Abstract: An aircraft wing may comprise an airfoil having deicing zone, an anti-icing zone, and an ice runback control zone. An aircraft wing may comprise an electro-thermal ice protection system disposed in the aircraft wing. The electro-thermal ice protection system may be disposed along the deicing, anti-icing, and ice runback control zones of the airfoil to improve aerodynamic performance of the aircraft and reduce ice formation along the wings of the aircraft.

Abstract: A multilayer heating structure for controlling ice accumulation on a surface of an aircraft includes a carbon nano-tube (CNT) heater. The heater includes: a CNT layer; a first encapsulation layer disposed on a first side of the CNT layer formed of a first encapsulation layer thermoplastic material; and a second encapsulation layer disposed on a second side of the CNT layer formed of a second encapsulation layer thermoplastic material. The structure further includes for and aft composite structures. The first and second encapsulation layer thermoplastic materials have higher melting temperatures that one or both the fore composite structure thermoplastic material and the aft composite structure thermoplastic material.

Abstract: An aircraft electric power supply system (10) for supplying electric power to onboard electric devices (20) during flight. To reduce the devices' power draw, the electric power is supplied via modulation at an increment-percentage that is determined by present conditions. An optimum portfolio can be established for the electrical devices (20) collectively, this portfolio being selected in accordance with an energy-management criterion or other aircraft objectives.

Abstract: An ice protection system (30) wherein a heater array (50) comprises a series of consecutive electrothermal heaters (51) which proceed one after another in a substantially aft-fore-aft path. A power source (60) supplies the heater array (50) with electrical energy and a heater interface (80) switches each heater (51) into either an ON condition or an OFF condition. The heater array (50) can be architected to effectively and efficiently protect an ice-susceptible aircraft surface (40) by strategic heater shaping, concentrated power-density allocation, and/or tactical heating-episode execution.

Abstract: A nacelle inlet lip (22) for an aircraft engine (16) comprises a structural body (30) and an ice protection system (60). The ice protection system (60) comprises a plurality of ice-protectors (62, 64, 66) independently controllable to allow inner zones (52, 54, 56) to be operated in different modes, different power levels, different time intervals and/or different energy amounts. In this manner, an inner aft zone (52), an inner mid zone (54), and an inner aft zone (56) can be anti-iced and/or de-iced to best preserve desired airflow patterns, to minimize ice particle shed size, and to optimize power consumption.

Abstract: An aircraft electric power supply system (10) for supplying electric power to onboard electric devices (20) during flight. To reduce the devices' power draw, the electric power is supplied via modulation at an increment-percentage that is determined by present conditions. An optimum portfolio can be established for the electrical devices (20) collectively, this portfolio being selected in accordance with an energy-management criterion or other aircraft objectives.

Abstract: An ice protection system (40) is provided for an aircraft surface having a plurality of ice-susceptible regions. The system (40) comprises an ice protector (51-55) for each ice-susceptible region, a controller (60) which independently controls each of the ice protectors (51-55), and input channels (71-79) which conveys data to the controller (60). The controller (60) uses the channel-conveyed data to determine optimum operation for each of the ice protectors and controls the supply electrical energy thereto in accordance with such optimization.

Abstract: An aircraft wing (12) comprising a structural casing (14) defining a leading edge, a fuel cell (16) within the structural casing (14), a deicer (18) having electrical lines which receive a supply of electrical power from an onboard power source, and a trip line (20). The trip line (20) is positioned to receive early contact upon impact of the wing by a bird or other foreign object and disruption of the trip line triggers termination of the supply of electrical power to the deicer (18).