US2499831A - Fan deicing or antiicing means - Google Patents

Description

March 7, 1950 P, PAL MATIER 2,499,831

FAN DEICING 0R ANTIICING MEANS Filed (Kit. 26, 1943 Patented Mar. 7, 1,950

FAN DEICING OR ANTIICING MEANS Everett P. Palmatier, Upper Montclair, N. J., assignor to Curtiss-Wright Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application October 26, 1943, Serial No. 507,759

7 Claims formed on the fan blades or to prevent the formation of ice thereon.

More particularly, in accordance with my 1nvention, the aforesaid hot gases are caused to.

pass through each fan blade for the purpose stated.

Further in accordance with my invention, a plurality of fan blades are secured to an aircraft spinner or other rotating mount for rotatable movement therewith, each of the fan blades comprising a passage extending longitudinally there through.

Various other objects, advantages and features of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.

My invention resides in the fan de-icing or anti-icing means, the fan blade constructions and arrangement of the character hereinafter described and claimed.

For an understanding of my invention and for an illustration of one of the many forms thereof, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, showing an aircraft power unit having my novel fan de-icing or anti-icing system associated therewith; I

i Fig. 2, generally, is a front elevational view of the arrangement shown in Fig; 1, a part of this view being taken on the line 2--2'of Fig. 1 looking the engine nose 4 and there carries the propellerhub 5 which comprises angularly related sockets 5a carrying the respective propeller blades 6. Associated with the hub 5, forwardly thereof, is a housing I for the motor and; associated apparatus which, asknown in the-art,- is utilizable for changing the pitchof-thcpropeller blades 6. A spinner 8 encloses the hub 5 and housing 1, the respective propeller blades 6 extending through openings provided therefor in the spinner 8 which,

in a conventional manner, is secured to the propeller hub 5 as indicated at 9 whereby said hub 5 and spinner 8 are rotatable together as a unit. In the form of the invention herein shown, the rear end of the spinner 8 carries the rotatable fan blades B which form the fanrotor, the blades B being angularly related in suitable manner to the circular path of movement thereof through the air. Disposed rearwardly of the rotor blades B are the fixed fan blades Bl which form acir-- cular stator, the blades BI being angularly related in suitable manner to the rotorblades B.

When the aircraft engine I is in operation, the

shaft 3, the hub 5, propeller blades 6 and the spinner 8 rotate as a unit, the rotor blades B directing a stream of air rearwardly toward the, engine I. Before such stream of air reaches said engine I, it is suitably deflected by the rear stator blades Bl.

While a conventional propeller-engine-cowl fan arrangement is shown in the drawings, the invention is not to be considered as limited to this environment. Rather, the invention is directed primarily to the problem of de-icing or anti-icing of cowled fans or blowers for aircraft.

With respect to one or both of the above described sets of fan blades B, BI and, in accordance with the invention, a suitable arrangement is provided either for de-icing the fan blades in the event that ice should form thereon or for. positively preventing the formation of ice on said fan blades. 1

As an example of the invention, I have illustrated on the drawing an arrangement for passing hot gases through each fan blade forder icing purposes. disclosed arrangement is to serve merely as an illustration of one of the many" arrangements which may thus be utilized. Further, it shall be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the use of the fixed fan blades Bl since, if desired, these may be omitted and, if so, the hot gases may be passed directly to the rotor fan bladesB. V 1 .1

In accordance with, the invention, each fan blade. B is formed from a pair of members l0, H) which, as herein shown although not necessarily, are formed integrally with the rear spinner section to from which the sets of members I ll. I 0' project in blade-forming relation. V.

The rear spinner section further. comprises a pair of interior angular "members 8b, 1.80 which extend throughout the entire circular length- 0f the spinner and are disposed transversely toits' It shall be understood that the;

blade BI is formed from a pair of members 20, 20 I which, as herein shown although not necessarily, are formed integrally, at their inner ends, with a circular member 2| and, at their outer ends, with the cowling section 2a.

The circular member 2| comprises a circular angular section 21a which, in suitable manner, is secured to the engine nose 4. This circular angular section Zla forms a channel Ila which communicates with the channel ll defined by the spinner members 8b, 80.

In accordance with the invention, the blade members 20, 20 of each fan blade Bl are suitably spaced from each other by a channel or slot 20a which, at its inner end, communicates with the circular channel Ha, the outer end of each slot 20a being open or unobstructed.

As clearly appears from Fig. 1, the cowling 2 and its section 2a form a circular chamber which is separated into two parts by a circular wall 22 forming a barrier in said cowling 2 between the rotor fan blades B and the stator fan blades Bl.

During the flight of the aircraft and when it becomes necessary to subject the fan blades B and Bi to a de-icing operation, hot gases or a suitable hot gaseous medium is passed under suitable pressure into the aforesaid circular chamber defined by the cowling 2 and its section 2a, said hot gaseous medium being supplied to this chamber, in the example shown, through a plurality of pipes 23 arranged in suitable spaced relation throughout the circular chamber length, these pipes passing through openings provided, respectively, therefor in a circular wall 23a secured interiorly of the cowling 2. Preferably, although not necessarily, the described hot gaseous medium is heated air obtained as disclosed in my pending application Serial No. 503,143, filed September 20, 1943.

Accordingly, for de-icing purposes, the hot gases are supplied under suitable pressure to said chamber defined by the cowling 2 and its section 2a, the hot gases engaging the wall 22 and being deflected thereby so as to pass inwardly through the slots 20a of the respective fan'blades Bl. Thereafter, the hot gases pass fromthe fixed channel I la to the rotating channel' II and, then, said hot gases pass through the slots We of the respective fan blades B, into the front cowling chamber and then pass to the atmosphere by way of the cowling openings 21).

In view of the foregoing description, it will be understood that, in the event that ice forms on the fan blades hereinbefore described, the aircraft pilot or other aircraft occupant may open a suitable valve or the like, not shown, to thereby cause heateda'lr to pass from the pipes 23 and then through the fan blades B and BI for the purpose described. As a result, the temperature of the fan blades is elevated by the hot gases to thereby effectively melt the ice which adheres thereto.

Should .the aircraft pilot obtain knowledge that. heisapproaching an area wherein icing; conditions mayexist, the above noted valve may happened-before sucharea is reached to thereby 4 heat the fan blades in advance and positively prevent the formation of ice thereon.

In the appended claims, the expression deicing shall be understood as describing true deicing wherein that ice is melted which, previously, had been formed on the fan blades and said expression shall also be considered as describing an operation wherein the fan blades are subjected to the action of the hot gases in order to positively prevent the formation of ice thereon.

While the invention has been described with respect to a certain particular preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended therefore in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an aircraft, a set of hollow fan blades forming a fan stator, a set of hollow fan blades forming a fan rotor, means for rotating said fan rotor, and means for passing a fluid through all of the fan blade hollows, said last named means being effective as regards the fan rotor blades while they rotate.

2. In an aircraft, a set of hollow fan blades forming a fan stator, a set of hollow fan blades forming a fan rotor, means for rotating said fan rotor, and means for passing a fluid through the stator and rotor fan blade hollows in succession, said last named means being effective as regards the fan rotor blades while they rotate.

3. In a fan system, a fan hub, hollow blades carried thereby, the hub having passages communicating with the blade hollows, a hollow shroud encircling the fan blades having a passage therein, in the path of said blades during their rotation, in communication with said blade hollows, and hollow stator blades carried by said shroud, the hollows of which communicate with the shroud hollow, said stator blades being disposed in an annulus coaxial with and parallel to the fan blades.

l. In a fan system, a fan hub, hollow blades carried thereby, the hub having passages communicating with the blade hollows, a hollow shroud encircling the fan blades having a passage therein, in the path of said blades during their rotation, in communication with said blade hollows, hollow stator blades carried by said shroud, the hollows of which communicate with the shroud hollow, said stator blades being disposed in an annulus coaxial with and parallel to the fan blades, and means including said hub and shroud to direct a fluid medium through said stator and fan blade hollows.

5. In a fan system, a fan hub, hollow blades carried thereby, the hub having passages communicating with the blade hollows, a hollow shroud encircling the fan blades having a passage therein, in the path of said blades during their rotation, in communication with said blade hollows, hollow stator blades carried by said shroud, the hollows of which communicate with the shroud hollow, said stator blades being disposed in an annulus coaxial with and parallel to the fan blades, and means including said hub and shroudto direct-a fluid medium serially through said stator and fan blade hollows.

6. In a fan system, afan hub having radially extending axial flow blades thereon, said blades together sweeping an annular fan blade zone, a hollow shroud embracing said fan, radially extending axial flow hollow stator blades extending from said shroud and disposed in an annular zone parallel to and coaxial with the annular fan blade zone, said zones lying between said hub and shroud and together forming an axially extending passage for a fluid working medium operated on by said fan blades, and means to direct a second fluid medium into said shroud hollow and radially through said stator blade hollows.

7. In an axial flow fan system, a hollow hub having a substantially cylindrical periphery, a plurality of pitched hollow blades arranged around said hub, a substantially cylindrical shroud embracing said blades and defining with said hub periphery an axially extending annular passage through which a working fluid passes for engagement with the external surfaces of said blades, and means establishing free com munication between said blade hollows, said hub hollow and through said shroud for a second fluid isolated from said working fluid, said blades being fixedly secured to said shroud.

EVERETT P. PALMATIER.

REFERENCES ITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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