A method for optimizing production of an aircraft deicing zoned electric heating film

Abstract

The application discloses an aircraft deicing and anti-icing subarea electric heating film optimization production method and relates to the technical field of aircraft deicing and anti-icing. The method comprises the following steps: preparing a standardized electric heating film, simulating and calculating the surface flow field characteristics and the water drop collection coefficient distribution of a wing model by using simulation software, obtaining the chordal width of the aircraft deicing and anti-icing area and the target power density of each subarea, cutting the standardized electric heating film according to the chordal width, using a laser resistance adjusting device to adjust the resistance of each independent heating unit corresponding to each subarea by laser so that the resistance of each subarea reaches the target resistance value, and repairing the windowed part by using UV curing glue after the resistance adjustment is completed, thereby obtaining the optimized electric heating film. While realizing the deicing and anti-icing functions, the method can improve the production efficiency, reduce the heating energy consumption and reduce the harm caused by uneven heating to the fuselage material and the coating.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aircraft anti-icing and de-icing technology, specifically to an optimized production method for aircraft anti-icing and de-icing zoned electric heating film. Background Technology

[0002] In the aviation field, icing on aircraft surfaces, such as the leading edges of wings, tail fins, and engine air intakes, is one of the main risks threatening flight safety. When an aircraft flies through clouds containing supercooled water droplets, these droplets can instantly freeze upon impact with the aircraft's surface. The resulting ice layer severely disrupts the aircraft's aerodynamic shape, leading to reduced lift, increased drag, deteriorated handling, and potentially even catastrophic consequences such as stall.

[0003] Electrothermal anti-icing systems are an important technology used on aircraft to prevent and remove icing from critical surfaces. The basic principle involves placing electrothermal elements (usually resistance films or wires) under or inside the aircraft skin (such as the wing leading edge, engine lips, and windshield). By passing an electric current through these elements, Joule heating is generated, heating the skin to prevent ice buildup or to melt and remove existing ice. Traditional electrothermal anti-icing systems suffer from drawbacks such as high power consumption and uneven heat distribution.

[0004] To address the above issues, existing solutions divide the electrothermal film into zones, each with different power and resistance. This reduces power consumption and makes the heat more uniform. However, the drawback is that each zone needs to be customized for different aircraft. Smaller zones result in more uniform heat distribution but also increase the number of zones, making wiring more complex and requiring more monitoring points. Conversely, larger zones result in uneven heat distribution. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of the aforementioned background technology regarding zoning electrothermal anti-icing and de-icing, this invention provides an optimized production method for zoning electrothermal films for aircraft anti-icing and de-icing. This method, used for zoning design of aircraft anti-icing and de-icing electrothermal films, improves production efficiency, reduces heating energy consumption, and minimizes the damage caused by uneven heating to fuselage materials and coatings while achieving anti-icing and de-icing functions.

[0006] The first objective of this invention is to provide an optimized production method for aircraft anti-icing and de-icing zoned electric heating films, comprising the following steps: A standardized electrothermal film is prepared, comprising multiple independent heating units arranged side by side, with adjacent independent heating units insulated from each other; each independent heating unit is a heating unit with uniform power density; each independent heating unit is connected in parallel through bus electrodes on both sides; wherein, one independent heating unit corresponds to one partition, and a window is pre-opened on one side of each partition, exposing the resistive material of the corresponding heating unit at the window; Simulation software was used to simulate and calculate the surface flow field characteristics and water droplet collection coefficient distribution of the wing model, and to obtain the chord width of the aircraft's anti-icing and de-icing area, as well as the target power density of each zone. The standardized electric heating film is cut according to its chordal width; For each section on the cut electrothermal film, the target resistance value corresponding to each section is obtained according to the corresponding target power density, the effective heating area of ​​the section, and the preset power supply voltage. After the electric heating film is cut, it is placed at the window of each zone. Using a laser trimming device, the resistance of the independent heating unit corresponding to each zone is laser trimmed so that the resistance of each zone reaches the target resistance value. After the resistance is adjusted, the windowed part is repaired with UV-cured adhesive to obtain the optimized electric heating film.

[0007] In one embodiment, the standardized electric heating film has a width of 500 mm, and within this width, it is divided into multiple independent heating units at 10 mm intervals.

[0008] In one embodiment, each independent heating unit has its current input and output terminals connected to the wide bus electrodes laid on the leftmost and rightmost sides of the heating film, respectively.

[0009] In one embodiment, when a window is pre-opened on one side of each partition, a square window with a size of 2mm×2mm is pre-opened on the protective layer of each partition near the boundary of the left bus electrode by means of laser etching or precision die stamping.

[0010] In one embodiment, the power density of each partition is determined by dividing the whole machine power density obtained from the simulation into 10mm widths, and taking the maximum value of the calculated result for that region.

[0011] In one embodiment, the simulation software is fluid dynamics software, and the simulation conditions are flight conditions under icing weather conditions.

[0012] In one embodiment, the standardized electrothermal film consists of two polyimide films and a resistance wire between the two polyimide films; the layers are bonded together with UV adhesive. The resistance wire is made of brass with a resistivity of 0.01777 Ω·mm² / m.

[0013] In one embodiment, laser trimming is performed directly on the resistance wire.

[0014] In one embodiment, the anti-icing chord width refers to the chord width of the overall heating film obtained through simulation.

[0015] The second objective of this invention is to provide an aircraft anti-icing and de-icing zoned electric heating film.

[0016] Compared with existing technologies, this invention provides an optimized production method for aircraft anti-icing and de-icing zoned electric heating films, which has the following main advantages: 1) Reduce the design cost of the electrothermal film. The general design of aircraft electrothermal film is to customize the electrothermal film according to the calculation results. This invention can reduce the design steps of the electrothermal film. 2) Reduce uneven heat distribution. Common anti-icing electric heating films usually have 5 zones, and the zone size is generally large, which will cause uneven heating within the zone. The partition width of this invention is 10mm, which reduces the uneven heating caused by the excessively large partition. 3) Reduce the number of temperature sensors, since the resistance change trend is relatively close, a single temperature sensor can be used for detection. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the standard conversion heating film provided by the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is an optimized production process diagram of the aircraft anti-icing and de-icing zoned electric heating film provided by the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a heating scheme in the prior art.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the power requirements of existing technology solutions.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the power requirements of the solution proposed in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the technical solutions of the present invention, the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments described are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0024] The purpose of this invention is to provide an optimized production method for aircraft anti-icing and de-icing zoned electric heating film. The main solution is to divide the electric heating film into zones, with each zone having different power and resistance. This can reduce power consumption and make the heat more uniform. However, the disadvantage is that it needs to be customized for different aircraft. Smaller zones result in more uniform heat but also increase the number of zones, making the wiring more complex and increasing the number of monitoring points. Conversely, larger zones result in uneven heat distribution.

[0025] To achieve the above objectives, an optimized production method for aircraft anti-icing and de-icing zoned electric heating films includes the following steps: S1. Prepare a standardized electrothermal film, which includes multiple independent heating units arranged side by side, and adjacent independent heating units are insulated from each other; each independent heating unit is a heating unit with uniform power density; each independent heating unit is connected in parallel through bus electrodes on both sides; wherein, one independent heating unit corresponds to one partition, and a window is pre-opened on one side of each partition, at which the resistive material of the corresponding heating unit is exposed; The standard electric heating film is 500mm wide, and within this width, it is divided into multiple independent heating units with a spacing of 10mm.

[0026] The standardized electric heating film consists of two layers of polyimide film and a resistance wire between them; each layer is bonded together with UV adhesive; the resistance wire is brass with a resistivity of 0.01777 Ω·mm² / m. In other words, this standardized electric heating film comprises three layers stacked sequentially: a polyimide film, a resistance wire, and another polyimide film, bonded together with UV adhesive, achieving insulation, waterproofing, and dustproofing.

[0027] See Figure 1 As shown, a standardized electrothermal film and a magnified view of a portion are displayed. 01 is the left electrode area, 02 is the resistance wire, 03 is the top film window area, and 04 is the right electrode area.

[0028] Each independent heating unit has its current input and output terminals connected to wide bus electrodes laid on the leftmost and rightmost sides of the heating film, respectively. The electrodes serve as metal carriers to provide voltage and current to the heating film and are not distinguished by positive or negative polarity.

[0029] When a window is pre-opened on one side of each partition, a square window with a size of 2mm×2mm is pre-opened on the protective layer of each partition on the inner side of the boundary near the left bus electrode by means of laser etching or precision die stamping.

[0030] S2. Use simulation software to simulate and calculate the surface flow field characteristics and water droplet collection coefficient distribution of the wing model, and obtain the chord width of the aircraft's anti-icing area and the target power density of each zone. The simulation software used is fluid dynamics software, and the simulation conditions are flight conditions under icing weather conditions.

[0031] The power density of each zone is determined by dividing the whole system power density results obtained from the simulation into 10mm widths, and taking the maximum value of the calculated result for that area.

[0032] The anti-icing chord width refers to the chord width of the overall heating film obtained through simulation.

[0033] S3. Cut the standardized electric heating film according to the chord width; For each section on the cut electrothermal film, the target resistance value corresponding to each section is obtained according to the corresponding target power density, the effective heating area of ​​the section, and the preset power supply voltage. After the electric heating film is cut, it is placed at the window of each zone. Using a laser trimming device, the resistance of the independent heating unit corresponding to each zone is laser trimmed so that the resistance of each zone reaches the target resistance value. Laser trimming involves trimming the resistance wire directly.

[0034] S4. After the resistance adjustment is completed, repair the windowed part with UV curing adhesive to obtain the optimized electric heating film.

[0035] A second aspect of the present invention provides an aircraft anti-icing and de-icing zoned electric heating film.

[0036] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the experimental methods used in this invention are all conventional methods; and the reagents and materials used, unless otherwise specified, are all commercially available.

[0037] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. This embodiment aims to provide an optimized production method for partitioned electrothermal films that can be mass-produced and have precisely controllable performance, and is particularly suitable for anti-icing and de-icing systems such as aircraft wings that have strict requirements for heat distribution.

[0038] See Figure 2 As shown, an optimized production method for aircraft anti-icing and de-icing zoned electric heating film includes the following steps: Step 1: In the structure fabrication stage, a pre-designed standardized multi-zone electrothermal film substrate is provided. The flexible substrate width of this electrothermal film is kept constant at 500 mm. Within this width, through a precise patterning process, it is divided into multiple parallel, electrically insulated independent heating units at 10 mm intervals. These heating units adopt a parallel circuit design, with their current input and output terminals connected to wide bus electrodes laid on the leftmost and rightmost sides of the electrothermal film, respectively. This dual-side parallel structure ensures the consistency and reliability of the power supply voltage for each zone unit.

[0039] Furthermore, on the inner side of the boundary of each independent partition unit near the left bus electrode, a square window measuring 2mm × 2mm is pre-formed on the polyimide insulating protective layer (top film) on its upper surface by laser etching or precision die stamping. This window directly exposes the underlying functional resistive material, providing the necessary process channel for subsequent laser trimming.

[0040] In this embodiment, the resistance wire used is brass with a resistivity of 0.01777 Ω·mm² / m.

[0041] Step Two: Conduct Preliminary Simulation Analysis and Design. For specific application scenarios, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software is used to simulate the flight state under icing weather conditions. Detailed flow field characteristics and water droplet impact characteristics of the wing surface are calculated, particularly obtaining a cloud map of the water droplet collection coefficient distribution across the entire surface. Based on this simulation data, the key areas requiring anti-icing and de-icing protection are comprehensively analyzed and precisely defined, along with their width in the chord direction (from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the wing). Simultaneously, based on thermal load requirements, the required zoned power density design values ​​for different locations within this protected area are calculated.

[0042] Step 3: Next, we proceed to the resistance fine-tuning and customization stage. The standardized electrothermal film substrate prepared in Step 1 is cut to the desired shape based on the chordal width of the anti-icing and de-icing area determined in Step 2. For each section on the cut electrothermal film, the target resistance value required for that section is calculated using Ohm's law, based on its corresponding target power density design value, the effective heating area of ​​that section, and the system's preset supply voltage. Subsequently, the laser trimming device is operated, allowing its laser beam to precisely pass through the square opening on the left side of the section described in Step 1, performing non-contact, point-by-point ablation and refining of the exposed resistivity. By monitoring the resistance changes of the section in real time, the laser path and energy are dynamically controlled until the actual resistance value of the section is precisely adjusted to the calculated target resistance value. This process ensures that the heating power of each independent section is completely matched with the design requirements, thereby guaranteeing the uniformity and accuracy of the temperature field across the entire heating surface.

[0043] For example, after production, each partition has a resistance of 1 ohm, which can be increased by 0-5 ohms through laser trimming. The trimming parameters are automatically generated by the equipment to ensure that the error is within -5%.

[0044] Step Four: Finally, after completing the resistance adjustment and functional verification of all zones, the protective layer is repaired. Using a UV-curable adhesive with excellent insulation, adhesion, and temperature resistance, it is precisely dotted or printed onto each laser-etched square window area, completely filling and covering it. Under UV light, the UV adhesive rapidly cures, forming a robust insulating protective film with performance comparable to the original polyimide protective layer. This step not only restores the complete insulation protection of the heating film but also ensures its long-term reliability and stability. This completes the optimized production process of the high-performance zoned heating film.

[0045] To further illustrate the performance of the optimized production method for aircraft anti-icing and de-icing zoned electric heating film provided by this invention, a comparative analysis is conducted with existing zoned heating schemes.

[0046] See Figure 3As shown, the existing partitioned heating scheme is illustrated. The existing scheme uses three partitions when designing the heating film: the leading edge, the upper wing surface, and the lower wing surface. The three partitions are independently powered and temperature measured, which requires more cables and a larger number of openings on the wing for the wiring.

[0047] It should be noted that the heating film used in the prior art is made of the same material as the standardized heating film prepared in this invention.

[0048] See Figure 4 As shown, the partitioned heating scheme of the present invention is illustrated. Because there are many partitions and many resistance changes, the temperature change is more uniform and the number of temperature sensors required is less. The present invention adopts a parallel mode, and the power supply line only needs a bundle of cables.

[0049] See Figure 5 As shown, a schematic diagram of the power requirements of the prior art is presented. There are a total of three zones. Compared with a single zone, the temperature zoning can reduce the phenomenon of excessive local temperature. However, excessive temperature and heat waste still occur at the upper and lower edges of the heating film.

[0050] See Figure 6 As shown, the partition power requirement diagram of the present invention is illustrated. Since there are many partitions with a thickness of 10mm, the resistance varies greatly, resulting in a more uniform temperature change. Compared with existing solutions, this greatly reduces the phenomenon of excessively high local temperature at the edges.

[0051] according to Figures 3-6 The prior art and the optimized method provided by the present invention will be used to manufacture a heating film with a length of 1m under the same working conditions. The power required by the prior art and the present invention is shown in Table 1 below.

[0052] Table 1 Power Required by Existing Technology and the Technology of the Invention (Table 1)

[0053] As shown in Table 1, the power consumption is reduced by 51.81W after using the technology of this invention, which is approximately a 13.1% reduction.

[0054] This invention describes preferred embodiments and their effects. However, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An optimized production method for aircraft anti-icing and de-icing zoned electric heating film, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: A standardized electrothermal film is prepared, comprising multiple independent heating units arranged side by side, with adjacent independent heating units insulated from each other; each independent heating unit is a heating unit with uniform power density; each independent heating unit is connected in parallel through bus electrodes on both sides; wherein, one independent heating unit corresponds to one partition, and a window is pre-opened on one side of each partition, exposing the resistive material of the corresponding heating unit at the window; Simulation software was used to simulate and calculate the surface flow field characteristics and water droplet collection coefficient distribution of the wing model, and to obtain the chord width of the aircraft's anti-icing and de-icing area, as well as the target power density of each zone. The standardized electric heating film is cut according to its chordal width; For each section on the cut electrothermal film, the target resistance value corresponding to each section is obtained according to the corresponding target power density, the effective heating area of ​​the section, and the preset power supply voltage. After the electric heating film is cut, it is placed at the window of each zone. Using a laser trimming device, the resistance of the independent heating unit corresponding to each zone is laser trimmed so that the resistance of each zone reaches the target resistance value. After the resistance is adjusted, the windowed part is repaired with UV-cured adhesive to obtain the optimized electric heating film. The standard electric heating film is 500mm wide, and within this width, it is divided into multiple independent heating units with a spacing of 10mm. Each independent heating unit has its current input and output terminals connected to the wide bus electrodes laid on the far left and far right of the heating film, respectively. When a window is pre-opened on one side of each partition, a square window with a size of 2mm×2mm is pre-opened on the protective layer of each partition on the inner side of the boundary near the left bus electrode by laser etching or precision die stamping. The power density of each zone is determined by dividing the whole system power density results obtained from the simulation into 10mm widths, and taking the maximum value of the calculated result for that area.

2. The optimized production method of the aircraft anti-icing and de-icing zoned electric heating film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The simulation software used is fluid dynamics software, and the simulation conditions are flight conditions under icing weather conditions.

3. The optimized production method of the aircraft anti-icing and de-icing zoned electric heating film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The standardized electric heating film consists of two polyimide films and a resistance wire between the two polyimide films; the layers are bonded together with UV adhesive. The resistance wire is made of brass with a resistivity of 0.01777 Ω·mm² / m.

4. The optimized production method of the aircraft anti-icing and de-icing zoned electric heating film according to claim 3, characterized in that, Laser trimming involves trimming the resistance wire directly.

5. The optimized production method of the aircraft anti-icing and de-icing zoned electric heating film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The anti-icing chord width refers to the chord width of the overall heating film obtained through simulation.

6. An aircraft anti-icing and de-icing zoned electric heating film prepared by the method of any one of claims 1 to 5.

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