Electric aircraft and anti-icing apparatus for electric aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11535385-B2
Application number	US-202016898958-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2020
Priority date	Aug 28, 2019
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

An electric aircraft includes a propeller, an electric motor, and a controller. The electric motor is configured to supply power to the propeller. The controller is configured to control the electric motor. The controller is disposed inside a leading-edge portion of a wing to cause heat to be transmitted to a skin of the wing. The heat is generated by the controller when the controller controls the electric motor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric aircraft comprising:
a propeller;
two or more electric motors configured to supply power to the propeller; and
two or more controllers configured to control the two or more electric motors, the two or more controllers being disposed inside a wing of the electric aircraft to cause heat to be transmitted to a skin of the wing,
wherein the wing includes:
a leading-edge portion including a leading edge of the wing and on a vicinity adjacent the leading edge; and
a trailing-edge side portion including a trailing edge of the wing and having a wing surface,

wherein the two or more controllers are directly or indirectly attached to an inner surface of the skin included in the leading-edge portion such that the skin included in the leading-edge portion is functioned as a heatsink of the two or more controllers for cooling of the two or more controllers, and
wherein the two or more controllers are disposed closer to the leading edge of the wing than a spar member, the spar member extending in a wing span direction inside the wing.

2. The electric aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein
the two or more controllers are disposed side by side in a wing span direction along the leading edge of the wing.

3. The electric aircraft according to claim 2 , wherein the two or more controllers attached to a portion, of the skin, that is on upper side of a chord line of the wing.

4. The electric aircraft according to claim 2 , wherein the two or more controllers are indirectly attached to the skin of the wing such that heat generated by one of the two or more controllers is conductible through a heat conductive member between the one of the two or more controllers and the skin included in the leading-edge portion.

5. The electric aircraft according to claim 2 , wherein the wing surface is coated with an anti-icing coating material.

6. The electric aircraft according to claim 2 , further comprising a fire wall sectioning inside of the leading-edge portion of the wing in a wing span direction, wherein a controller of the two or more controllers is contained in a compartment defined by the fire wall.

7. The electric aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the two or more controllers are attached to a portion, of the skin, that is on upper side of a chord line of the wing.

8. The electric aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein two or more controllers are indirectly attached to the skin of the wing such that heat generated by the two or more controllers is conductible through a heat conductive member between the two or more controllers and the skin included in the leading-edge portion.

9. The electric aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the wing surface is coated with an anti-icing coating material.

10. The electric aircraft according to claim 1 , further comprising a fire wall sectioning inside of the leading-edge portion of the wing in a wing span direction, wherein a controller of the two or more controllers is contained in a compartment defined by the fire wall.

11. The electric aircraft according to claim 10 , wherein at least a part of the compartment is coated with a fireproof coating material.

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Hirabayashi Daisuke
• Ogisu Toshimichi

Classifications

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title

• B64D27/24

  using steam or spring force (jet aircraft B64D27/16) · CPC title

• B64D2221/00

  Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft · CPC title

• B64D15/00 Primary

  De-icing or preventing icing on exterior surfaces of aircraft · CPC title

• B64D15/12 Primary

  by electric heating (heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas H05B3/84) · CPC title