Electrical de-icing for aircraft

1. A heating element for in-flight de-icing of an aircraft, the heating element comprising:

a carbon fiber material for arrangement on a component of an aircraft, the carbon fiber material comprising:

at least two electrical contacts for connecting to an electrical wiring system; and

at least one insulation layer for electrical insulation; and

at least one electrically insulating spacer to rest on the component and/or at least one other structural member of the aircraft after the heating element has been arranged on the component to ensure a spacing between the coated carbon fiber material and the component and/or the at least one structural member.

2. The heating element of claim 1 , wherein the at least one insulation layer comprises aluminum oxide, boron nitride, silicon carbide, zirconium diboride, and/or hafnium diboride.

3. The heating element of claim 1 , wherein the ensured spacing is in a range of from 0.1 to 3 centimeters (cm).

4. The heating element of claim 1 , wherein the at least one spacer comprises a ceramic material and/or at least one heat-resistant plastic material.

5. The heating element of claim 1 , wherein the carbon fiber material is multilayered, carbonized, graphitized, and/or calcined.

6. The heating element of claim 1 , wherein a silicon carbide layer is arranged between the carbon fiber material and the at least one insulation layer for electrical insulation by a reaction between the carbon fiber material and a liquid silicon applied to the carbon fiber material.

7. The heating element of claim 1 , wherein the carbon fiber material comprises a carbon fiber/scrim element.

8. The heating element of claim 7 , wherein the carbon fiber/scrim element comprises a back-injection layer that comprises a plastics material that electrically insulates the electrical contacts.

9. The heating element of claim 8 , wherein the plastics material comprises polyarylamide and/or a polyamide.

10. A heating device for in-flight de-icing of an aircraft, the heating device comprising:

a plurality of heating elements which are connected in series or in parallel, each of the heating elements comprising:

a carbon fiber material for arrangement on a component of an aircraft, the carbon fiber material comprising:

at least two electrical contacts for connecting to an electrical wiring system; and

at least one insulation layer for electrical insulation; and

at least one electrically insulating spacer to rest on the component and/or at least one other structural member of the aircraft after the heating element has been arranged on the component to ensure a spacing between the coated carbon fiber material and the component and/or the at least one structural member.

11. A method for producing a heating element for in-flight de-icing of an aircraft, the method comprising:

attaching electrical contacts to a carbon fiber material for arrangement on a component of an aircraft;

applying an insulation layer to the carbon fiber material; and

arranging at least one electrically insulating spacer to rest on the component and/or at least one other structural member of the aircraft after the heating element has been arranged on the component to ensure a spacing between the coated carbon fiber material and the component and/or the at least one structural member.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising carbonizing, graphitizing, calcining, and/or siliconizing the carbon fiber material.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the insulation layer comprises a ceramic basic material and is applied as a coating slip.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the insulation layer is applied by fluidized bed coating and/or chemical vapor deposition.

15. A method for in-flight de-icing a component of an aircraft, the method comprising:

producing an electrical connection between electrical contacts of a heating element and an electrical wiring system, wherein the heating element comprises a carbon fiber material that is coated with at least one insulation layer, thereby forming a coated carbon fiber material, and is arranged on the component of the aircraft; and

arranging at least one electrically insulating spacer to rest on the component and/or at least one other structural member of the aircraft after the heating element has been arranged on the component to ensure a spacing between the coated carbon fiber material and the component and/or the at least one structural member.

16. The heating element according to claim 8 , wherein the back-injection layer is arranged on a side of the carbon fiber/scrim element that is remote from the component of the aircraft.

17. The heating element according to claim 8 , wherein the carbon fiber/scrim element comprises grid intermediate spaces, and wherein the back-injection layer is a coating that meshes in at least some of the grid intermediate spaces in the carbon fiber/scrim element.