Anti-icing system for aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9764847-B2
Application number	US-201414156599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2014
Priority date	Oct 18, 2013
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A method and apparatus for heating a surface of an aircraft. A flow of air is received from a portion of an engine in a tube system. The air flowing through the tube system is heated. The air is sent to the surface of the aircraft. The flow of the air from the portion of the engine and the heating system to heat the surface of the aircraft are controlled. Icing conditions at the surface of the aircraft are reduced.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus that comprises:
a tube system connected to an engine and configured to receive air from a portion of the engine and direct the air to an anti-icing system of an aircraft; and
a heating system, located along the tube system, between the portion of the engine and a nozzle connected to the tube system, the nozzle configured to direct the air into the anti-icing system, such that the heating system comprises an electric heating element configured to heat the air as it approaches the nozzle and located along the tube system between a heat sensor and the nozzle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller configured to control a flow of the air from the portion of the engine and the heating system to heat a surface of the aircraft, such that icing conditions at the surface of the aircraft are reduced.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor system configured to generate information about the air.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the sensor system comprises a number of sensors configured to generate information about at least one of: a temperature of the air flowing through the tube system, and a pressure of the air flowing through the tube system.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the number of sensors comprises a number of temperature sensors that comprises at least one temperature sensor in a first location upstream of the heating system and at least one temperature sensor in a second location downstream of the heating system.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:
the number of temperature sensors configured to generate information about the temperature of the air in the first location and the second location; and
a controller configured to adjust the temperature of the air via the heating system.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tube system comprises:
a tube; and
a valve physically associated with the tube, wherein the valve is configured to be moved to control a flow of the air through the tube.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tube system extends within a skin of the aircraft and is configured to heat the skin of the aircraft.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heating system comprises a number of heating elements physically associated with at least one of: an inlet of the engine, a skin of the aircraft, and the tube system.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the air is at least one of heated air or pressurized air.

11. The apparatus of claim of claim 10 , further comprising the pressurized air being pressurized to 40 pounds per square inch.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tube system comprises a number of tubes connected to the engine and further comprising:
a number of valves physically associated with the number of tubes and configured to control a flow of the air through the number of tubes.

13. A method for electrically boosting a temperature of air used heating an anti-icing system of an aircraft, the method comprising:
receiving a flow of air from a portion of an engine in a tube system; and
heating via an electric heating element, the flow of air through the tube system, as the flow approaches a nozzle configured to direct the air to the anti-icing system.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
controlling the flow of the air from the portion of the engine and through the electric heating element and heating a surface of the aircraft, wherein icing conditions at a surface of the aircraft are reduced.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the tube system comprises a tube and a valve physically associated with the tube and wherein controlling the flow of the air from the portion of the engine and the electric heating element comprises:
moving the valve to control the flow of the air through the tube; and
adjusting, using the electric heating element, a temperature of the air approaching the nozzle.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein a sensor system comprises a number of temperature sensors and further comprising:
generating information about the temperature of the air using the sensor system, wherein at least one temperature sensor is located in a first location upstream of the electric heating element and at least one temperature sensor is located in a second location downstream of the electric heating element.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the tube system comprises a number of tubes physically associated with a number of valves and receiving the flow of the air from the portion of the engine comprises:
receiving the air from the number of tubes connected to the engine, wherein the number of valves is configured to control the flow of the air through the number of tubes.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the air is at least one of heated air or pressurized air.

19. An anti-icing system for an aircraft, such that the anti-icing system comprises:
a tube system connected to an engine and configured to receive air from a portion of the engine and send a flow of the air to an inlet of the engine;
a heating system located, between a heat sensor and a nozzle, along the tube system, the nozzle configured to direct the flow of the air toward the inlet of the engine, such that the heat system comprises an electric element configured to heat the air as it passes through the heating system;
a valve physically associated with a tube and configured to be moved to control the flow of the air through the tube system;
a sensor system configured to generate information about at least one of: a pressure, and a temperature; and
a controller configured to control a temperature of the air at the nozzle via a control of the flow of the air from the portion of the engine and through the heating system to an anti-icing system of the aircraft, such that icing conditions at a surface of the aircraft are reduced.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Wright Robert Steven

Classifications

• B64D13/08 Primary

  the air being heated or cooled · CPC title

• B64D15/04 Primary

  Hot gas application · CPC title

• B64D33/02

  of combustion air intakes · CPC title

• B64D2033/0233

  comprising de-icing means · CPC title