible connectors in order to introduce a physical discontinuity that reduces any restriction of relative movement of the subassembly ends caused by the connectors.

Claims

1. An electro-expulsive de-icing actuator comprising:

a first subassembly comprising;

a first electrically conductive element coupled to an electrical input at a first end of the first electrically conductive element;

a second subassembly comprising;

a second electrically conductive element coupled to an electrical output at a first end of the second electrically conductive element;

wherein the first and second subassemblies are mechanically independent;

at least one separate electrically conductive connector connecting a second end of the first electrically conductive element of the first subassembly to a corresponding second end of the second electrically conductive element of the second subassembly, thereby creating a conductive path from the electrical input to the electrical output;

wherein the first and second subassemblies are disposed in an orientation such that an electrical current flows in a single first direction along a single longitudinal axis of the actuator through the first subassembly and in a single opposite, parallel direction along the single longitudinal axis through the second subassembly such that when electrical current flows through the conductive path, at least a portion of each of the first and second subassemblies move apart relative to one another as a result of the magnetic fields created by the electrical current in the first and second subassemblies; and

wherein the at least one connector is configured to allow the second end of the first subassembly and the second end of the second subassembly to move apart relative to each other.

2. The electro-expulsive de-icing actuator according to claim 1, wherein the first subassembly comprises:

a plurality of electrically conductive elements;

wherein each of the plurality of electrically conductive elements is separately electrically interconnected in series to the second subassembly through a plurality of separate electrically conductive connectors of the at least one connector, to form the conductive path between the input and the output, such that the current flows through each of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the first subassembly along the single first direction, and

wherein each of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the first subassembly are mechanically interconnected and electrically insulated from one another in a substantially stacked, parallel configuration.

3. The electro-expulsive de-icing actuator according to claim 2, wherein the second subassembly comprises:

a plurality of electrically conductive elements;

wherein each of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the second subassembly is separately electrically interconnected in series to the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the first subassembly through a plurality of separate electrically conductive connectors of the at least one connector, to form the conductive path between the input and the output, such that the current flows through each of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the second subassembly along the single second direction, and

wherein each of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the second subassembly are mechanically interconnected and electrically insulated from one another in a substantially stacked, parallel configuration.

4. The electro-expulsive de-icing actuator according to claim 3, wherein the first and second subassemblies comprise an equal number of electrically conductive elements;

wherein each of the separate electrically conductive connectors electrically interconnects a second end of one of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the first subassembly to a second end of one of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the second subassembly, such that pairs of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the first and second subassemblies are electrically interconnected in series to form the conductive path between the input and output.

5. The electro-expulsive de-icing actuator according to claim 4, wherein the electrically conductive connectors interconnecting the second ends of the first and second subassemblies form a first plurality of connectors;

wherein a first end of one of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the first subassembly is interconnected to the input and a first end of one of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the second subassembly is interconnected to the output;

wherein the at least one electrically conductive connector further comprises a second plurality of electrically conductive connectors;

wherein each of the second plurality of connectors electrically interconnects one of the remaining first ends of one of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the first subassembly to one of the remaining first ends of one of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the second subassembly, such that the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the first and second subassemblies are electrically interconnected in series to form the conductive path between the input and output.

6. The electro-expulsive de-icing actuator according to claim 1, wherein the at least one connector is flexible.

7. The electro-expulsive de-icing actuator according to claim 1, wherein the at least one connector comprises a stranded aircraft wire.

8. The electro-expulsive de-icing actuator according to claim 1, wherein the at least one connector comprises a U-shaped loop.

9. The electro-expulsive de-icing actuator according to claim 1, wherein a longitudinal axis of the at least one connector is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the actuator.

10. The electro-expulsive de-icing actuator according to claim 1, wherein a longitudinal axis of the at least one connector is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the actuator.

11. The electro-expulsive de-icing actuator according to claim 1, wherein each end of the first and second subassemblies is encapsulated.

12. The electro-expulsive de-icing actuator according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is mounted to one aircraft structure selected from the group of:

an inner shell;

a support structure interconnected with an inner shell; and

a skin which encloses an inner shell interconnected with a support structure, wherein the skin comprises an inner surface connected to the inner shell and an outer surface.

13. The electro-expulsive de-icing actuator according to claim 12, wherein the actuator is mounted between the inner surface of the skin and the inner shell.

14. The electro-expulsive de-icing actuator according to claim 12, wherein the support structure comprises:

a first support structure, and

a second support structure;

wherein the actuator is mounted between the first and second support structures.

15. An aircraft structure comprising:

a skin having;

an inner surface, and

an outer surface;

an inner shell;

a support structure; and

a plurality of electro-expulsive de-icing actuators in accordance with claim 1;

wherein the skin encloses the inner shell and is connected thereto through the inner surface;

wherein the inner shell is interconnected with the support structure;

wherein a first actuator in the plurality of actuators is mounted between a first end of the inner shell and the inner surface of the skin, and

wherein a second actuator is mounted between an opposite end of the inner shell and the inner surface of the skin.

16. The electro-expulsive de-icing actuator according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is attached to a leading edge structure of an aircraft.

31. A method of electro-expulsively de-icing an aircraft structure comprising:

providing an aircraft structure comprising;

a skin having;

an inner surface, and

an outer surface;

an inner shell;

a support structure; and

a plurality of electro-expulsive de-icing actuators in accordance with claim 1;

wherein the skin encloses the inner shell and is connected thereto through the inner surface;

wherein the inner shell is interconnected with the support structure;

wherein a first actuator in the plurality of actuators is mounted between a first end of the inner shell and the inner surface of the skin, and

wherein a second actuator is mounted between an opposite end of the inner shell and the inner surface of the skin; and

providing an electrical current in the electro-expulsive de-icing actuator.

17. A method of electro-expulsively de-icing comprising:

providing an electro-expulsive de-icing actuator comprising;

a first subassembly comprising;

a first electrically conductive element coupled to an electrical input at a first end of the first electrically conductive element;

a second subassembly comprising;

a second electrically conductive element coupled to an electrical output at a first end of the second electrically conductive element;

wherein the first and second subassemblies are mechanically independent;

at least one separate electrically conductive connector connecting a second end of the first electrically conductive element of the first subassembly to a corresponding second end of the second electrically conductive element of the second subassembly, thereby creating a conductive path from the electrical input to the electrical output;

wherein the first and second subassemblies are disposed in an orientation such that an electrical current flows in a single first direction along a single longitudinal axis of the actuator through the first subassembly and in a single opposite, parallel direction along the single longitudinal axis through the second subassembly such that when electrical current flows through the conductive path, at least a portion of each of the first and second subassemblies move apart relative to one another as a result of the magnetic fields created by the electrical current in the first and second subassemblies; and

wherein the at least one connector is configured to allow the second end of the first subassembly and the second end of the second subassembly to move apart relative to each other; and

providing an electrical current in the electro-expulsive de-icing actuator.

18. The method of electro-expulsively de-icing according to claim 17, wherein the first subassembly comprises:

a plurality of electrically conductive elements;

wherein each of the plurality of electrically conductive elements is separately electrically interconnected in series to the second subassembly through a plurality of separate electrically conductive connectors of the at least one connector, to form the conductive path between the input and the output, such that the current flows through each of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the first subassembly along the single first direction, and

wherein each of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the first subassembly are mechanically interconnected and electrically insulated from one another in a substantially stacked, parallel configuration.

19. The method of electro-expulsively de-icing according to claim 18, wherein the second subassembly comprises:

a plurality of electrically conductive elements;

wherein each of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the second subassembly is separately electrically interconnected in series to the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the first subassembly through a plurality of separate electrically conductive connectors of the at least one connector, to form the conductive path between the input and the output, such that the current flows through each of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the second subassembly along the single second direction, and

wherein each of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the second subassembly are mechanically interconnected and electrically insulated from one another in a substantially stacked, parallel configuration.

20. The method of electro-expulsively de-icing according to claim 19, wherein the first and second subassemblies comprise an equal number of electrically conductive elements;

wherein each of the separate electrically conductive connectors electrically interconnects a second end of one of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the first subassembly to a second end of one of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the second subassembly, such that pairs of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the first and second subassemblies are electrically interconnected in series to form the conductive path between the input and output.

21. The method of electro-expulsively de-icing according to claim 20, wherein the electrically conductive connectors interconnecting the second ends of the first and second subassemblies form a first plurality of connectors;

wherein a first end of one of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the first subassembly is interconnected to the input and a first end of one of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the second subassembly is interconnected to the output;

wherein the at least one electrically conductive connector further comprises a second plurality of electrically conductive connectors;

wherein each of the second plurality of connectors electrically interconnects one of the remaining first ends of one of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the first subassembly to one of the remaining first ends of one of the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the second subassembly, such that the plurality of electrically conductive elements of the first and second subassemblies are electrically interconnected in series to form the conductive path between the input and output.

22. The method of electro-expulsively de-icing according to claim 17, wherein the at least one connector is flexible.

23. The method of electro-expulsively de-icing according to claim 17, wherein the at least one connector comprises a stranded aircraft wire.

24. The method of electro-expulsively de-icing according to claim 17, wherein the at least one connector comprises a U-shaped loop.

25. The method of electro-expulsively de-icing according to claim 17, wherein a longitudinal axis of the at least one connector is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the actuator.

26. The method of electro-expulsively de-icing according to claim 17, wherein a longitudinal axis of the at least one connector is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the actuator.

27. The method of electro-expulsively de-icing according to claim 17, wherein each end of the first and second subassemblies is encapsulated.

28. The method of electro-expulsively de-icing according to claim 17, wherein the actuator is mounted to one aircraft structure selected from the group of:

an inner shell;

a support structure interconnected with an inner shell; and

a skin which encloses an inner shell interconnected with a support structure, wherein the skin comprises an inner surface connected to the inner shell and an outer surface.

29. The method of electro-expulsively de-icing according to claim 28, wherein the actuator is mounted between the inner surface of the skin and the inner shell.

30. The method of electro-expulsively de-icing according to claim 28, wherein the support structure comprises:

a first support structure, and

a second support structure;

wherein the actuator is mounted between the first and second support structures.

32. The method of electro-expulsively de-icing according to claim 17, wherein the actuator is attached to a leading edge structure of an aircraft.