Abstract: An ice detector apparatus for an aircraft includes a heater strip and a temperature sensor. The heater strip is configured to be mounted to an external surface of an aircraft and the temperature sensor is coupled to the heater strip. The temperature sensor is configured to detect a temperature profile of the heater strip, wherein the temperature profile is indicative of an extent of icing. The temperature profile may be indicative of whether the aircraft is operating in an appendix C icing-envelope or an appendix O icing-envelope. The temperature sensor may include a plurality of temperature sensors coupled along a length of the heater strip, such that the temperature profile comprises a spatial temperature map of the heater strip.

Abstract: An aircraft may include a fuselage and a wing extending away from the fuselage to a wing tip. The wing may have a leading edge portion, a suction side portion, and a pressure side portion. A thermoelectric element may be coupled to an inner surface of the wing. A chemical adhesive may be disposed on a thermoelectric inner surface. A structural rib may be adhesively bonded to the thermoelectric element by curing the chemical adhesive. The structural rib may be mechanically fastened to a suction side of the wing and to a pressure side of the wing.

Abstract: A passive anti-icing and/or deicing device can include an icephobic outer layer configured to prevent ice from forming and/or building up on the outer layer by preventing ice from adhering to the outer layer. The device can include a backer film attached to an underside of the icephobic outer layer, and an adhesive attached to the backer film on an opposite side of the backer film relative to the icephobic outer layer.

Abstract: An ice protection system for an aircraft component includes a plurality of heaters. The aircraft component has at least two section and a junction area. At least one of the heaters is an H-shape carbon allotrope heater designed to apply heat to the junction area and prevent ice accumulation in the junction area.

Abstract: An additively manufactured heating element is printed on a flexible substrate and attached to an aircraft component having a complex geometric surface. The heating element is made of a plurality of layers of a conductive ink, which is electrically connected to a controller through one or more leads.

Abstract: A method of making a resistance temperature detector includes additively manufacturing a conductive ink on a flexible substrate and applying the resistance temperature detector to a geometrically complex surface of a component requiring heating, or directly additive manufacturing the resistance temperature detector onto that surface.

Abstract: An additively manufactured strain gauge resides on the surface of a component to monitor component fatigue. The strain gauge is additively manufactured, and applied to the curvature of the component surface through either a flexible substrate or through direct printing.

Abstract: A heated floor panel assembly contains a positive temperature coefficient heater secured in the assembly through a number of welded joints through a thermoplastic dielectric layer. The positive temperature coefficient heater is on a thermoplastic substrate, which is bonded to the thermoplastic dielectric layer. The assembly further includes an impact layer, a core layer, and structural layers.

Abstract: A heated floor panel assembly with an impact layer is made to absorb blunt force and protect a heating element inside the assembly. The assembly further includes a plurality of structural layer made of a reinforced polymer matrix, one or more core layer with a honeycomb or foam structure for absorbing shear stress, and a heating layer containing the heating element. The impact layer is a composite layer with a resin impregnated fiber matrix.

Abstract: Subject matter regards improving machine learning techniques using informed pseudolabels. A method can include receiving previously assigned labels indicating an expected classification for data, the labels having a specified uncertainty, generating respective pseudolabels for the data based on the previously assigned labels, the data, a class vector determined by an ML model, and a noise model indicating, based on the specified uncertainty, a likelihood of the previously assigned label given the class, and substituting the pseudolabels for the previously assigned labels in a next epoch of training the ML model.

Abstract: A carbon allotrope heating element includes an electrical resistivity between 0.005 ohms per square (?/sq) and 3.0 ?/sq. A heating system includes a component and a carbon allotrope heating element having an electrical resistivity between 0.005 ?/sq and 3.0 ?/sq. A method includes modifying a carbon allotrope heating element to have an electrical resistivity between 0.005 ?/sq and 3.0 ?/sq and applying the carbon allotrope heating element to a component of an aircraft.

Abstract: A composite sandwich structure for heating an environment includes a first core layer made from a first cellular material and having a first thickness, and a second core layer made from a second cellular material and having a second thickness less than the first thickness. The structure further includes a heating layer having a thermoelectric heating element and disposed between the first and second core layers. The first core layer is positioned between the heating layer and the environment.

Abstract: A protective enclosure for an electrically-conductive element disposed along a component surface includes a base, a first side with an electrical connector, and a second side with an aperture for receiving a potting material. The base, the first side, and the second side at least partially define an internal void, and the internal void communicates with an external environment via the aperture.

Abstract: A protective enclosure for an electrically-conductive element disposed along a component surface includes a base, a first side with an electrical connector, and a second side with an aperture for receiving a potting material. The base, the first side, and the second side at least partially define an internal void, and the internal void communicates with an external environment via the aperture.

Abstract: One example of a heating element includes a first carbon nanotube (CNT) layer and a second CNT layer. At least a portion of the first CNT layer overlaps at least a portion of the second CNT layer, and the first CNT layer includes a first perforated region having a plurality of perforations. Another heating element includes a CNT sheet with a first perforated region having a plurality of perforations and a first perforation density and a second perforated region having a plurality of perforations and a second perforation density different from the first perforation density. A method of forming a heating element includes perforating a first CNT layer so that it includes a perforated region and stacking the first CNT layer with a second CNT layer such that at least a portion of the first CNT layer overlaps at least a portion of the second CNT layer.

Abstract: Apparatus and associated methods relate to providing redundant heating elements to a surface of an aircraft skin for the purpose of controlling ice accretion thereon. Each of the redundant heating elements can be used alone or in conjunction with the other(s) of the redundant heating elements. In some embodiments, a second heating element can be used if or when a first heating element fails and/or is insufficient to perform the heating task. In some embodiments, the first and second heating elements can be controlled so as to create a heating profile of the surface of the aircraft skin. A heat controller provides electrical control signals to the first and second heating element. In some embodiments, the heat controller can provide such electrical control signals in response to detected ice accretion, flight conditions, and/or detected atmospheric conditions.

Abstract: One example of a heating element includes a first carbon nanotube (CNT) layer and a second CNT layer. At least a portion of the first CNT layer overlaps at least a portion of the second CNT layer, and the first CNT layer includes a first perforated region having a plurality of perforations. Another heating element includes a CNT sheet with a first perforated region having a plurality of perforations and a first perforation density and a second perforated region having a plurality of perforations and a second perforation density different from the first perforation density. A method of forming a heating element includes perforating a first CNT layer so that it includes a perforated region and stacking the first CNT layer with a second CNT layer such that at least a portion of the first CNT layer overlaps at least a portion of the second CNT layer.

Abstract: A carbon allotrope heating element includes an electrical resistivity between 0.005 ohms per square (?/sq) and 3.0 ?/sq. A heating system includes a component and a carbon allotrope heating element having an electrical resistivity between 0.005 ?/sq and 3.0 ?/sq. A method includes modifying a carbon allotrope heating element to have an electrical resistivity between 0.005 ?/sq and 3.0 ?/sq and applying the carbon allotrope heating element to a component of an aircraft.

Abstract: A rotary blade includes a blade tip assembly with a first bus bar segment and a main blade assembly with second bus bar segment. The first bus bar segment is connected to the blade tip assembly and the second bus bar segment is connected to the main blade assembly. The blade tip assembly is connected to the main blade assembly such that the first and second bus bar segments are longitudinally offset from one another. A low-profile interconnect spans the first and second bus bar segments for resistively generating less heat than the bus bar segments for a predetermined current flow.

Abstract: An aircraft heated floor panel includes a first face sheet, a second face sheet opposite the first face sheet, and core with an electrically conductive core portion. The electrically conductive core portion supports the first face sheet and the second face sheet, and is electrically insulated from the external environment to receive electrical power, resistively generate heat, and communicate heat to the first face sheet.