IP Library Granted Patent US 8,733,688
Granted Patent B2
US 8,733,688 · App. 12/515,031 · Granted May 27, 2014

Aircraft leading edge

Inventors: Fabrice Gantie (Toulouse, FR); Alain Porte (Colomiers, FR)
Assignee: Airbus Operations S.A.S.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,733,688
App. No.
12/515,031
Granted
May 27, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

An aircraft leading edge, such as, for example, an air intake ( 22 ) of a nacelle ( 14 ) of a propulsion unit, includes a coating ( 26 ) for the acoustic treatment that includes—from the outside to the inside—an acoustically resistive porous layer that has a determined open surface ratio, at least one alveolar structure, and a reflective layer, whereby the coating ( 26 ) integrates a frost treatment system, characterized in that a frost treatment system includes at least one vibration emitter ( 36 ).

Claims (25)

1. An aircraft leading edge, comprising:

an acoustic coating ( 26 ) comprising an outside surface in contact with an aerodynamic flow and an inside surface, so that said acoustic coating ( 26 ) comprises from the outside surface to the inside surface an acoustically resistive porous layer ( 28 ) that has a determined open surface ratio, the outside surface defining an aerodynamic surface;

at least one alveolar structure ( 30 ); and

a reflective layer ( 32 ), wherein said acoustic coating ( 26 ) integrates a frost treatment system, and said frost treatment system comprises at least one vibration emitter ( 36 ) arranged in a housing ( 38 ) that empties out at the outside surface, the housing including a flap ( 40 ) arranged to allow access to the vibration emitter ( 36 ) and to close the housing ( 38 ), the flap ( 40 ) ensuring continuity of the aerodynamic surface, and

a surface area of the housing provided for the frost treatment system interfering with the aerodynamic surface is less than 10% of a surface area of the acoustic coating.

2. The aircraft leading edge according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one vibration emitter ( 36 ) is in contact with the flap.

3. The aircraft leading edge according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustically resistive porous layer ( 28 ) comprises a hollow shape configured to form the housing ( 38 ), the at least one vibration emitter ( 36 ) being arranged in said housing ( 38 ) against the flap.

4. The aircraft leading edge according to claim 1 , wherein the housing ( 38 ) comprises means for sealing the leading edge.

5. An air intake ( 22 ) of a nacelle ( 14 ) of an aircraft propulsion unit ( 10 ), comprising:

an acoustic coating ( 26 ) comprising an outside surface in contact with an aerodynamic flow and an inside surface, said acoustic coating ( 26 ) comprising from the outside surface to the inside surface and acoustically resistive porous layer ( 28 ) that has a determined open surface ratio, the outside surface defining an aerodynamic surface;

an alveolar structure ( 30 ); and

a reflective layer ( 32 ), wherein said acoustic coating ( 26 ) integrates at least one frost treatment system which comprises at least one vibration emitter ( 36 ) arranged in a housing ( 38 ) that empties out at the outside surface, the housing including a flap ( 40 ) arranged to allow access to the vibration emitter ( 36 ) and to close the housing ( 38 ), the flap ( 40 ) ensuring continuity of the aerodynamic surface, and

a surface area of the housing provided for the frost treatment system interfering with the aerodynamic surface is less than 10% of a surface area of the acoustic coating.

6. The air intake of a nacelle according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one vibration emitter ( 36 ) is in contact with the flap.

7. The air intake of a nacelle according to claim 5 , wherein the acoustically resistive porous layer ( 28 ) comprises a hollow shape that can form the housing ( 38 ), the vibration emitter being arranged in said housing ( 38 ) against the flap.

8. The air intake of a nacelle according to claim 5 , wherein the housing ( 38 ) comprises means for sealing.

9. The air intake of a nacelle according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one frost treatment systems is arranged at at least one of the outside surface ( 34 ) of the nacelle or inside the nacelle at a first angular sector between 60° and 120° and a second angular between 240° and 300°.

10. An aircraft leading edge, comprising:

an acoustic coating ( 26 ) comprising an outside surface in contact with an aerodynamic flow and an inside surface, so that said acoustic coating ( 26 ) comprises from the outside surface to the inside surface an acoustically resistive porous layer ( 28 ) that has a determined open surface ratio, the outside surface defining an aerodynamic surface;

at least one alveolar structure ( 30 ); and

a reflective layer ( 32 ), wherein said acoustic coating ( 26 ) integrates a frost treatment system, and said frost treatment system comprises at least one vibration emitter ( 36 ) arranged in a housing ( 38 ) that empties out at the outside surface, the housing including a flap ( 40 ) arranged to allow access to the vibration emitter ( 36 ) and to close the housing ( 38 ), the flap ( 40 ) ensuring continuity of the aerodynamic surface, and

the acoustically resistive porous layer ( 28 ) comprises a hollow shape configured to form a housing ( 38 ), the at least one vibration emitter ( 36 ) being arranged in said housing ( 38 ) against the aerodynamic surface.

11. The aircraft leading edge according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic coating is configured to absorb a portion of sound energy on a principle of Helmholz resonators, the at least one vibration emitter has a first mode of operation whose frequency varies to sweep a frequency range so as to resonate with all sizes and structures of ice and frost, and the at least one vibration emitter has a second mode of operation to maintain a frequency the corresponds to a resonance frequency of the acoustic coating.

12. The air intake according to claim 5 , wherein the acoustic coating is configured to absorb a portion of sound energy on a principle of Helmholz resonators, the at least one vibration emitter has a first mode of operation whose frequency varies to sweep a frequency range so as to resonate with all sizes and structures of ice and frost, and the at least one vibration emitter has a second mode of operation to maintain a frequency the corresponds to a resonance frequency of the acoustic coating.

13. The aircraft leading edge according to claim 10 , wherein the acoustic coating is configured to absorb a portion of sound energy on a principle of Helmholz resonators, the at least one vibration emitter has a first mode of operation whose frequency varies to sweep a frequency range so as to resonate with all sizes and structures of ice and frost, and the at least one vibration emitter has a second mode of operation to maintain a frequency the corresponds to a resonance frequency of the acoustic coating.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded May 18, 2011
From: AIRBUS FRANCE
To: AIRBUS OPERATIONS SAS
Reel/Frame 026298/0269 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 25, 2009
From: GANTIE, FABRICE; PORTE, ALAIN
To: AIRBUS FRANCE
Reel/Frame 023283/0114 →
Priority Claims (1)
FR 06 54929 · Nov 16, 2006 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100294882A1 · Nov 25, 2010