Additively Manufactured Heaters for Tailored Air Data Probe Heating

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing air data probes face challenges in effectively arranging and installing heaters due to manufacturing limitations, which affect heat distribution and require labor-intensive processes, making it difficult to tailor heat application to specific regions and necessitate complete replacement when repairs are needed.

Innovation Solution

Additively manufacturing heaters onto air data probes allows for variation in cross-sectional area, material, and parallel arrangement, enabling precise heat distribution, redundancy, and flexible installation, with the ability to trim and repair sections without replacing the entire heater.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If traditional manufacturing methods are used to install heaters in air data probes, then the heater installation process becomes labor-intensive and complex, but the manufacturing flexibility and ease of installation are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheater installation processVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The heater is integrated directly into the air data probe body through additive manufacturing, combining two previously separate components (heater and probe) into a single unified structure. This eliminates the need for separate installation processes and reduces labor requirements while maintaining manufacturing flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Traditional mechanical installation methods (braising, bonding, or mechanical attachment) are replaced with additive manufacturing technology. This substitution enables direct fabrication of the heater within the probe body, significantly simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

If heaters are arranged to provide uniform heat distribution, then heat application cannot be tailored to specific regions, but heat distribution efficiency is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat application tailoringVSAvoidheat distribution efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The additive manufacturing process enables different regions of the heater to have different properties (varying cross-sectional area, material composition, or heating element density). This allows heat application to be tailored to specific regions of the air data probe based on local thermal requirements, optimizing energy distribution efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of repair

If complete heater replacement is required for repairs, then repair costs and time increase, but repair flexibility is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheater repair processVSAvoidmaintenance time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The heater is designed as separable modules or layers that can be independently removed or replaced. The additive manufacturing structure allows the heater to be divided into discrete segments, enabling repair of only the damaged portion rather than requiring complete replacement of the entire heater assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Adaptability or versatility

If traditional heater materials and structures are used, then manufacturing flexibility is limited, but material selection and structural variation are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial variationVSAvoidmanufacturing flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The additive manufacturing process enables the use of composite materials and gradual material transitions within the heater structure. Different materials can be combined or layered during fabrication, providing enhanced manufacturing flexibility and the ability to optimize thermal and mechanical properties for specific applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach simplifies installation, enhances manufacturing flexibility, reduces costs, and enables efficient heat distribution tailored to specific probe regions, improving performance and reducing maintenance efforts.

Implementation Method 1

heaters are positioned within air data probes to ensure the air data probes function properly in liquid water, ice crystal, and mixed phase icing conditions

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating