The B. F. Goodrich Company

Steven C Simshauser

Norbert A Weisend, Jr

Lowell J Adams

Nathan Pisarski

William A Beard

Thomas E Wohlwender

A de-icer module especially adapted for installment on the inner surface of an airfoil is provided. The structural member has an outer surface upon which ice accumulates. The de-icer module comprises a support sheet delimited by a support area, a single pancake shaped separation means for developing a transient electro-mechanical separation force between the support sheet and the structural member distributed over the support area, the separation means being adjacent the support sheet, attachment means for connecting the support sheet to the inner surface of the structural member with the support sheet in close proximity to the inner surface of the structural member and the separation means sandwiched between the support sheet and the structural member. The invention provides a simplified mounting arrangement.

De-icer adapted for installment on the inner surface of a structural

A planar coil construction, especially adapted for use in a force-producing device such as a de-icer, includes first and second sheet-like members, each defined by a continuous electrical conductor having a plurality of turns and first and second ends. The first end of the first conductor defines an electrical input to the coil, while the second end of the second conductor defines an electrical output from the coil. The second end of the first conductor and the first end of the second conductor are electrically connected. The sheet-like members are superimposed such that current flow through adjacent turns of the conductors is in the same direction. Within each sheet-like member, adjacent conductors also have current flow in the same direction. The invention includes a technique for spacing the conductors by means of a dielectric layer, and a technique for encapsulating the sheet-like members. Alternative embodiments are provided wherein different relationships among the sheet-like members are possible as they might be used for force-producing elements in a de-icer.

Planar coil construction

Method of manufacturing a planar coil construction

An electroexpulsive separation apparatus suitable for deicing of the leading edges of aircraft includes a pair of sheet-like arrays each containing in spaced-apart relationship a plurality of parallel ribbon-shaped electrically conductive members. The electrically conductive members are electrically interconnected such that any electrical current flowing in the conductive members flows in the same direction in adjacent electrically conductive members in the first sheet like member and also flows in adjacent electrically conductive members of the second sheet-like array in a direction opposite. The first and second sheet-like arrays are coextensive and superposed proximate to each other such that the electrically conductive members of the first and second sheet-like members are substantially parallel. The electrically conductive members are electrically insulated from one another. Large current pulses of predetermined magnitude, shape and duration are fed to the conductors from a power storage unit resulting in rapid and forceful separation of the first and second sheet-like arrays and other members associated therewith. The separation force for a given conductor, physical arrangement and current pulse is much greater than that of prior known devices.

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Akron, OH, United States of America

Steven C Simshauser