Electrical Bus Bar Positioning for Aircraft Ice Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice protection systems for aircraft blades and wings face reliability issues due to high strain environments, particularly around the midspan at the aft edges, where electrical bus solutions like braided wire require soldering, which is prone to electrical failures in dynamic conditions.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves a layered assembly with electrical bus bars and ground bus bars positioned near the leading edge, encapsulated by barrier layers to avoid high-strain areas, reducing the need for solder joints and enhancing reliability by using a broader range of materials and geometries for bus bar design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If braided wire bus is used to run down the span of the blade, then the bus bar can withstand high strains, but solder joints are required which are problematic and unreliable in dynamic environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the problematic solder joints from the system by using bus bars with integrated conductive elements that can be mechanically attached without soldering. The bus bar includes a body portion and a conductive element that directly contacts the heater trace, eliminating the need for separate solder joints that fail in dynamic environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the bus bar body and conductive element into a single integrated component. The conductive element is formed as part of the bus bar structure itself, combining the mechanical support function and electrical conduction function into one unified element that can withstand strain without requiring separate jointed connections.
2Ease of manufacture
If bus bars are positioned in high-strain areas around midspan at aft edges, then they can be laid up on the same layer as heating elements, but this threatens the reliability of the ice protection solution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the bus bar from the high-strain midspan area and repositions it to low-strain regions such as the leading edge or root of the blade. This spatial extraction maintains the multi-layer composite structure ease of manufacture while removing the component from the harmful high-strain environment that compromises reliability.
3Ease of manufacture
If soldered connections are used for heating elements, then electrical connections can be made, but the connections are highly dependent on human process and cannot achieve robust connections in highly dynamic environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical bonding process of soldering with a mechanical attachment system. The bus bar conductive element makes direct mechanical contact with the heater trace through pressure and friction, eliminating the need for thermal and chemical soldering processes that are sensitive to human variability and fail under dynamic conditions.
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 configuration enhances the reliability of ice protection systems by minimizing electrical failures and allowing for a wider range of materials and designs, effectively addressing the challenges posed by high-strain environments without compromising heating performance.
Implementation Method 1
one or more heating elements disposed on the second barrier layer, and each heating element having a first lead electrically connected to the electrical lead of one of the electrical bus bars and a second lead electrically connected to one of the ground leads of the ground bus bar
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention includes a first barrier layer configured to cover a leading edge of the blade or wing; one or more electrical bus bars disposed on the first barrier layer proximate to and substantially parallel with the leading edge; a ground bus bar disposed on the first barrier layer proximate to and substantially parallel with the leading edge; a second barrier layer disposed over the one or more electrical bus bars and the ground bus bar; one or more heating elements disposed on the second barrier layer, and each heating element electrically connected to one of the electrical bus bars and to the ground bus bar; and a third barrier layer disposed over the one or more heating elements.