Low-power ice protection system having zoned thermal elements integrated with zoned vibration elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025042556-A1
Application number	US-202418788756-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 30, 2024
Priority date	Aug 1, 2023
Publication date	Feb 6, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A target material removal (TMR) element is provided and includes a body region; thermal elements within the body region; and vibration elements within the body region. The TMR element is controlled to perform TMR operations that include one or more of the thermal elements generating heat that is transmitted through the body region to a target material in a manner that defines one or more zones of the target material. The TMR operations further include, subsequent to the one or more of the thermal elements beginning generating the heat that is transmitted through the body region to the target material, the one or more of the vibration elements generating vibrations that are transmitted through the body region to the one or more zones of the target material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A target material removal (TMR) element comprising:
a body region; thermal elements within the body region; and vibration elements within the body region; wherein the TMR element is controlled to perform TMR operations comprising:
one or more of the thermal elements generating heat that is transmitted through the body region to a target material in a manner that defines one or more zones of the target material; and
subsequent to the one or more of the thermal elements beginning generating the heat that is transmitted through the body region to the target material, one or more of the vibration elements generating vibrations that are transmitted through the body region to the one or more zones of the target material.

2 . The TMR element of claim 1 , wherein the body region comprises a matrix region.

3 . The TMR element of claim 1 , wherein:
the thermal elements comprise a first thermal element; the one or more zones of the target material comprise a first zone region of the target material; the first thermal element transmits at least a first portion of the heat through the body region in a manner that defines a perimeter of the first zone region; and the vibration elements comprise a first vibration element that transmits at least a first portion of the vibrations through the body region to some or all of the first zone region.

4 . The TMR element of claim 3 , wherein:
the thermal elements comprise a second thermal element; the one or more zones of the target material comprise a second zone region of the target material; the second thermal element transmits a second portion of the heat through the body region in a manner that defines a perimeter of the second zone region; and the vibration elements comprise a second vibration element that transmits a second portion of the vibrations through the body region to some or all of the second zone region.

5 . The TMR element of claim 3 , wherein:
the target material comprises a target frozen material; and the at least first portion of the heat is applied to the frozen material in the first zone region.

6 . The TMR element of claim 5 , wherein the at least first portion of the vibrations is sufficient to impart shearing stress to the first zone region.

7 . The TMR element of claim 4 , wherein:
the target material comprises a target frozen material; the at least first portion of the heat is applied to the target frozen material in the first zone region; the at least first portion of the vibrations is sufficient to impart shearing stress to the frozen material in the first zone region; the second portion of the heat is applied to the target frozen material in the second zone region; and the second portion of the vibrations is sufficient to impart shearing stress to the frozen material in the second zone region.

8 . An ice protection system (IPS) comprising:
a body region; thermal elements within the body region; vibration elements within the body region; and a sensor network within the body region; wherein the IPS is controlled to perform ice protection operations comprising:
the sensor network detecting a formation of a target frozen material to a predetermined first thickness;
based at least in part on the sensor network detecting the formation of the target frozen material to the predetermined first thickness, one or more of the thermal elements generating heat that is transmitted through the body region to the target frozen material in a manner that defines one or more zones of the target frozen material; and
subsequent to the one or more of the thermal elements beginning generating the heat that is transmitted through the body region to the target frozen material, one or more vibration elements generating vibrations that are transmitted through the body region to the one or more zones of the target frozen material.

9 . The IPS of claim 8 , wherein the body region comprises a matrix region.

10 . The IPS of claim 8 , wherein:
the thermal elements comprise a first thermal element; the one or more zones of the target frozen material comprise a first zone region of the target frozen material; and the first thermal element transmits at least a first portion of the heat through the body region in a manner that defines a perimeter of the first zone region.

11 . The IPS of claim 10 , wherein:
the vibration elements comprise a first vibration element that transmits at least a first portion of the vibrations through the body region to some or all of the first zone region; and the ice protection operations further comprise terminating operation of the first vibration element responsive to a determination that a first termination criterion has been satisfied.

12 . The IPS of claim 11 , wherein the determination that the first termination criterion has been satisfied comprises a determination that an activation duration of the first vibration element has ended.

13 . The IPS of claim 11 , wherein:
the thermal elements comprise a second thermal element; the one or more zones of the target frozen material comprise a second zone region of the target frozen material; the second thermal element transmits a second portion of the heat through the body region in a manner that defines a perimeter of the second zone region; the one or more vibration elements comprise a second vibration element; the second vibration element transmits a second portion of the vibrations through the body region to some or all of the second zone region; the ice protection operations further comprise terminating operation of the second vibration element responsive to a determination that a second termination criterion has been satisfied; and the determination that the second termination criterion has been satisfied comprises a determination that an activation duration of the second vibration element has ended.

14 . The IPS of claim 13 , wherein:
the at least first portion of the vibrations is sufficient to impart shearing stress to the first zone region; and the second portion of the vibrations is sufficient to impart shearing stress to the second zone region.

15 . A controller operable to perform controller operations that control a target material removal (TMR) element, the controller operations comprising:
sending control instruction to the TMR element to perform TMR operations; wherein the TMR element comprises a body region that includes thermal elements and vibration elements; wherein the TMR operations comprise:
one or more of the thermal elements generating heat that is transmitted through the body region to a target material in a manner that defines one or more zones of the target material; and
subsequent to the one or more of the thermal elements beginning generating the heat that is transmitted through the body region to the target material, the one or more of the vibration elements generating vibrations that are transmitted through the body region to the one or more zones of the target material.

16 . The controller of claim 15 , wherein the body region comprises a matrix region.

17 . The controller of claim 15 , wherein:
the thermal elements comprise a first thermal element; the one or more zones of the target material comprise a first zone region of the target material; the first thermal element transmits at least a first portion of the heat through the body region in a manner that defines a perimeter of the one or more first zone region; the vibration elements comprise a first vibration element; and the first vibration elemen

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Selvaraj Sugumaran
• Dattatri Shyam Kumar
• Hiremath Manjunath
• Patil Rhushikesh

Classifications

• B64D15/163

  using electro-impulsive devices · CPC title

• B64D15/14 Primary

  controlled cyclically along length of surface · CPC title

• B64D15/22

  Automatic initiation by icing detector · CPC title

• B64D15/16

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

• B64D15/12 Primary

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