Distributed zoning for engine inlet ice protection
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsIsaac Jon Hogate, Christian A. Carroll
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An engine inlet ice protection system and method for ice protection includes a plurality of grouped structural elements having electrical components that provide ice protection where power is cycled to the groups of structural elements so that at a given time the ice protection elements receiving power are generally distributed throughout the engine inlet.
Claims19
An engine inlet ice protection system comprising a plurality of fairings distributed generally evenly within the engine inlet, wherein the fairings are grouped so that fairings in a group are separated from each other by a fairing of a different group, and wherein the fairings have embedded electrical components to provide ice protection.
An engine inlet ice protection system comprising:
- a plurality of grouped fairings, wherein each fairing contains an embedded electrical component to provide ice protection;
- and
- a power distribution system for cycling electric current to the embedded electrical components of the grouped fairings, wherein electric current is cycled so that the embedded electrical components powered at a given time are generally evenly distributed within the engine inlet.
An engine inlet ice protection system comprising:
- a first heating zone comprising a plurality of fairings, wherein each fairing contains an embedded heating element to provide ice protection;
- a second heating zone comprising a plurality of fairings, wherein each fairing contains an embedded heating element to provide ice protection;
- and
- a power distribution system for cycling electric current to the first and second heating zones, wherein electric current is distributed to only one heating zone at a given time.
A method of preventing and reducing ice formation and conditioning airflow in an engine inlet having a plurality of generally evenly spaced fairings with embedded heating elements, the method comprising:
- activating a power distribution system to deliver electric current to the embedded heating elements of the plurality of fairings;
- and
- cycling electric current to a fraction of the total embedded heating elements at a given time, wherein the embedded heating elements receiving electric current at the given time are generally evenly distributed within the engine inlet.
An engine inlet ice protection system comprising:
- seventeen grouped fairings having embedded electrical components;
- and
- a power distribution system for cycling electric current to the grouped fairings having embedded electrical components one group at a time, wherein first, fifth, ninth, and fourteenth fairings form a first group;
- second, fourth, eighth, eleventh, and fifteenth fairings form a second group;
- third, seventh, twelfth, and sixteenth fairings form a third group;
- and sixth, tenth, thirteenth, and seventeenth fairings form a fourth group.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.