Aircraft wing with electrothermal deicing and/or anti-icing device
AssigneeGoodrich Corporation
InventorMichael J. Giamati
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft wing (12) comprising a structural member (20) forming the wing's leading edge skin, a Kreuger flap (16) which moves relative to the structural member (20) between a stowed position and a deployed position, and an electrothermal device (34) mounted (e.g., internally mounted) to the structural member (20). An aft portion (30) of the structural member (20) is curved inwardly to form a recess (32), and a fore portion (18) of the flap (16) fits within the notch (32) to form a joggle therebetween. The electrothermal device (34) is a deicing and/or anti-icing device which continuously provides heat to the curved aft portion (30) of the structural member (20) during icing conditions so as to prevent deployment-inhibiting ice buildup on the flap (16).
Claims18
An airfoil comprising a leading edge structure and an electrothermal device mounted to the leading edge structure;
- the electrothermal device includes at least three sequential upper deicing zones;
- the deicing zones are controllable to heat at opposing intervals, wherein the the two foremost upper deicing zones are heated at the same interval and the aft deicing zone at an opposing interval;
- the deicing zones are also controllable to heat at overlapping intervals.
A method of preventing ice-buildup on the upper surface of an airfoil;
- wherein the airfoil comprising a leading edge structure and an electrothermal device mounted to the structure;
- wherein the electrothermal device includes at least three sequential upper deicing zones which are independently controllable and separately activatable;
- wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- in one flight condition, heating the two foremost upper deicing zones at the same interval and heating the aft deicing zone at opposing intervals to prevent runback refreeze on unheated upper aft surfaces;
- and
- in another flight condition, heating the at least three deicing zones at overlapping intervals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.