Piezoelectric de-icing of an air inlet
A lip assembly for an air inlet of a turbojet engine nacelle includes an inner surface, an external surface. A portion of the external surface is covered by an ice-repellent coating. In particular, the ice-repellent coating includes a piezoelectric actuator which vibrates the external surface and is combined into a matrix of the ice-repellent coating.
1. An air-inlet lip assembly of a turbojet engine nacelle comprising
an internal surface,
an external surface and
de-icing means,
wherein the de-icing means comprise an ice-repellent coating covering at least part of the external surface, said ice-repellent coating comprising at least one piezoelectric actuator in a matrix of said ice-repellent coating to cause the external surface to vibrate, the at least one piezoelectric actuator being combined into said matrix of said ice-repellent coating,
wherein a thickness of the ice-repellent coating is between 20 μm and 100 μm.
2. The air-inlet lip assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one piezoelectric actuator comprises an electrical power supplier.
3. The air-inlet lip assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one piezoelectric actuator is in contact with the internal surface.
4. The air-inlet lip assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ice-repellent coating is selected from polyurethane paints, fluoro polyurethane paints, resins, or plastics containing TEFLON.
5. The air-inlet lip assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least part of the lip assembly is made of a material containing at least one of a composite, a metal and nanoparticles able to make a surface of the lip assembly ice repellent.
6. A turbojet engine nacelle comprising a lip assembly as claimed in claim 1 .
7. The air-inlet lip assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ice-repellent coating comprises resins containing polydimethylsiloxane.