Air Data Probe Electronics Housing With Offset-Wall Thermal Isolation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Excess heat from heated air data probes can damage materials and components within, particularly due to differential thermal expansion of high-temperature epoxy materials used for potting, leading to potential electrical connection failure.
Innovation Solution
A housing design with offset inner and outer walls and an air gap between them, manufactured via additive processes, minimizes heat absorption by potting, reducing its expansion and preventing electrical connection damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the air data probe is heated to extremely hot temperatures to prevent ice accretion, then ice prevention effectiveness is improved, but thermal damage to internal materials and components worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into inner and outer walls with a gap between them, segmenting the thermal path. This segmentation allows the probe body to be heated for ice prevention while the housing and internal components are thermally isolated, resolving the contradiction between ice prevention effectiveness and thermal damage prevention
Solution Approach 2:
The gap between the inner and outer walls acts as a thermal intermediary or insulator. This intermediary structure reduces heat transfer from the heated probe body to the housing and internal components, allowing the probe to maintain high temperatures for ice prevention while protecting internal materials from thermal damage
2Reliability
If high-temperature epoxy material is used for potting, then electrical connection stability is improved, but differential thermal expansion damage worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The housing structure is segmented with an inner wall, outer wall, and gap between them. This segmentation creates thermal zones that protect the potting material and electrical connections from excessive heat, reducing differential thermal expansion while maintaining connection stability through the thermally isolated housing structure
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal parameters (temperature and heat transfer) are changed by introducing the gap between housing walls. This parameter change reduces the thermal exposure of the potting material, minimizing differential thermal expansion effects while maintaining electrical connection stability through the modified thermal environment
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 housing design ensures the electronic components remain functional during heating, maintaining accurate data transfer to the aircraft's systems by preventing excessive potting expansion and connection failure.
Implementation Method 1
A heating element is positioned within the body of the air data probe, and the heating element is configured to increase a temperature of the probe body
Implementation Method 2
The inner wall is offset from the outer wall such that a gap is positioned between the inner wall and the outer wall
Data Source
AI summary
In some applications, aircraft air data probes are heated to prevent rain, ice, or other moisture from attaching to the air data probe, ensuring proper functionality of the air data probe. But the elevated temperatures can have negative effects on the electronic components positioned within the air data probe. Therefore, thermal isolating features are added to a housing to thermally isolate the heated parts of the air data probe from the electronic components within the air data probe, which are required to stay relatively cool for proper functioning.