# US 8,783,619 B2 · Air inlet of an aircraft nacelle including optimized frost treatment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,783,619 B2 - Document ID: US8783619B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/515,880 - Filed: 2010-12-14 - Published: 2012-10-04 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2009-12-18 - Assignees: Airbus Operations GmbH - Applicants: Arnaud Hormiere; Alain Dega; Stephane Gaillot - Inventors: Arnaud Hormiere; Alain Dega; Stephane Gaillot - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8783619B2 ## CPC - B64D 15/04: Hot gas application - B64D 2033/0233: {comprising de-icing means} - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT ## Abstract An air inlet of an aircraft nacelle includes a pipe, extending over the circumference of the air inlet and defined in the back by a front frame, and an element for the localized injection of hot air into the pipe, thus ensuring the flow of hot air into the pipe in one direction along the circumference of the nacelle. The inlet includes at least one vortex generator (38) in the pipe (22), the generator being plate-shaped or shaped in a manner projecting from the wall of the pipe (22), in order to disrupt the hot air flow so as to compensate the effect of the centrifugal force and reduce the temperature gradient between the inside and outside of the pipe (22). ## Claims ### Claim 1 An air intake of an aircraft nacelle, comprising: a pipe that extends over the circumference of said air intake and that is bordered to the rear by a front frame (20); and means (24) for localized injection of hot air in said pipe (22) that provides circulation of hot air in the pipe along a circumference of the nacelle in one direction, wherein, in the pipe (22), there is provided a vortex generator (38) that disrupts a flow of hot air that flows along the length of the pipe so as to compensate for an action of centrifugal force and reduce a temperature gradient between an inner side and an outer side of said pipe (22), the vortex generator (38) comprising a surface, said surface having a first side in connection with and running along a surface of the pipe, and a second side defined by a first end connected to an upstream end of the first side and a second end distanced from the surface of the pipe and positioned downstream from the first end. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The air intake of an aircraft nacelle according to claim 1, wherein the vortex generator is formed as a projection of the substrate of the front frame (20) that projects from a surface of the front frame (20) into the pipe (22). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The air intake of an aircraft nacelle according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the vortex generator (38) is formed on a plate that is essentially flat and that projects relative to the front frame (20) and is attached at the first side to a surface of said front frame (20). ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The air intake of an aircraft nacelle according to claim 2, wherein the first side of the surface is oriented toward the front frame (20). ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The air intake of an aircraft nacelle according to claim 2, wherein the vortex generator comprises three sides, the first side (40) being rectilinear, the second side (42) in the shape of an arc with the first end being upstream in a direction of the flow and the second end that is downstream being connected to a third side (44) that is connected to the first side (40). ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The air intake of an aircraft nacelle according to claim 2, wherein the vortex generator comprises four sides, the first side (40′) being rectilinear, the second side (42′) in the shape of an arc with the first end being upstream in a direction of the flow and the second end that is downstream being connected to a third side (43′) that is essentially parallel to the first side (40′), and a fourth side (44′) connecting the first side (40′) to the third side (43′) that is essentially perpendicular to the first side (40′). ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The air intake of an aircraft nacelle according to claim 2, wherein the vortex generator forms an angle on the order of 20° to 60° relative to the direction of the air flow that flows into the pipe (22). ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The air intake of an aircraft nacelle according to claim 2, wherein the vortex generator (38) forms an angle with the hot air flow that circulates inside the pipe, the upstream end of the first side that is upstream in the direction of flow of the air flow being closer to an axis of the nacelle than a downstream end of the first side. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An aircraft nacelle that integrates an air intake according to claim 1. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The air intake of an aircraft nacelle according to claim 3, wherein the first side (40) of the vortex generator is oriented toward the front frame (20), and the second side (42) increases in distance from the first side (40) in a downstream direction of flow of the hot air flow in the pipe (22), the first side (40) being angled relative to the downstream direction such that the upstream end of the first side (40) is closer to an axis of the nacelle than a downstream end of the first side (40). ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The air intake of an aircraft nacelle according to claim 1, wherein the vortex generator comprises three sides, the first side (40) being rectilinear, the second side (42) in the shape of an arc with the first end being upstream in a direction of the flow and the second end that is positioned downstream being connected to a third side (44) that is connected to the first side (40). ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The air intake of an aircraft nacelle according to claim 1, wherein the vortex generator comprises four sides, the first side (40′) being rectilinear, the second side (42′) in the shape of an arc with the first end being upstream in a direction of the flow and the second end that is positioned downstream being connected to a third side (43′) that is essentially parallel to the first side (40′), and a fourth side (44′) connecting the first side (40′) to the third side (43′) that is essentially perpendicular to the first side (40′). ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The air intake of an aircraft nacelle according to claim 3, wherein the vortex generator comprises three sides, the first side (40) being rectilinear, the second side (42) in the shape of an arc with the first end being upstream in a direction of the flow and the second end that is positioned downstream being connected to a third side (44) that is connected to the first side (40). ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) The air intake of an aircraft nacelle according to claim 3, wherein the vortex generator comprises four sides, the first side (40′) being rectilinear, the second side (42′) in the shape of an arc with the first end being upstream in a direction of the flow and the second end that is positioned downstream being connected to a third side (43′) that is essentially parallel to the first side (40′), and a fourth side (44′) connecting the first side (40′) to the third side (43′) that is essentially perpendicular to the first side (40′). ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The air intake of an aircraft nacelle according to claim 11, wherein the first side (40) of the vortex generator is oriented toward the front frame (20), the first side (40) being angled relative to the downstream direction such that the upstream end of the first side (40) is closer to an axis of the nacelle than a downstream end of the first side (40). ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The air intake of an aircraft nacelle according to claim 12, wherein the first side (40′) of the vortex generator is oriented toward the front frame (20), the first side (40′) being angled relative to the downstream direction such that the upstream end of the first side (40′) is closer to an axis of the nacelle than a downstream end of the first side (40′). ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The air intake of an aircraft nacelle according to claim 13, wherein the first side (40) of the vortex generator is oriented toward the front frame (20), the first side (40) being angled relative to the downstream direction such that the upstream end of the first side (40) is closer to an axis of the nacelle than a downstream end of the first side (40). ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The air intake of an aircraft nacelle according to claim 14, wherein the first side (40′) of the vortex generator is oriented toward the front frame (20), the first side (40′) being angled relative to the downstream direction such that the upstream end of the first side (40′) is closer to an axis of the nacelle than a downstream end of the first side (40′).