# US 10,479,512 B2 · Electrical de-icing for aircraft > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,479,512 B2 - Document ID: US10479512B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/272,988 - Filed: 2016-09-22 - Published: 2017-03-23 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-09-23 - Assignees: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH - Applicants: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH - Inventors: Juergen Steinwandel; Dietrich Jonke; Helmut Piringer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479512B2 ## CPC - B64D 15/12: by electric heating (heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas H05B3/84) - B05D 1/22: using fluidised-bed technique (fluidised-bed technique in general B01J8/24) - B05D 3/0218: {Pretreatment, e.g. heating the substrate} - C23C 16/0218: {in a reactive atmosphere (C23C16/0227 takes precedence)} - C23C 16/325: {Silicon carbide} - C23C 16/342: {Boron nitride} - C23C 16/38: Borides - C23C 16/403: {of aluminium, magnesium or beryllium} - C23C 16/44: characterised by the method of coating (C23C16/04 takes precedence) - H05B 3/145: {Carbon only, e.g. carbon black, graphite} - H05B 3/22: non-flexible - H05B 2214/02: Heaters specially designed for de-icing or protection against icing - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02) - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A heating element for in-flight de-icing of aircraft is disclosed. The heating element includes a carbon fiber material that is designed to be arranged on a component of an aircraft. The carbon fiber material includes at least two electrical contacts for connecting to an electrical wiring system, and at least one insulation layer for electrical insulation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A heating element for in-flight de-icing of an aircraft, the heating element comprising: a carbon fiber material for arrangement on a component of an aircraft, the carbon fiber material comprising: at least two electrical contacts for connecting to an electrical wiring system; and at least one insulation layer for electrical insulation; and at least one electrically insulating spacer to rest on the component and/or at least one other structural member of the aircraft after the heating element has been arranged on the component to ensure a spacing between the coated carbon fiber material and the component and/or the at least one structural member. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The heating element of claim 1, wherein the at least one insulation layer comprises aluminum oxide, boron nitride, silicon carbide, zirconium diboride, and/or hafnium diboride. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The heating element of claim 1, wherein the ensured spacing is in a range of from 0.1 to 3 centimeters (cm). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The heating element of claim 1, wherein the at least one spacer comprises a ceramic material and/or at least one heat-resistant plastic material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The heating element of claim 1, wherein the carbon fiber material is multilayered, carbonized, graphitized, and/or calcined. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The heating element of claim 1, wherein a silicon carbide layer is arranged between the carbon fiber material and the at least one insulation layer for electrical insulation by a reaction between the carbon fiber material and a liquid silicon applied to the carbon fiber material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The heating element of claim 1, wherein the carbon fiber material comprises a carbon fiber/scrim element. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The heating element of claim 7, wherein the carbon fiber/scrim element comprises a back-injection layer that comprises a plastics material that electrically insulates the electrical contacts. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The heating element of claim 8, wherein the plastics material comprises polyarylamide and/or a polyamide. ### Claim 10 A heating device for in-flight de-icing of an aircraft, the heating device comprising: a plurality of heating elements which are connected in series or in parallel, each of the heating elements comprising: a carbon fiber material for arrangement on a component of an aircraft, the carbon fiber material comprising: at least two electrical contacts for connecting to an electrical wiring system; and at least one insulation layer for electrical insulation; and at least one electrically insulating spacer to rest on the component and/or at least one other structural member of the aircraft after the heating element has been arranged on the component to ensure a spacing between the coated carbon fiber material and the component and/or the at least one structural member. ### Claim 11 A method for producing a heating element for in-flight de-icing of an aircraft, the method comprising: attaching electrical contacts to a carbon fiber material for arrangement on a component of an aircraft; applying an insulation layer to the carbon fiber material; and arranging at least one electrically insulating spacer to rest on the component and/or at least one other structural member of the aircraft after the heating element has been arranged on the component to ensure a spacing between the coated carbon fiber material and the component and/or the at least one structural member. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, comprising carbonizing, graphitizing, calcining, and/or siliconizing the carbon fiber material. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the insulation layer comprises a ceramic basic material and is applied as a coating slip. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the insulation layer is applied by fluidized bed coating and/or chemical vapor deposition. ### Claim 15 A method for in-flight de-icing a component of an aircraft, the method comprising: producing an electrical connection between electrical contacts of a heating element and an electrical wiring system, wherein the heating element comprises a carbon fiber material that is coated with at least one insulation layer, thereby forming a coated carbon fiber material, and is arranged on the component of the aircraft; and arranging at least one electrically insulating spacer to rest on the component and/or at least one other structural member of the aircraft after the heating element has been arranged on the component to ensure a spacing between the coated carbon fiber material and the component and/or the at least one structural member. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The heating element according to claim 8, wherein the back-injection layer is arranged on a side of the carbon fiber/scrim element that is remote from the component of the aircraft. ### Claim 17 (depends on 8) The heating element according to claim 8, wherein the carbon fiber/scrim element comprises grid intermediate spaces, and wherein the back-injection layer is a coating that meshes in at least some of the grid intermediate spaces in the carbon fiber/scrim element.