The B. F. Goodrich Company

Goodrich Corporation

Rohr, Inc.

Simmonds Precision Products, Inc.

Goodrich Corpration

David B Sweet

Michael John Giamati

Tommy Maurice Wilson, Jr

Richard Lawrence Rauckhorst, Iii

Jin Hu

James C Putt

James T Hindel

Allen Donald Reich

Galdemir Cezar Botura

Claude Marc Hubert

Alan John Fahrner

Lowell J Adams

Paul D Stoner

Joseph Christopher Zecca

Daniel Paul Christy

Timothy Olson

Randall W Wallace

Steven Charles Brooker

Brian Burkett

Michael J Douglass

Gerald Willey Codner

Michael J Terry

Wayne E Hoffman

Daniel A Pruzan

Richard J Becker

Marc E Holyfield

Steven C Brooker

Paul Stoner

A heating element is provided with a conductive path pattern which can be printed in a mask-free manner (e.g., drop-on-demand) with existing printing technology. The printing step can be performed, for example, with a thermal inkjet printer, a piezoelectric inkjet printer, an aerosol jet printer, or an ultrasound printer. The ink solution can be formulated so that it establishes an electrically conductive path which is free of polymer binders.

Printed heating element

An electric heater () for integration into an acoustic panel () having sound-penetrating pores () communicating with a sound-canceling medium. The heater () includes an electrically conductive layer () with resistance-setting apertures () filled with sealant (). Openings (), which contribute to the sound-penetrating pores (), extend through the sealant-filled apertures (). The acoustic panel () can be assimilated into an aircraft component, such as a nacelle inlet lip, which requires both noise-reducing and ice-protecting features.

Electric heater for integration into an aircraft acoustic panel

An electrical-power-transfer assembly () transferring electrical power from an onboard power source to electrical deicers () on propeller blades (). The assembly () comprises a first race structure () mounted to the aircraft, a second race structure () mounted to the propeller assembly (), and rolling elements () caged in raceway(s) () situated between the race structures (). The current path established by the assembly () passes through the raceway(s) () and the rolling elements () caged therein.

Aircraft propeller assembly

An electro-thermal ice protection system for an airfoil comprises: a metal foil heater including an integral parting strip, the metal foil heater configurable to cover at least a portion of a leading edge of the airfoil with the integral parting strip disposed along an air-stagnation zone of the leading edge; and a controller coupled electrically to the metal foil heater for controlling electrical energy from a power source to the metal foil of the heater in accordance with a pulse duty-cycle and for controlling power to the parting strip of the heater to maintain the air-stagnation zone virtually free of ice formation. A method of making an exemplary metal foil heater for use in ice protection of an airfoil comprises the steps of: preparing a sheet of Titanium foil in a rectangular shape having a length substantially greater than a width thereof for covering at least a portion of the leading edge of the airfoil; applying a layer of Nickel material over an area along each width edge of the Titanium foil; applying a layer of Copper material over the Nickel layer along each width edge of the Titanium foil; and attaching conductor wires to the Copper layers at each width edge.

Low power, pulsed, electro-thermal ice protection system

An ice detector includes a pair of electrodes connected by a pair of leads to a control unit which measures the admittance between leads to thereby sense and detect the presence of ice and other contaminants formed on top thereof utilizing a detection circuit. The electrodes are integrated into patch which can be placed at different locations on an aircraft.

Ice thickness detector

A deicer comprises a skin heating means immediately subjacent an outer skin overlying an apex of a leading edge, and a skin deflection means immediately subjacent the outer skin chordwise aft of the apex. The skin heating means prevents the formation of ice over the apex and the skin deflection means deflects the outer skin to expulse ice formed chordwise aft of the apex. A controller controls the heating and deflection cycles to minimize power consumption of the deicer.

Hybrid deicer with element sequence control

A pneumatic deicing system includes a deicer assembly comprised of an outer layer having a low modulus of elasticity, an inner ply, and a plurality of inflatable members provided therebetween for imposing strain in ice accumulated thereon. The deicer assembly is disposed directly on top of and bonded to the leading edge of an airfoil. The deicer has a plurality of large radius spanwise running inflatable members arranged substantially parallel to the leading edge and a plurality of small radius spanwise running inflatable members arranged substantially parallel to the leading edge and disposed chordwise aft of the large radius spanwise running inflatable members. The small radius inflatable members are covered with a low ice adhesion surface.

Airfoil low ice adhesion surface

A deicer comprises a skin heating device immediately subjacent an outer skin overlying an apex of a leading edge, and a skin deflection device immediately subjacent the outer skin chordwise aft of the apex. The skin heating device prevents the formation of ice over the apex and the skin deflection device deflects the outer skin to expulse ice formed chordwise aft of the apex. A controller controls the heating and deflection cycles to minimize power consumption of the deicer.

Hybrid deicer with element sequence

An ice detector includes a pair of electrodes connected by a pair of leads to a control unit which measures the total impedance between leads to thereby sense and detect the presence of ice and other contaminants formed on top thereof utilizing a comparator circuit. The electrodes are integrated into patch which can be placed at different locations on an aircraft.

Impedance type ice detector

A deicer comprises a skin heating means immediately subjacent an outer skin overlying an apex of a leading edge, and a skin deflection means immediately subjacent the outer skin chordwise aft of the apex. The skin heating means prevents the formation of ice over the apex and the skin deflection means deflects the outer skin to expulse ice formed chordwise aft of the apex.

Hybrid deicer

A rotary transformer for aircraft deicing apparatus, the transformer including a primary winding adjacent a laminated primary core, and a secondary winding adjacent a laminated secondary core; at least one of the cores being rotatable with respect to the other core.

Rotary transformer

A slip ring assembly having a slip ring holder made of a composite dielectric material reinforced by layers of fabric is molded with the slip rings positioned in the mold, or alternately, grooves are machined in the holder for receiving the slip rings. The holder has at least one flange for mounting the assembly on a rotating part such as a spinner bulkhead of an aircraft propeller assembly. Slip rings are adhered to the composite material of the holder as a result of molding, or use of an adhesive where the grooves are machined in the holder. The metallic wire connections fastened to the slip rings by welding also serve to hold the slip rings in the grooves of the holder. The wire connections may have pins for receiving mating receptacles. Openings in the ends of the metallic wire connections are suitable for crimping wire connectors to the deicers or deicer terminals.

Slip ring assembly and method of manufacture

A slip ring assembly having a slip ring holder made of a composite dielectric material reinforced by layers of fabric is molded in one case with the slip rings positioned in the mold and in a second case grooves are machined in the holder for receiving the slip rings. The holder has at least one annular flange for mounting the assembly on a rotating part such as a spinner bulkhead of an aircraft propeller assembly. Slip rings are adhered to the composite material of the holder as a result of molding or use of an adhesive where the grooves are machined in the holder. Metallic wire connections can be fastened to the slip rings by welding which also serve to hold the slip rings in the grooves of the holder. The wire connections may have pins for receiving mating receptacles. Openings in the ends of the metallic wire connections are suitable for crimping wire connectors to the de-icers or de-icer terminals.

A device (10) for isolating from vibrational and impulse loads a power transfer unit (14) that transfers power from a helicopter electrical system to a plurality of deicing segments on the rotor blades includes a distributor (13) rotating with the rotor blades for distributing power from the power transfer unit (14) to the deicing segments, a housing (11) having an upper cylinder (24) and lower cylinder (23) the latter of which is flexibly secured to the helicopter as by a joint including ball (40), housing 11 substantially isolating the power transfer unit (14) from such loads, and a shaft (12) rotatably engaging the upper cylinder (24) for carrying the distributor (13) in rotation with the rotor blades.

Growing community of inventors

Canal Fulton, OH, United States of America

David B Sweet