Airfoil Air Temperature Sensor Anti-Icing Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Turbine engine total air temperature sensors face challenges in adverse conditions such as high Mach numbers and icing, which can affect reading accuracy and sensor durability due to exposure to water and debris.
Innovation Solution
An air temperature sensor design featuring a housing with an airfoil cross-section and fluid passageways to receive and disperse hot bleed air, providing heating to the sensor and reducing ice buildup, while protecting the temperature sensor from adverse conditions through additive manufacturing for optimized channel placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the temperature sensor is exposed to measure total air temperature in adverse conditions, then measurement capability is achieved, but ice buildup and reading accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor housing is divided into functional zones with separate heating elements positioned at specific locations (leading edge, sides, bottom) to address ice accumulation on different surfaces independently, allowing targeted anti-icing without interfering with the temperature measurement zone
Solution Approach 2:
Heating elements are activated before ice accumulation occurs to prevent icing conditions from developing on the sensor housing and temperature sensor, maintaining measurement accuracy by keeping surfaces ice-free through proactive thermal management
2Reliability
If heating elements are added to prevent ice buildup, then anti-icing capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple heating elements are integrated into a single housing structure with shared electrical connections and control circuitry, combining several anti-icing functions into one unified component assembly that prevents ice buildup across the entire sensor surface
Solution Approach 2:
The housing serves multiple functions: it protects the temperature sensor, provides aerodynamic shaping, incorporates heating elements for anti-icing, and directs airflow over the sensor surface, eliminating the need for separate components for each function
3Shape
If conventional manufacturing methods are used for sensor housing, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but optimized channel placement and aerodynamic shape are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process transitions from conventional subtractive or assembly-based methods to additive manufacturing, fundamentally changing how complex three-dimensional geometries with internal channels are created, enabling airfoil cross-sections and optimized fluid passages that would be difficult or impossible to achieve otherwise
Solution Approach 2:
Additive manufacturing enables the creation of complex internal channel networks and airfoil geometries in three dimensions that cannot be achieved with traditional two-dimensional drafting and subtractive manufacturing, allowing optimized airflow paths and heating element placement throughout the housing volume
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
The solution effectively prevents ice buildup and maintains sensor accuracy by pneumatically supplying heated air to critical areas, enhancing sensor durability and location flexibility within turbine engines.
Implementation Method 1
a set of fluid passageways defined within the interior and having an inlet and a set of outlets located within the housing and where the set of fluid passageways are configured to receive hot bleed air via the inlet and disperse the hot bleed air to the set of outlets to heat at least a portion of the airfoil portion
Implementation Method 2
an air temperature sensor design featuring a housing with an airfoil cross-section and fluid passageways to receive and disperse hot bleed air, providing heating to the sensor and reducing ice buildup
Data Source
AI summary
A total air temperature sensor can include an airfoil portion. The airfoil portion can an inlet and an outlet through which a diverted airflow path can flow. The total air temperature sensor can include a temperature sensor located within a housing defining the total air temperature sensor and a sheath surrounding the temperature sensor. The temperature sensor can be configured to take a total temperature of the diverted airflow path.