Shielded anti-icing system and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9950799-B2
Application number	US-201615064748-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2016
Priority date	Mar 9, 2016
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

An anti-icing system is provided for an inlet lip annularly extending about a nacelle of an aircraft engine assembly. The anti-icing system includes an interior wall structure at least partially forming an annular anti-icing chamber with the inlet lip and an annular shield with a first end coupled to the interior wall structure and a second end extending into the annular anti-icing chamber. The annular shield divides the annular anti-icing chamber into first and second chamber portions fluidly coupled together by a passage formed between the second end and the internal surface of the inlet lip. The anti-icing system further includes a nozzle at an inwardly radial position relative to the first end of the annular shield such that the heated air exits the nozzle into the first chamber portion in which the annular shield blocks direct impingement on the internal surface of the inlet lip.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An anti-icing system for an inlet lip annularly extending about a nacelle of an aircraft engine assembly, comprising:
an interior wall structure at least partially forming an annular anti-icing chamber with an internal surface of the inlet lip;
an annular shield with a first end coupled to the interior wall structure and a second end extending into the annular anti-icing chamber, the annular shield dividing the annular anti-icing chamber into a first chamber portion and a second chamber portion, the first and second chamber portions being fluidly coupled together by a passage formed between the second end and the internal surface of the inlet lip; and
a nozzle configured to be coupled to a source of heated air and extending through the interior wall at an inwardly radial position relative to the first end of the annular shield such that the heated air exits the nozzle into the first chamber portion in which the annular shield blocks direct impingement by the heated air on the internal surface of the inlet lip.

2. The anti-icing system of claim 1 , wherein the annular shield has an inner surface and an outer surface such that the first chamber portion is formed by the inner surface of the annular shield and the interior wall structure and the second chamber portion is formed by the outer surface of the annular shield and the internal surface of the inlet lip.

3. The anti-icing system of claim 1 , wherein the annular anti-icing chamber is a D-shaped chamber.

4. The anti-icing system of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle includes a plurality of nozzle openings, including at least a first nozzle opening oriented in a tangential direction.

5. The anti-icing system of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of nozzle openings includes a second nozzle opening that is oriented at an angle offset relative to the tangential direction.

6. The anti-icing system of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle includes a plurality of nozzle openings, including a first nozzle opening oriented at a first angle of less than 10° relative to a tangential direction, a second nozzle opening oriented at a second angle of between 10° and 30° relative to the tangential direction, and a third nozzle opening oriented at a third angle of greater than 30° relative to the tangential direction.

7. The anti-icing system of claim 1 , wherein the annular shield is C-shaped with the second end curving around an end of the nozzle to at least partially enclose the nozzle.

8. The anti-icing system of claim 1 , wherein the first chamber portion has a first cross-sectional area and the second chamber portion has a second cross-sectional area, the first cross-sectional area being approximately equal to the second cross-sectional area.

9. The anti-icing system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of exhaust holes formed about a circumference of the inlet lip.

10. The anti-icing system of claim 1 , wherein the interior wall structure and the annular shield are formed from a first material, different from a second material forming the inlet lip.

11. The anti-icing system of claim 1 , wherein the annular shield is arranged relative to the nozzle and the interior wall such that the heated air exiting the nozzle completes, on average, at least one revolution around the first chamber portion prior to flowing into the second chamber portion.

12. An engine assembly, comprising:
an engine;
a nacelle housing the engine and having a leading portion formed by an inlet lip; and
an anti-icing system configured to direct air from the engine to the inlet lip for anti-icing the inlet lip, the anti-icing system comprising
an interior wall structure at least partially forming an annular anti-icing chamber with an internal surface of the inlet lip;
an annular shield with a first end coupled to the interior wall structure and a second end extending into the annular anti-icing chamber, the annular shield dividing the annular anti-icing chamber into a first chamber portion and a second chamber portion, the first and second chamber portions being fluidly coupled together by a passage formed between the second end and the internal surface of the inlet lip; and
a nozzle configured to be coupled to a source of heated air and extending through the interior wall at an inwardly radial position relative to the first end of the annular shield such that the heated air exits the nozzle into the first chamber portion in which the annular shield blocks direct impingement by the heated air on the internal surface of the inlet lip.

13. The engine assembly of claim 12 , wherein the annular shield has an inner surface and an outer surface such that the first chamber portion is formed by the inner surface of the annular shield and the interior wall structure and the second chamber portion is formed by the outer surface of the annular shield and the internal surface of the inlet lip.

14. The engine assembly of claim 12 , wherein the annular anti-icing chamber is a D-shaped chamber.

15. The engine assembly of claim 12 , wherein the nozzle includes a plurality of nozzle openings, including a first nozzle opening oriented at a first angle of less than 10° relative to a tangential direction, a second nozzle opening oriented at a second angle of between 10° and 30° relative to the tangential direction, and a third nozzle opening oriented at a third angle of greater than 30° relative to the tangential direction.

16. The engine assembly of claim 11 , wherein the annular shield is C-shaped with the second end curving around an end of the nozzle to at least partially enclose the nozzle.

17. The engine assembly of claim 12 , wherein the first chamber portion has a first cross-sectional area and the second chamber portion has a second cross-sectional area, the first cross-sectional area being approximately equal to the second cross-sectional area.

18. The engine assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of exhaust holes formed about a circumference of the inlet lip.

19. The engine assembly of claim 12 , wherein the interior wall structure and the annular shield are formed from a first material, different from a second material forming the inlet lip.

20. The engine assembly of claim 12 , wherein the annular shield is arranged relative to the nozzle and the interior wall such that the heated air exiting the nozzle completes, on average, at least one revolution, on average, around the first chamber portion prior to flowing into the second chamber portion.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Anderson Morris
• Alstad Shawn

Classifications

• B64D15/04 Primary

  Hot gas application · CPC title

• F02C6/06

  providing compressed gas (F02C6/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B64D2033/0233

  comprising de-icing means · CPC title

• F02C7/047

  Heating to prevent icing · CPC title