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US 10,822,999 B2Granted
Systems and methods for fan blade de-icing
AssigneeRaytheon Technologies Corporation
InventorsRobert J. Morris, Gary D. Roberge
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An anti-ice arrangement for a gas turbine engine may comprise an engine static structure, a fan blade housed for rotation within the engine static structure, and a magnetic field source mounted in close proximity to the fan blade and configured for inducing eddy currents in the fan blade to increase a surface temperature of the fan blade.
Claims19
An anti-ice arrangement for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
- an engine static structure;
- a fan blade housed for rotation within the engine static structure;
- a magnetic field source mounted in close proximity to the fan blade and configured for inducing eddy currents in the fan blade to increase a surface temperature of the fan blade;
- and
- a tailored resistance coating disposed on the fan blade, wherein the resistance coating is configured to at least one of increase or decrease heat generated by the eddy currents through the tailored resistance coating.
2 more elements
A method for anti-ice control, comprising:
- sensing, by a controller, an ambient air temperature;
- sensing, by the controller, an ambient air humidity;
- estimating, by the controller, a forward aircraft speed;
- estimating, by the controller, a fan blade speed;
- calculating, by the controller, a fan blade surface temperature, wherein the fan blade surface temperature is calculated based upon at least one of:
- i) a temperature sensor feedback signal;
- or
- ii) the ambient air temperature, the ambient air humidity, the forward aircraft speed, and the fan blade speed;
- determining, by the controller, if icing conditions are favorable based upon the fan blade surface temperature, wherein the favorability of the icing conditions corresponds to a likelihood of ice accretion on a fan blade;
- and
- commanding, by the controller, power on to an electromagnet in response to the icing conditions being determined favorable.
8 more elements
A method for anti-ice control for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
- receiving, by a controller, a vibration sensor signal from a vibration sensor;
- detecting, by the controller, an imbalance generated by asymmetric ice shedding from a fan blade via the vibration sensor signal;
- and
- commanding, by the controller, power on to an electromagnet in response to the imbalance being detected;
- wherein the vibration sensor is mounted to an engine static structure of the gas turbine engine, and the vibration sensor comprises an accelerometer.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.