Aircraft deicing device

Abstract

The invention discloses an aircraft deicing device, and the device comprises a vibration module which is used for converting the electric energy provided by an external power supply into mechanical vibration through an inverse piezoelectric effect; the vibration transmission module comprises a transmission end and an action end, the transmission end is in coupling connection with the driving end of the vibration module, and the action end is tightly attached to the surface of the aircraft structure to be deiced and used for transmitting mechanical vibration generated by the vibration module and acting on the surface of the aircraft structure to be deiced. The ice on the surface of the aircraft structure is removed. Efficient, low-energy-consumption and rapid deicing on the surface of the aircraft can be achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of aircraft de-icing technology, and specifically relates to an aircraft de-icing device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, aircraft de-icing methods mainly include three types: thermal de-icing, mechanical de-icing, and chemical de-icing. Thermal de-icing is the most commonly used traditional technology, with advantages of simplicity and reliability, but it can affect engine performance, has low thermal efficiency, and may damage wing composite materials. Chemical de-icing does not require electricity or engine bleed air, but is only suitable for ground-based de-icing. Mechanical de-icing methods, such as electrical pulse de-icing, electrical repulsion de-icing, airbag de-icing, and piezoelectric de-icing, especially piezoelectric de-icing, are receiving increasing attention due to their high efficiency, low energy consumption, lightweight design, and minimal impact on aerodynamics, and have become an important research direction in modern aircraft de-icing technology. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of this application is to provide an aircraft de-icing device. This application aims to generate shear stress at the interface between the ice layer and the structure that far exceeds the adhesion strength, thereby achieving efficient, low-energy consumption and rapid de-icing of the aircraft surface.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution: An aircraft de-icing device includes: a vibration module for converting electrical energy supplied by an external power source into mechanical vibration through the inverse piezoelectric effect; and a vibration transmission module, the vibration transmission module including a transmission end and an action end, wherein the transmission end is coupled to the drive end of the vibration module, and the action end is in close contact with the surface of the aircraft structure to be de-iced, for transmitting the mechanical vibration generated by the vibration module and acting on the surface of the aircraft structure to be de-iced, so as to remove the ice on the surface of the aircraft structure.

[0005] Optionally, the vibration module includes: a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic sheets stacked sequentially.

[0006] Optionally, an electrode layer is provided between each pair of adjacent piezoelectric ceramic sheets in the plurality of stacked piezoelectric ceramic sheets.

[0007] Optionally, two adjacent electrode layers may have the same polarity.

[0008] Optionally, the vibration transmission module uses a coupling aluminum plate, with one side of the coupling aluminum plate serving as the transmission end connected to the driving end of the vibration module, and the other side serving as the action end, which is in close contact with the surface of the aircraft structure to be de-iced.

[0009] Optionally, the piezoelectric ceramic sheet has a thickness of 40 μm and a surface area of ​​25 mm². 2 .

[0010] Optionally, the piezoelectric ceramic sheet is made of PZT material.

[0011] Optionally, the electrode layer may be made of copper electrodes.

[0012] Optionally, the thickness of the electrode layer is 10 μm.

[0013] Optionally, the two sides of the coupling aluminum plate are made of tetrahedral mesh.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows: The de-icing device provided in this application, by adopting a multi-layer stacked piezoelectric ceramic structure with parallel electrodes, achieves the coordinated output of macroscopic displacement and high thrust under low driving voltage. Combined with the coupling aluminum plate, it efficiently transmits high-frequency vibration to the surface of the aircraft structure, which can generate alternating shear stress at the interface between the ice layer and the structure that far exceeds the adhesion strength of the ice layer. This enables efficient, rapid, and low-energy-consumption de-icing of the ice layer, thereby improving the de-icing efficiency and reliability of the aircraft surface. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an aircraft de-icing device according to one embodiment of this application; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the piezoelectric stacked actuator in the de-icing device. Figure 3 This is another embodiment of the present application, showing the model structure vibration mode after applying a driving voltage through ANSYS simulation; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the shear stress generated by the coupling surface structure provided in another embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Specific embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While specific embodiments of this application are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this application can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of this application and to fully convey the scope of this application to those skilled in the art.

[0017] It should be noted that certain terms are used in the specification and claims to refer to specific components. Those skilled in the art will understand that different terms may be used to refer to the same component. This specification and claims do not distinguish components based on differences in terminology, but rather on differences in function. The terms "comprising" or "including" used throughout the specification and claims are open-ended and should be interpreted as "comprising but not limited to." The following descriptions in the specification are preferred embodiments for carrying out this application; however, these descriptions are for the purpose of understanding the general principles of the specification and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. The scope of protection of this application shall be determined by the appended claims.

[0018] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the following will provide further explanation and description with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, and the accompanying drawings do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of this application.

[0019] In one exemplary embodiment, this application provides an aircraft de-icing device, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the device includes a vibration module 2 and a vibration transmission module 1. The vibration module converts electrical energy supplied by an external power source into mechanical vibration through the inverse piezoelectric effect. The vibration transmission module includes a transmission end and an action end. The transmission end is coupled to the drive end of the vibration module, and the action end is in close contact with the surface of the aircraft structure to be de-iced. The action end is used to transmit the mechanical vibration generated by the vibration module and act on the surface of the aircraft structure to be de-iced, so as to remove the ice on the surface of the aircraft structure.

[0020] In this embodiment, the vibration module can generate mechanical vibration through, for example, voltage excitation. This mechanical vibration is effectively transmitted to the aircraft structure surface, which is in close contact with the vibration, via a vibration transmission module. When the mechanical vibration acts on the ice layer on the aircraft structure surface, shear stress is generated between the ice layer and the aircraft structure surface, gradually weakening the adhesion of the ice layer. As the stress accumulates, the adhesion between the ice layer and the aircraft surface is broken, causing the ice layer to detach, ultimately achieving the de-icing effect.

[0021] In another exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the vibration module 2 includes multiple piezoelectric ceramic sheets stacked sequentially.

[0022] In this embodiment, in terms of physical structure, multiple piezoelectric ceramic sheets are tightly stacked and solidified into a robust whole, forming a series mechanical link. When each piezoelectric ceramic sheet undergoes a longitudinal deformation at the micron or submicron level under the action of an electric field, these tiny displacements are transmitted layer by layer along the stacking direction and linearly accumulated. Finally, at the end of the vibration module, i.e., at the connection with the vibration transmission module, a macroscopic displacement sufficient to drive the external structure is output, thereby solving the fundamental problem of the small driving displacement of a single-layer piezoelectric ceramic.

[0023] In another exemplary embodiment, reference continues to be made to... Figure 2 In the plurality of stacked piezoelectric ceramic sheets, an electrode layer is provided between each two adjacent piezoelectric ceramic sheets.

[0024] In this embodiment, the electrode layers precisely arranged between each pair of adjacent piezoelectric ceramic sheets are connected in parallel, allowing a single driving voltage to be applied synchronously to each ceramic sheet. More importantly, a specific polarization process during manufacturing ensures that the polarization direction of all piezoelectric ceramic sheets is consistent with the direction of the applied electric field. This parallel electrical connection method offers two advantages: first, it allows the stacked piezoelectric ceramic sheets to operate at a lower driving voltage, requiring only the voltage needed to drive a single ceramic sheet, rather than hundreds of times that, greatly improving the electrical safety and compatibility of the system; second, it ensures that the deformation direction of all piezoelectric ceramic sheets is completely consistent, achieving "co-directional superposition," thereby achieving a large macroscopic displacement while outputting a powerful driving force.

[0025] The piezoelectric ceramic sheet stacking and electrode layer parallel connection method adopted in this application cleverly balances the output requirements of large displacement and high thrust, and successfully achieves low voltage drive. Ultimately, this enables the vibration module to efficiently and reliably meet the stringent requirements of the actuator performance in application scenarios such as aircraft de-icing.

[0026] In another exemplary embodiment, the polarities of two adjacent electrode layers are the same.

[0027] In this embodiment, the polarity of two adjacent electrode layers is set to be the same. This is to ensure that the direction of the electric field applied to each piezoelectric ceramic sheet is always consistent with its inherent polarization direction, thereby driving all ceramic layers to deform in the same direction along the axial direction. In addition, the key function of this design is to realize the mechanical displacement accumulation effect of the piezoelectric ceramic sheets—when multiple stacked piezoelectric ceramic sheets elongate or contract synchronously under the same electric field excitation, their microscopic deformations will be linearly superimposed into a macroscopic axial displacement output.

[0028] The above polarity configuration can bring the following technical effects: on the one hand, it enables the stacked piezoelectric ceramic sheets to work at a low voltage equivalent to the driving voltage of a single layer of ceramic, which greatly improves the safety and energy efficiency of the system. On the other hand, it can ensure the coordinated work of all piezoelectric ceramic sheets, maintaining high load-bearing capacity and thrust while outputting huge displacement, thereby meeting the comprehensive performance requirements of the de-icing device for low voltage, large displacement and high thrust.

[0029] Furthermore, it should be noted that if the polarities of two adjacent electrode layers are not the same, the direction of the electric field applied to both sides of the same piezoelectric ceramic sheet will conflict with the preset polarization direction of the ceramic sheet. This will cause some piezoelectric ceramic layers to undergo reverse deformation under the action of the electric field, thereby destroying the "simultaneous superposition" effect of deformation of all ceramic layers. The possible consequence is that the microscopic displacement that should have accumulated linearly will be significantly attenuated due to the mutual cancellation of positive and negative deformations, causing the vibration module to be unable to output a macroscopic displacement sufficient to drive the external structure, and the driving force will also decrease significantly. More seriously, this mismatch between the electric field and polarization direction will generate severe internal stress inside the piezoelectric ceramic, which will not only fail to achieve efficient energy conversion at low voltage, but may also cause mechanical damage or fatigue failure of the ceramic material, ultimately leading to the failure of the entire de-icing device.

[0030] In another exemplary embodiment, the vibration transmission module 1 uses a coupling aluminum plate, with one side of the coupling aluminum plate serving as the transmission end connected to the driving end of the vibration module, and the other side serving as the action end, which is in close contact with the surface of the aircraft structure to be de-iced.

[0031] In this embodiment, one side of the coupling aluminum plate serves as the transmission end, rigidly connected to the drive end of the vibration module for efficient reception of mechanical vibration energy. The other side serves as the action end, where the received vibration energy is fully diffused and transmitted to the surface of the aircraft structure to be de-iced through a large-area, tight fit. This design, through the excellent structural stiffness and vibration transmission characteristics of the aluminum plate, can transform the local high-frequency micro-amplitude vibrations generated by the stacked piezoelectric ceramic sheets into large-area coordinated vibrations on the aircraft structural surface. This continuously generates alternating shear stress at the interface between the ice layer and the structure, far exceeding the adhesion strength of the ice layer, ultimately achieving a highly efficient and low-energy-consumption active de-icing effect. At the same time, the lightweight properties of aluminum ensure that the entire system meets the stringent weight requirements of aircraft.

[0032] In another exemplary embodiment, the piezoelectric ceramic sheet has a thickness of 40 μm and a surface area of ​​25 mm². 2 .

[0033] In this embodiment, the thickness of the single-layer piezoelectric ceramic sheet is set to 40 μm, which is a key trade-off based on achieving optimal performance output under a limited driving voltage. This thickness can generate a sufficiently strong driving electric field within the normal safe voltage range. If the thickness is too large, the required driving voltage will increase sharply; if it is too thin, it will lead to increased processing difficulty, decreased mechanical strength, and insulation reliability issues. In addition, the surface area of ​​the single-layer piezoelectric ceramic sheet is determined to be 25 mm². 2 The optimal size is the balance point obtained after precise simulation and experimental verification. This size can provide sufficient actuation area to transmit effective driving force and ensure sufficient shear stress at the coupling interface with the vibration transmission module. It can also avoid excessively large area leading to low overall stack stiffness, reduced resonant frequency, and complicated local vibration modes. Thus, it achieves the optimal configuration between output force, structural stiffness, and vibration efficiency, and ultimately meets the comprehensive requirements of the de-icing device for low voltage drive, high energy density, and efficient vibration transmission.

[0034] In another exemplary embodiment, the piezoelectric ceramic sheet is made of PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate) material.

[0035] In this embodiment, PZT material is chosen as the preparation material for piezoelectric ceramics because it exhibits irreplaceable comprehensive performance advantages in de-icing applications. This material possesses extremely high piezoelectric constants and electromechanical coupling coefficients, ensuring greater output force and energy density under the same driving voltage, which is crucial for efficiently breaking ice adhesion. Simultaneously, PZT material has excellent Curie temperatures, allowing it to maintain stable piezoelectric performance even in frigid environments, perfectly adapting to the low-temperature conditions faced by aircraft. Furthermore, this material can achieve macroscopic displacement output under low-voltage drive through a layered structure, perfectly meeting the stringent requirements of aviation de-icing systems for "low energy consumption, high reliability, and rapid response." Ultimately, by inducing high-frequency micro-amplitude vibrations on the structural surface, alternating stress sufficient to overcome adhesion strength is generated at the ice-structure interface, thereby achieving efficient and active de-icing.

[0036] In another exemplary embodiment, the electrode layer is made of copper electrodes.

[0037] In this embodiment, compared to precious metal electrodes such as silver and platinum, copper maintains excellent conductivity while significantly reducing manufacturing costs, making it more suitable for large-scale application in de-icing systems. Compared to silver electrodes, copper has a lower electromigration effect, ensuring long-term reliability under high-frequency alternating electric field drive and avoiding short circuits or performance degradation caused by ion migration. Simultaneously, copper exhibits good sintering compatibility with PZT ceramic materials in the co-firing process, forming a strong interfacial bond that ensures efficient interlayer energy transfer without delamination. Furthermore, copper electrodes possess high mechanical strength and fatigue resistance, enabling them to withstand repeated stress impacts generated during high-frequency vibration de-icing of the piezoelectric stack, thereby comprehensively improving the service life and stability of the de-icing device in harsh aerospace environments.

[0038] In another exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the electrode layer is 10 μm.

[0039] In this embodiment, it has been verified that a thickness of 10 μm ensures that the electrode layer has sufficient cross-sectional area to maintain low resistance and reduce Joule heat loss, while maximally compressing the thickness of the non-functional mechanical inert layer, thereby effectively improving the overall energy density and driving efficiency of the stack. Its special function is that the 10 μm thick electrode can maintain stable electrical signal transmission while avoiding the damping effect of the additional stiffness introduced by an excessively thick electrode on the micro-deformation of the piezoelectric ceramic, ensuring the sensitivity of the high-frequency vibration response. It is important to emphasize that this setup is not standard practice in the industry—traditional piezoelectric stacks often use electrodes with a thickness of 20 μm to 50 μm to reduce process difficulty. This application compresses the electrode thickness to 10 μm, overcoming a series of technical barriers in the precise screen printing and co-firing processes, such as electrode continuity, resistance to sintering migration, and interlayer bonding strength. This allows the de-icing device to achieve higher vibration acceleration and more precise stress control capabilities under the same voltage.

[0040] In another exemplary embodiment, the two sides of the coupling aluminum plate are made of tetrahedral mesh.

[0041] In this embodiment, tetrahedral meshes simulate the physical behavior of a structure by discretizing a continuous geometry into a large number of interconnected tetrahedral elements. The use of tetrahedral meshes in the simulation of the coupled aluminum plate is primarily due to their excellent geometric adaptability to complex three-dimensional solid structures. They can precisely fit the curved surfaces and edge features of the aluminum plate in contact with the vibration module and ice layer, ensuring the realism of the vibration transmission path and stress distribution simulation. This mesh generation method, through high-quality discretization of the entire structure, enables the simulation to accurately capture the complex wave modes and transient stress responses generated inside the aluminum plate under high-frequency vibration. This allows for reliable calculation of whether the peak shear stress at the ice-aluminum interface exceeds the ice adhesion strength, ultimately providing crucial data for verifying the de-icing effect and effectively guiding the optimized design of the de-icing device.

[0042] Figure 3 This is another embodiment of the model structure vibration mode provided by ANSYS simulation after applying a driving voltage. As shown in the figure, after applying the driving voltage, the system is excited to the 229th mode, with a corresponding resonant frequency of 45,239 Hz. Under this high-frequency resonant state, the surface of the coupled aluminum plate exhibits a clear, orderly, and significantly amplituded wave pattern (i.e., "good vibration mode"), which proves that the vibration energy has been efficiently transferred and diffused from the piezoelectric stack actuator to the entire aluminum plate. It should be noted that among the many natural frequencies of the structure, not all frequencies can excite an effective de-icing vibration mode. This embodiment specifically chose this mode because the vibration mode it generates can produce a large local curvature change on the surface of the aluminum plate, thereby efficiently generating shear stress sufficient to destroy the adhesion of the ice layer at the interface between the ice layer and the aluminum plate, meeting the experimental requirements for efficient de-icing.

[0043] Figure 4 This is another embodiment of the application based on Figure 3 The diagram shows the distribution of shear stress in the coupled surface structure after harmonic response analysis of the indicated vibration mode. This diagram demonstrates that under excitation at the resonant frequencies (45,239 Hz), the maximum shear stress generated by the system is 215.1 MPa, while the maximum total deformation of the structure is 51.905 μm. Given that the adhesive shear stress between the ice layer and the material surface typically ranges from 0.14 MPa to 1.52 MPa, the maximum shear stress of 215.1 MPa obtained in this simulation far exceeds this upper limit by several orders of magnitude. This result provides strong mechanical evidence that the vibration excited by the de-icing device described in this application can generate extreme stress at the icing interface sufficient to destroy the adhesion of the ice layer, thus confirming that the de-icing device provided in this application can meet and far exceed the mechanical requirements for de-icing.

[0044] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of this application, and are intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of this application and implement it accordingly. They should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An aircraft de-icing device, characterized in that, The device includes: The vibration module is used to convert electrical energy supplied by an external power source into mechanical vibration through the inverse piezoelectric effect; A vibration transmission module includes a transmission end and an action end. The transmission end is coupled to the drive end of the vibration module, and the action end is in close contact with the surface of the aircraft structure to be de-iced. The vibration module is used to transmit the mechanical vibration generated by the vibration module and act on the surface of the aircraft structure to be de-iced in order to remove the ice from the surface of the aircraft structure.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vibration module includes: Multiple piezoelectric ceramic sheets stacked sequentially.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, An electrode layer is provided between each pair of adjacent piezoelectric ceramic sheets in the plurality of stacked piezoelectric ceramic sheets.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The two adjacent electrode layers have the same polarity.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vibration transmission module uses a coupling aluminum plate. One side of the coupling aluminum plate serves as the transmission end and the driving end of the vibration module, while the other side serves as the action end and is in close contact with the surface of the aircraft structure to be de-iced.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The piezoelectric ceramic sheet has a thickness of 40 μm and a surface area of ​​25 mm². 2 .

7. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The piezoelectric ceramic sheet is made of PZT material.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The electrode layer uses copper electrodes.

9. The apparatus according to claim 3 or 8, characterized in that, The electrode layer has a thickness of 10 μm.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The two sides of the coupling aluminum plate are made of tetrahedral mesh.

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