Coupling Strip De-Icing for Localized Heating of Conductive Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conductive surfaces on vehicles and aircraft face inefficiencies and safety risks due to ice accumulation, as existing heating systems are often bulky and inefficient, lacking effective solutions for localized heating.
Innovation Solution
The use of higher frequency alternating electric current (AC) signals to induce Joule heating in conductive materials by shaping current density through mechanisms like the skin effect and proximity effect, increasing effective resistance and localized heating performance while reducing the required current and bulkiness of heating systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional heating systems are used to prevent ice accumulation on conductive surfaces, then heating function is provided, but the systems become bulky and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/electrical heating systems with a electromagnetic field-based heating approach. By applying high-frequency alternating current to the conductive surface, the system utilizes electromagnetic induction to generate heat directly within the material, eliminating the need for bulky external heating elements and insulation layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the frequency parameter of the applied current to high frequencies (above 1 kHz). This parameter change enables the skin effect to concentrate current density near the surface, creating efficient localized heating without requiring bulky equipment. The high frequency transformation allows the conductive surface itself to become the heating element.
2Reliability
If heating systems are added to conductive surfaces, then ice accumulation is prevented, but the surfaces become less efficient and safer to operate
Solution Approach 1:
By replacing traditional additive heating systems with a field-based approach that uses the conductive surface's own properties, the system avoids the weight and drag penalties associated with traditional heating equipment. The electromagnetic heating method maintains operational efficiency while providing ice prevention.
3Power
If high frequency AC current is applied to shape current density, then localized heating performance increases, but the required current decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies high-frequency current that creates excessive current density concentration at the surface through the skin effect. This partial concentration of current in the surface region produces sufficient localized heating without requiring high total current, as the heating is focused precisely where needed rather than distributed throughout the bulk material.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the frequency parameter to high values, the system exploits the skin effect to naturally concentrate current density. This parameter change reduces the total current requirement while maintaining or enhancing localized heating performance, as the high frequency automatically directs current to the surface region.
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 enables efficient, localized heating on conductive surfaces, reducing the need for bulky equipment, improving safety and reliability, and allowing for faster and more efficient de-icing or anti-icing of surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
The skin effect constrains current flow by taking advantage of the tendency of an alternating electric current to become distributed within a conductor such that the current density increases near the surface of the conductor, and decreases with greater depths in the conductor.
Implementation Method 2
The proximity effect can be used to further constrain current flow in the conductor by placing another AC current path near the existing current flowing in the conductor. The proximity effect can also act to lengthen the current path.
Implementation Method 3
Joule heating, also known as ohmic heating or resistive heating, is the process by which the passage of an electric current through a conductor produces heat.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present disclosure can be embodied in a systems for heating an exterior surface of a bulk medium. In one example, the system includes two or more coupling strips spaced apart from one another and attached to the bulk medium. Each of the coupling strips has a multi-layer structure extending along a surface of the bulk medium that forms, in combination with the bulk medium, an electrical transmission line. The multi-layer structure includes a first dielectric layer over the bulk medium, a conductive layer over the first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer over the conductive layer, and a conductive shielding layer over the second dielectric layer. A power control system is coupled to the conductive layer of each of the coupling strips and to the bulk medium. The power control system is configured to heat the bulk medium by providing current to the coupling strips.