Heatable floor panel and floor heating system for an aircraft
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial aircraft cabin floors experience undesirable heat loss to the outer skin, leading to cooling issues, particularly near aircraft doors, which existing heating solutions fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A heatable floor panel using coated carbon fibers as electrical conductors integrated into the floor panel, with an electrically insulating coating to prevent leakage currents, serving both as heating elements and reinforcement fibers, and a floor heating system with a power source and control unit for temperature regulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If electric heating mats are used to heat the floor, then the floor temperature can be maintained, but heat loss from the cabin to the outer skin occurs and leakage currents may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by integrating coated carbon fibers directly into the floor panel structure. The carbon fibers are embedded within the composite material matrix, creating a multi-functional floor panel that combines structural support, insulation, and heating capabilities. This integration reduces heat loss by eliminating the interface between separate heating mats and the floor structure, while the electrically insulating coating on carbon fibers prevents leakage currents.
2Temperature
If electric heating mats are used to heat the floor, then the floor temperature can be maintained, but leakage currents may occur when fibers touch
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an electrically insulating coating as an intermediary layer on the carbon fibers. This coating acts as a mediator that allows the carbon fibers to maintain their electrical conductivity for heating purposes while preventing direct electrical contact between adjacent fibers. The insulating coating eliminates leakage current pathways that would otherwise occur when conductive fibers touch, thereby ensuring electrical safety without compromising heating functionality.
3Reliability
If coated carbon fibers are used as heating elements, then leakage currents are prevented and reinforcement is provided, but the complexity of integrating coated fibers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into a single integrated component. The coated carbon fibers serve simultaneously as heating elements, structural reinforcement, and electrical insulation barriers. By combining these functions into one element rather than using separate components (heating mats, reinforcement layers, and insulation layers), the overall system complexity is reduced despite the specialized coating on the fibers. The integration occurs at the material level during composite manufacturing, streamlining the assembly process.
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 maintains cabin temperature by evenly distributing heat and preventing cooling, especially in areas like aircraft doors, enhancing passenger and crew comfort.
Implementation Method 1
a current source can be applied to the ends of the fibers in order to conduct a heating current through them
Implementation Method 2
Due to the electrically insulating coating of the line fibers, leakage currents or similar effects can be completely avoided, since the insulated fibers can easily touch without leakage current occurring
Implementation Method 3
evenly distributing heat and preventing cooling
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a heated floor panel 10 for an aircraft 12, comprising a support layer 14, a heat-generating layer 16, and a heat-conducting layer 18, wherein the heat-generating layer 16 comprises a fiber composite layer 20 with fibers and a matrix surrounding the fibers, wherein the fibers are at least partially configured as conducting fibers 22, and wherein the conducting fibers 22 are configured as carbon fibers 24 with an electrically insulating coating 26. According to the invention, the conducting fibers 22 are integrated into the floor panel 10 to conduct a heating current through it. Due to the electrically insulating coating 26 of the conducting fibers 22, leakage currents are avoided. The carbon fibers 24 serve not only as heating elements but also simultaneously as reinforcing fibers of the fiber composite layer 20 and the floor panel 10.