Vane heating system and method

A gas turbine engine, comprising:

• a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section, and an exhaust section;
• a plurality of static vanes disposed within the gas turbine engine, each static vane having an inner surface that defines a vane cavity;
• an electrically resistive material disposed within the vane cavity of each static vane;
• and
• an electric power source electrically coupled to, and configured to selectively supply an electric current to, the electrically resistive material in each static vane,
• wherein, when the electric current is supplied to the electrically resistive material, a temperature of the static vane increases, and
• wherein:
• each vane cavity has a fillable volume;
• the electrically resistive material consists essentially of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and graphene that is poured into the vane cavity of each static vane and is then cured;
• the electrically resistive material fills an entirety of the fillable volume and increases the structural strength of each static vane;
• and
• an electrically insulative material is disposed between the inner surface of each static vane and the electrically resistive material.

A vane heating system for an engine, comprising:

• a plurality of static vanes disposed within the engine, each static vane having an inner surface that defines a vane cavity;
• an electrically resistive material disposed within the vane cavity of each static vane;
• and
• an electric power source electrically coupled to, and configured to selectively supply an electric current to, the electrically resistive material in each static vane, wherein, when the electric current is supplied to the electrically resistive material, a temperature of the static vane increases,
• wherein:
• each vane cavity has a fillable volume;
• the electrically resistive material consists essentially of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and graphene that is poured into the vane cavity of each static vane and is then cured;
• the electrically resistive material fills an entirety of the fillable volume and increases the structural strength of each static vane;
• an electrically insulative material is disposed between the inner surface of each static vane and the electrically resistive material;
• the plurality of static vanes are divisible into a first predetermined number of sets of static vanes;
• each of the sets of static vanes having an equal number of static vanes;
• the system further comprises a second predetermined number of temperature sensors, the second predetermined number equal to the first predetermined number;
• each of the sets of static vanes has only one static vane to which a respective one of the temperature sensors is coupled;
• each temperature sensor is configured to sense a respective temperature of the respective only one static vane to which the temperature sensor is coupled and supply a sensor signal indicative of the sensed respective temperature;
• and
• the electric power source is coupled to receive the sensor signal from each temperature sensor and is further configured, in response to the sensor signals, to selectively supply the electric current to the equal number of static vanes in each of the sets of static vanes, one set at a time.