Granted Patent B2

US 12,612,167 · App. 18/788,756 · Granted Apr 28, 2026

Inventors: Sugumaran Selvaraj (Karnataka, IN); Shyam Kumar Dattatri (Karnataka, IN); Manjunath Hiremath (Karnataka, IN); Rhushikesh Patil (Bangalore, IN)

Assignee: GOODRICH CORPORATION

B64D15/12B64D15/16B64D15/22

Abstract

Claims (97)

1 . A target material removal (TMR) element comprising:

a body region comprising body region zones having zone-center regions and zone-perimeter regions that are around and do not overlap with the zone-center regions;

thermal elements within the body region and the zone-perimeter regions; and

vibration elements within the body region and the zone-center regions;

wherein the TMR element is controlled to perform TMR operations comprising:

one or more of the thermal elements generating heat that is transmitted into and through one or more of the zone-perimeter regions of the body region to a target material; and

subsequent to the one or more of the thermal elements beginning generating the heat that is transmitted into and through one or more of the zone-perimeter regions of the body region to the target material, the one or more of the vibration elements generating dislodgement-inducing vibrations that are transmitted into and through one or more of the zone-center regions of the body region to the target material; and

wherein the dislodgement-inducing vibrations are configured to induce dislodgement of one or more portions of the target material.

2 . The TMR element of claim 1 , wherein the vibration elements comprise piezo-electric material that generates the dislodgement-inducing vibrations at a frequency configured to enable the dislodgement-inducing vibrations to induce dislodgement of the one or more portions of the target material.

3 . The TMR element of claim 1 , wherein:

the thermal elements comprise a first thermal element;

the vibration elements comprise a first vibration element;

the one or more body region zones comprise a first body region zone having a first zone-perimeter region and a first zone-center region;

the first thermal element transmits at least a first portion of the heat through the first zone-perimeter region; and

the first vibration element transmits at least a first portion of the dislodgment-inducing vibrations through the first zone-center region.

4 . The TMR element of claim 3 , wherein:

the thermal elements comprise a second thermal element;

the vibration elements comprise a second vibration element;

the one or more body region zones comprise a second body region zone having a second zone-perimeter region and a second zone-center region;

the second thermal element transmits a second portion of the heat through the second zone-perimeter region; and

the second vibration element transmits a second portion of the dislodgement-inducing vibrations through the second zone-center region.

5 . The TMR element of claim 3 , wherein:

the target material comprises a target frozen material; and

the at least first portion of the heat is applied to the frozen material in a target material first zone-perimeter region corresponding to the first zone-perimeter region.

6 . The TMR element of claim 5 , wherein the at least first portion of the dislodgement-inducing vibrations is sufficient to impart shearing stress to a target material first zone-center region corresponding to the first zone-center region.

7 . The TMR element of claim 4 , wherein:

the target material comprises a target frozen material;

the at least first portion of the heat is applied to the target frozen material in a target material first zone-perimeter region corresponding to the first zone-perimeter region;

the at least first portion of the dislodgement-inducing vibrations is sufficient to impart shearing stress to a target material first zone-center region corresponding to the first zone-center region;

the second portion of the heat is applied to the target frozen material in a target material second zone-perimeter region corresponding to the second zone-perimeter region;

the second portion of the dislodgement-inducing vibrations is sufficient to impart shearing stress to a target material second zone-center region corresponding to the second zone-center region; and

the dislodgement of the one or more portions of target material is further based at least in part on the shearing stress imported to a first portion of the target material and a second portion of the target material.

8 . An ice protection system (IPS) comprising:

a body region comprising body region zones having zone-center regions and zone-perimeter regions that are around and do not overlap with the zone-center regions;

thermal elements within the body region and the zone-perimeter regions;

vibration elements within the body region and the zone-center regions; and

a sensor network within the body region;

wherein the IPS is controlled to perform ice protection operations comprising:

the sensor network detecting a formation of a target frozen material to a predetermined first thickness;

based at least in part on the sensor network detecting the formation of the target frozen material to the predetermined first thickness, one or more of the thermal elements generating heat that is transmitted into and through one or more of the zone-perimeter regions of the body region to the target frozen material; and

subsequent to the one or more of the thermal elements beginning generating the heat that is transmitted into and through one or more of the zone-perimeter regions of the body region to the target frozen material, one or more of the vibration elements generating dislodgement-inducing vibrations that are transmitted into and through one or mor of the zone-center regions of the body region to the target frozen material; and

wherein the dislodgment-inducing vibrations are configured to induce dislodgement of one or more portions of the target material.

9 . The IPS of claim 8 , wherein the vibration elements comprise piezo-electric material that generates the dislodgement-inducing vibrations at a frequency configured to enable the dislodgement-inducing vibrations to induce dislodgement of the one or more portions of the target material.

10 . The IPS of claim 8 , wherein:

the thermal elements comprise a first thermal element;

the one or more body region zones comprise a first body region zone having a first zone-perimeter region and a first zone-center region; and

the first thermal element transmits at least a first portion of the heat through the first zone-perimeter region.

11 . The IPS of claim 10 , wherein:

the vibration elements comprise a first vibration element;

the first vibration element transmits at least a first portion of the dislodgement-inducing vibrations through the first zone-center region; and

the ice protection operations further comprise terminating operation of the first vibration element responsive to a determination that a first termination criterion has been satisfied.

12 . The IPS of claim 11 , wherein the determination that the first termination criterion has been satisfied comprises a determination that an activation duration of the first vibration element has ended.

13 . The IPS of claim 11 , wherein:

the thermal elements comprise a second thermal element;

the one or more body region zones comprise a second body region zone having a second zone-perimeter region and a second zone-center region;

the second thermal element transmits a second portion of the heat through the second zone-perimeter region;

the vibration elements comprise a second vibration element;

the second vibration element transmits a second portion of the dislodgement-inducing vibrations through the second zone-center region;

the ice protection operations further comprise terminating operation of the second vibration element responsive to a determination that a second termination criterion has been satisfied; and

the determination that the second termination criterion has been satisfied comprises a determination that an activation duration of the second vibration element has ended.

14 . The IPS of claim 13 , wherein:

the at least first portion of the dislodgement-inducing vibrations is sufficient to impart shearing stress to a target material first zone-center region corresponding to the first zone-center region;

the second portion of the dislodgement-inducing vibrations is sufficient to impart shearing stress to a target material second zone-center region corresponding to the second zone-center region; and

the dislodgement of the one or more portions of target material is further based at least in part on the shearing stress imported to a first portion of the target material and a second portion of the target material.

15 . A controller configured to perform controller operations that control a target material removal (TMR) element, the controller operations comprising:

sending control instruction to the TMR element that control the TMR to perform TMR operations;

wherein the TMR element comprises a body region that includes thermal elements and vibration elements;

wherein the body region comprises body region zones having zone-center regions and zone-perimeter regions that are around and do not overlap with the zone-center regions;

wherein thermal elements are within the zone-perimeter regions;

wherein the vibration elements are withing the zone-center regions;

wherein the TMR operations comprise:

one or more of the thermal elements generating heat that is transmitted into and through one or more of the zone-perimeter regions of the body region to a target material; and

subsequent to the one or more of the thermal elements beginning generating the heat that is transmitted into and through one or more of the zone-perimeter regions of the body region to the target material, the one or more of the vibration elements generating dislodgement-inducing vibrations that are transmitted into and through one or more of the zone-center regions of the body region to the target material; and

wherein the dislodgement-inducing vibrations are configured to induce dislodgement of one or more portions of the target material.

16 . The controller of claim 15 , wherein the vibration elements comprise piezo-electric material that generates the dislodgement-inducing vibrations at a frequency configured to enable the dislodgement-inducing vibrations to induce dislodgement of the one or more portions of the target material.

17 . The controller of claim 15 , wherein:

the thermal elements comprise a first thermal element;

the one or more body region zones comprise a first body region zone having a first zone-perimeter region and a first zone-center region;

the TMR operations further comprise the first thermal element transmits at least a first portion of the heat through the first zone-perimeter region;

the vibration elements comprise a first vibration element; and

the TMR operations further comprise the first vibration element transmits at least a first portion of the dislodgment-inducing vibrations through the first zone-center region.

18 . The controller of claim 17 , wherein:

the thermal elements comprise a second thermal element;

the vibration element comprises a second vibration element;

the one or more body region zones comprise a second body region zone having a second zone-perimeter region and a second zone center region;

the TMR operations further comprise the second thermal element transmits a second portion of the heat through the second zone-perimeter region; and

the TMR operations further comprise the second vibration element transmits a second portion of the dislodgement-inducing vibrations through the second zone-center region.

19 . The controller of claim 17 , wherein:

the target material comprises a target frozen material;

the TMR operations further comprise the at least first portion of the heat is applied through the first zone-perimeter region to a corresponding target frozen material first zone-perimeter region; and

the TMR operations further comprise the at least some of the first portion of the dislodgement-inducing vibrations is sufficient to impart shearing stress to the target frozen material.

20 . The controller of claim 18 , wherein:

the target material comprises a target frozen material;

the TMR operations further comprise the at least first portion of the heat is applied through the first zone-perimeter region to a corresponding target frozen material first zone-perimeter region;

the TMR operations further comprise the at least first portion of the dislodgement-inducing vibrations is sufficient to impart shearing stress to the target frozen material;

the TMR operations further comprise the second portion of the heat is applied through the second zone-perimeter region to a corresponding target frozen material second zone-perimeter region; and

the TMR operations further comprise the second portion of the dislodgement-inducing vibrations is sufficient to impart shearing stress to the target frozen material.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (2)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (18)