Ice-breaking system for an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11117671-B2
Application number	US-201816169871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2018
Priority date	Oct 25, 2017
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

An ice-breaking system for an aircraft, comprising a pneumatic ice-breaking device, an air inlet adapted to receive air from the environment outside the aircraft and an air outlet adapted to discharge air into the outside environment, and a motorized valve having an air loading port connected to the air inlet and an air discharge port connected to the air outlet, the valve being configured to supply air to the pneumatic ice-breaking device in a pulsating way. When the aircraft is in motion, the kinetic energy of the air at the air inlet and originating from the relative motion between the air and the aircraft is converted into air pressure at the pneumatic ice-breaking device, and the air outlet is positioned so that when the aircraft is in motion the air pressure at the air outlet is lower than the outside ambient pressure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating an ice-breaking system in an aircraft in motion, the ice-breaking system comprising
a pneumatic ice-breaking device;
an air inlet and an air outlet; and
a motorized valve having an air loading port connected to the air inlet and an air discharge port connected to the air outlet, said valve being configured to supply air to the pneumatic ice-breaking device in a pulsating way;
wherein the method comprises
receiving air from the environment outside the aircraft, through the air inlet, and
discharging air into the outside environment, through the air outlet,
wherein the method by further comprises
converting the kinetic energy of the air at the air inlet, originating from the relative motion between the air and the aircraft, into air pressure at the pneumatic ice-breaking device, without consuming pneumatic energy generated or stored inside the aircraft,
wherein the air outlet is positioned so that the air pressure at the air outlet is lower than an outside ambient pressure.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the valve comprises a stator and a motorized valve member rotatably mounted inside the stator,
wherein the stator has an air loading port and an air discharge port, as well as a pressurization port and a depressurization port, fluidically connected to the pneumatic ice-breaking device,
wherein the valve member has a first and a second passage formed transversely therethrough, whereby in operation the valve member is able to cyclically rotate between a pressurization position, in which the air loading port is fluidically connected to the pressurization port through the first passage while the depressurization port is disconnected from the air discharge port, and a depressurization position in which the depressurization port is fluidically connected to the air discharge port through the second passage while the air loading port is disconnected from the pressurization port.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the air loading port, the pressurization port and the first passage are arranged at a first level with respect to a rotation axis of the valve member, and the air discharge port, the depressurization port and the second passage are arranged at a second level with respect to the rotation axis of the valve member, different from the first level.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the first passage and the second passage are rectilinear and extend orthogonally to the rotation axis of the valve member, angularly staggered with each other.

5. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising a suction pump arranged at the air discharge port.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the suction pump is a Venturi-effect pump, said pump being driven with air from the air loading port.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein in the stator a duct is provided, formed between the air loading port and the air discharge port, said duct being provided for feeding air from the air loading port to the Venturi-effect pump.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic ice-breaking device is an ice-breaking device with pulsating membrane.

Assignees

• Leonardo Spa

Inventors

• Moscatelli Antonio

Classifications

• B64D15/166 Primary

  using pneumatic boots · CPC title

• F16K11/0743

  with both the supply and the discharge passages being on one side of the closure plates · CPC title

• B64D15/16 Primary

  by mechanical means, e.g. pulsating mats or shoes attached to, or built into, surface · CPC title

• F16K11/0856

  having all the connecting conduits situated in more than one plane perpendicular to the axis of the plug · CPC title