Aircraft De-Icing System And Method
AssigneeCessna Aircraft Company
InventorsJohn W. Gallman, Vicki S. Johnson, Derek William Rounds, Jim R. Hoppins
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft de-icing system and method for removing the ice from the surface of an aircraft. The aircraft de-icing system reduces power requirements by allocating power from a single power source between the parting strip elements and the shed zone elements. The aircraft de-icing system may utilize a measurement of heat transfer to schedule the time necessary to shed ice from the surface of the aircraft. The de-icing system may also utilize a method for calculating the ice accumulation on the surface of the aircraft based on the outside air temperature.
Claims15
A de-icing system for an aircraft comprising:
- at least one parting strip heating element in thermal communication with the surface of the aircraft;
- a plurality of shed zone heating elements in thermal communication with the surface of the aircraft;
- a power source for heating each parting strip element and the plurality of shed zone heating elements;
- a controller for directing power from the power source to each parting strip heating element and the plurality of shed zone heating elements.
A method for de-icing a surface of an aircraft comprising the steps of:
- providing a at least one parting strip heating element in thermal communication with the surface of the aircraft;
- providing a plurality of shed zone heating elements in thermal communication with the surface of the aircraft;
- providing a power source for heating each parting strip element and the plurality of shed zone heating elements;
- providing a controller for directing power from the power source to each parting strip heating element and the plurality of shed zone heating elements;
- directing a portion of the power from the power source to each parting strip heating element until the aircraft surface adjacent to the parting strip heating element is heated to a first target temperature;
- directing a portion of the power from the power source to each parting strip heating element to maintain the temperature of the aircraft surface adjacent to the parting strip at the first target temperature during a period of ice accumulation, and
- directing a portion of the power from the power source to one of the plurality of shed zone heating elements to bring the shed zone element above a second target temperature for a scheduled period of time and concurrently directing sufficient power to the parting strip heating element to control its cooling rate and maintain the aircraft surface adjacent to the parting strip free of ice.
A method for calculating the estimated ice accumulation on the surface of an aircraft in a de-icing system, comprising the steps of:
- measuring a first outside air temperature;
- waiting a period of time;
- measuring a second outside air temperature;
- calculating an average outside air temperature during the period of time using the first outside air temperature and the second outside air temperature;
- calculating the maximum potential accumulation of ice at the average outside air temperature for the period of time.
A method for estimating the time required to melt sufficient ice for aerodynamic forces to remove the remaining ice from the surface of the aircraft in a de-icing system, comprising the steps of:
- a. measuring the outside air temperature;
- b. measuring the temperature of a heating element used to maintain the surface of the aircraft at a target temperature;
- c. measuring the power required to maintain the heating element at a target temperature;
- d. estimating the heat transfer through the surface using a one-dimensional steady-state heat relationship;
- and
- e. acquiring the time required to melt a thin layer of ice from a schedule that correlates heating time to a combination of outside air temperature and heat transfer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.