High temperature smart susceptor heating blanket and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11284482-B2
Application number	US-201816123944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2018
Priority date	Sep 6, 2018
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

A heating blanket includes an interlaced heating layer having a fabric thread and a heat-generating thread interlaced with the fabric thread to form the interlaced heating layer. The heat-generating thread includes a conductor wire configured to generate a magnetic field in response to an electrical current applied to the conductor wire, and a susceptor wire formed of a susceptor material configured to inductively generate heat in response to the magnetic field of the conductor wire when a temperature of the susceptor wire is below a Curie point of the susceptor wire. Methods of forming the heating blanket and methods of heating a contoured surface using the heating blanket are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heating blanket, comprising:
an interlaced heating layer including:
a fabric thread; and
a heat-generating thread interlaced with the fabric thread to form the interlaced heating layer, the heat-generating thread comprising:
a conductor wire configured to generate a magnetic field in response to an electrical current applied to the conductor wire, the conductor wire comprising a plurality of conductor wire strands bundled in a Litz wire configuration;
a susceptor wire wrapped around the conductor wire in a spiral configuration and formed of a susceptor material configured to inductively generate heat in response to the magnetic field of the conductor wire when a temperature of the susceptor wire is below a Curie point of the susceptor wire, wherein the susceptor material comprises a high temperature susceptor material selected from the group consisting of an iron alloy, a cobalt alloy, and a nickel alloy; and

a sheath surrounding the plurality of conductor wire strands.

2. The heating blanket of claim 1 , in which the sheath comprises a ceramic filament.

3. The heating blanket of claim 1 , in which the sheath comprises a thermoplastic film.

4. The heating blanket of claim 1 , in which the fabric thread is formed of a high temperature fabric material selected from the group consisting of fiberglass, vermiculite fiberglass, and ceramic fiber.

5. The heating blanket of claim 1 , in which the Curie point of the susceptor material is 2000° F.

6. The heating blanket of claim 1 , in which the conductor wire comprises a plurality of conductor wire circuits connected in parallel.

7. The heating blanket of claim 1 , in which the conductor wire is arranged in a double-back configuration, so that the conductor wire includes a first segment, configured to carry current in a first direction, and a second segment positioned adjacent the first segment and configured to carry current in a second direction opposite the first direction.

8. The heating blanket of claim 1 , in which the Curie point of the susceptor material is at least 1000°.

9. A heating blanket, comprising:
an interlaced heating layer including:
a fabric thread; and
a heat-generating thread interlaced with the fabric thread to form the interlaced heating layer, the heat-generating thread comprising:
a conductor wire configured to generate a magnetic field in response to an electrical current applied to the conductor wire, the conductor wire comprising a plurality of conductor wire strands, wherein each conductor wire strand comprises a conductor wire metal core and a ceramic coating surrounding the conductor wire metal core; and
a susceptor wire formed of a susceptor material configured to inductively generate heat in response to the magnetic field of the conductor wire when a temperature of the susceptor wire is below a Curie point of the susceptor wire.

10. The heating blanket of claim 9 , in which the conductor wire metal core comprises pure nickel.

11. The heating blanket of claim 9 , in which the conductor wire metal core comprises nickel clad copper.

12. The heating blanket of claim 9 , in which:
the plurality of conductor wire strands are bundled in a Litz wire configuration; and
the susceptor wire is wrapped around the conductor wire in a spiral configuration.

13. The heating blanket of claim 9 , in which the Curie point of the susceptor material is at least 500° F.

14. The heating blanket of claim 9 , in which;
the susceptor material comprises a high temperature susceptor material selected from the group consisting of an iron alloy, a cobalt alloy, and a nickel alloy; and
the fabric thread is formed of a high temperature fabric material selected from the group consisting of fiberglass, vermiculite fiberglass, and ceramic fiber.

15. The heating blanket of claim 12 , further comprising a sheath surrounding the plurality of conductor wire strands.

16. The heating blanket of claim 15 , in which the sheath comprises a ceramic filament.

17. A heating blanket, comprising:
an interlaced heating layer including:
a fabric thread;
a heat-generating thread interlaced with the fabric thread to form the interlaced heating layer, the heat-generating thread comprising:
a conductor wire configured to generate a magnetic field in response to an electrical current applied to the conductor wire, the conductor wire comprising a plurality of conductor wire strands bundled in a Litz wire configuration, wherein each conductor wire strand of the plurality of conductor wire strands is formed of an electrically conductive material suitable for temperatures of at least 1000° F., and wherein each conductor wire strand of the plurality of conductor wire strands has a coating comprising a ceramic material; and
a susceptor wire formed of a susceptor material configured to inductively generate heat in response to the magnetic field of the conductor wire when a temperature of the susceptor wire is below a Curie point of the susceptor wire; and

a pair of outer layers sandwiching opposite sides of the interlaced heating layer, each outer layer being formed of an outer layer fabric material.

18. The heating blanket of claim 17 , in which the susceptor wire is wrapped around the conductor wire in a spiral configuration.

19. The heating blanket of claim 17 , in which the Curie point of the susceptor material is at least 500° F.

20. The heating blanket of claim 17 , in which;
the susceptor material comprises a high temperature susceptor material selected from the group consisting of an iron alloy, a cobalt alloy, and a nickel alloy; and
the fabric thread is formed of a high temperature fabric material selected from the group consisting of fiberglass, vermiculite fiberglass, and ceramic fiber.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Voss Bret A
• Matsen Marc R

Classifications

• H05B2206/024

  the resistive heat generated in the induction coil is conducted to the load · CPC title

• H05B2213/00

  Aspects relating both to resistive heating and to induction heating, covered by H05B3/00 and H05B6/00 · CPC title

• H05B3/36

  heating conductor embedded in insulating material · CPC title

• B05D3/007

  After-treatment · CPC title

• H05B6/105 Primary

  using a susceptor · CPC title