Anti-ice pulsed jet hiller reactor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11214376-B2
Application number	US-201916399609-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2019
Priority date	Apr 30, 2019
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide an ice management system, including: a plurality of pulsejets located within an interior volume of an aircraft and configured to heat an aircraft surface, wherein each pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets comprises: an inlet; a combustor; a fuel source; and an exhaust nozzle; and a plurality of intake apertures in the aircraft, wherein each intake aperture of the plurality of intake apertures corresponds to an inlet of one pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ice management system, comprising:
a plurality of pulsejets located within an interior volume of an aircraft and configured to heat an aircraft surface, wherein:
the aircraft surface forms an outer portion of the interior volume;
the aircraft surface comprises a leading edge portion of one of an engine nacelle, a wing slat, a vertical stabilizer, or a horizontal stabilizer; and
each pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets comprises:
an inlet;
a combustor;
a fuel source; and
an exhaust nozzle; and

a plurality of intake apertures in the aircraft, wherein each intake aperture of the plurality of intake apertures corresponds to an inlet of one pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets.

2. The ice management system of claim 1 , wherein each pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets is located within a separate, respective interior volume of the aircraft.

3. The ice management system of claim 1 , further comprising: a plurality of exhaust apertures in the aircraft, wherein each exhaust aperture of the plurality of exhaust apertures is configured to expel heated gas from the interior volume.

4. The ice management system of claim 3 , wherein each exhaust aperture of the plurality of exhaust apertures in the aircraft is configured to expel heated gas from one pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets.

5. The ice management system of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft surface is a leading edge portion of an engine nacelle.

6. The ice management system of claim 5 , wherein each pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets is in a circumferential orientation within the interior volume.

7. The ice management system of claim 5 , wherein each pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets is in a radial orientation within the interior volume.

8. The ice management system of claim 7 , wherein a shape of each pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets is configured to support at least a portion of an inner surface of the interior volume and at least a portion of an inner surface of the aircraft surface.

9. The ice management system of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft surface is a leading edge portion of a wing slat.

10. The ice management system of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft surface is a leading edge portion of a vertical stabilizer.

11. The ice management system of claim 10 , further comprising: a fuel tank located within the vertical stabilizer and connected to the plurality of pulsejets.

12. The ice management system of claim 11 , further comprising: an exhaust pipe connected to the interior volume.

13. The ice management system of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft surface is a leading edge portion of a horizontal stabilizer.

14. The ice management system of claim 13 , further comprising: a fuel tank located within the horizontal stabilizer and connected to the plurality of pulsejets.

15. The ice management system of claim 14 , further comprising: an exhaust pipe connected to the interior volume.

16. The ice management system of claim 1 , wherein:
each pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets further comprises a cross-flow ignition port, and
at least one pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets comprises an ignitor.

17. The ice management system of claim 1 , wherein each pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets is a valveless pulsejet.

18. The ice management system of claim 1 , further comprising: an ice management system controller configured to:
control fuel flow to the plurality of pulsejets; and
control an ignitor associated with at least one pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets.

19. A method, comprising:
activating a plurality of pulsejets, wherein:
each pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets is located within an interior volume of an aircraft and configured to heat an aircraft surface, wherein:
the aircraft surface forms an outer portion of the interior volume;
the aircraft surface comprises a leading edge portion of one of an engine nacelle, a wing slat, a vertical stabilizer, or a horizontal stabilizer;

each pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets comprises:
an inlet;
a combustor;
a fuel source; and
an exhaust nozzle; and

a plurality of intake apertures are located in the aircraft, wherein each intake aperture of the plurality of intake apertures corresponds to an inlet of one pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets; and

receiving data from a sensor regarding operation of one or more of the plurality of pulsejets.

20. An ice management control system, comprising:
a memory comprising computer-executable instructions;
a sensor;
a processor in data communication with the sensor and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions and cause the ice management control system to:
activate a plurality of pulsejets, wherein:
each pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets is located within an interior volume of an aircraft and configured to heat an aircraft surface, wherein:
the aircraft surface forms an outer portion of the interior volume;
the aircraft surface is a leading edge portion of one of an engine nacelle, a wing slat, a vertical stabilizer, or a horizontal stabilizer;

each pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets comprises:
an inlet;
a combustor;
a fuel source; and
an exhaust nozzle; and

a plurality of intake apertures are located in the aircraft, wherein each intake aperture of the plurality of intake apertures corresponds to an inlet of one pulsejet of the plurality of pulsejets; and

receive data from the sensor regarding operation of one or more of the plurality of pulsejets.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Kutzmann Aaron J
• Kamerow William Noll
• Chapel Steven Edmon
• Ouellette Richard Phillip
• Grip Robert Erik

Classifications

• B64C5/02

  Tailplanes · CPC title

• B64D29/00

  Power-plant nacelles, fairings or cowlings · CPC title

• B64D15/04 Primary

  Hot gas application · CPC title

• B64D15/22

  Automatic initiation by icing detector · CPC title