# US 2014/0151353 A1 · Composite Structure Having an Ice Protection Device, and Production Method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0151353 A1 - Document ID: US20140151353A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/122,216 - Filed: 2012-05-24 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-05-26 - Assignees: EADS Deutschland GmbH - Inventors: Juergen Steinwandel; Martin Englhart; Dietrich P. Jonke; Helmut Piringer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151353A1 ## CPC - B64D 15/12: by electric heating (heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas H05B3/84) - H05B 3/145: {Carbon only, e.g. carbon black, graphite} - H05B 3/18: the conductor being embedded in an insulating material - H05B 3/26: heating conductor mounted on insulating base {(for transparent areas H05B3/84, H05B3/86)} - H05B 3/28: heating conductor embedded in insulating material - H05B 2214/02: Heaters specially designed for de-icing or protection against icing - H05B 2214/04: Heating means manufactured by using nanotechnology - Y10T 29/49083: Heater type - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract An ice protection system for de-icing an aircraft and/or for keeping the aircraft free of ice includes a composite structure for an aircraft component and a structural element of an aircraft with an ice protection system that is integrated in the composite structure. The ice protection system includes a flat surface-like electric heating element that is embedded in the composite structure below an outer layer of an outer surface of the aircraft component. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-15. (canceled) ### Claim 16 A composite structure for an aircraft component that is a structural element of an aircraft, the composite structure comprising: an outer surface having an outer layer; and an ice protection system integrated in the composite structure, wherein the ice protection system is configured to prevent formation of ice or to de-icing the structural element, wherein the ice protection system has a flat surface-like electric heating element embedded in the composite structure below the outer layer of the outer surface of the aircraft component. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The composite structure of claim 16, wherein the electric heating element is selected from a group of heating elements that comprise a textile surface structure of electrically conductive fibers, a conductive layer of a carbon fiber-reinforced graphite, a plastic layer with a graphite filling material, a conductive layer of a matrix material loaded with nanotubes, and a layer comprising at least one conductive path of plastic filled with nanotubes, wherein the conductive path extends through the layer in a distributed manner. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The composite structure of claim 17, wherein the textile surface structure comprises a carbon felt. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The composite structure of claim 16, wherein the outer layer is superposed on the electric heating element, and the outer layer comprises a polyether ether ketone. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The composite structure of claim 16, further comprising: a composite material substrate made of a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic material on which the heating element is arranged. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The composite structure of claim 20, further comprising: an insulating layer comprised of an epoxy resin arranged between the heating element and the composite material substrate. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The composite structure of claim 16, further comprising: a latent heat storage layer composed of a material that stores latent heat due to a phase transition. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The composite structure of claim 16, further comprising: at least one contact element in electrical contact with the heating element, the at least one contact element is embedded in the composite structure below the outer layer of the outer surface of the aircraft component. ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) The composite structure of claim 16, wherein the heating element has a modular structure and comprises a plurality of flat surface-like heating elements. ### Claim 25 A method for producing an ice protection system for an aircraft, the method comprising: forming an outer skin of the aircraft by embedding a flat surface-like electric heating element in a composite structure. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, further comprising: providing a composite material substrate made of a carbon fiber-reinforced composite material; forming the heating element by applying an electrically conductive layer; forming an outer surface of the aircraft by coating the electrically conductive layer with a cover layer. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, further comprising: applying at least one contact element to form an electrical contact with the electrically conductive layer. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the electrically conductive layer is applied in a modular fashion. ### Claim 29 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the composite material substrate is coated with an electrically insulating material prior to the application of the electrically conductive layer. ### Claim 30 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the electrically conductive layer is formed by or with a material that is selected from a group of materials that include a textile surface structure made of electrically conductive fibers, graphite reinforced with carbon fibers, an electrically conductive plastic due to graphite filling, and nanotubes, in order to form electrically conductive paths.