Patent ID: 8820683
Filing Date: 2014-09-02
Classification: B64D,Y02T

Abstract:
1. An electro-thermal ice protection system for an aircraft with an electrical power system, surfaces with multiple heating zones each including multiple heating elements, which ice protection system comprises: at least on master control unit (MCU) with an MCU processor, said MCU being connected to said power system and said heating elements; said MCU being adapted to be programmed to selectively energize said heating elements; said surfaces including a pair of wings; multiple said heating zones interspaced throughout said surface, each heating zone being associated with a respective heating element; a plurality of power control modules (PCMs) connected to said MCU, said PCMs including a PCM processor; each said PCM associated with at least one said heating element; each said PCM selectively instructed by said MCU to provide power to said associated heating element; a communication link facilitating communication between said PCMs and said MCU; a microcontroller adapted to interface major functional communication blocks communicating to and from said communication link; said PCMs being functionally isolated from each other PCM such that the fault of one PCM does not affect the operation of remaining non-faulted PCMs; each of said multiple PCMs being capable of feeding electrical output to a heating zone on a wing of an aircraft while simultaneously feeding electrical output to the complimentary heating zone on an opposing wing of the aircraft whereby said pair of aircraft wings are symmetrically heated; solid-state switching within each of said multiple PCMs configured for proportional power control; a dithering function in said MCU for increased control resolution of the proportional power control; said PCM solid-state switching configured for implementing a zero-cross proportional power control scheme and reducing EMI emissions content and harmonic content; a generator adapted to provide power to at least two of said multiple PCMs; a coordinated synchronized power control scheme configured to minimize generator shock loads when said at least two PCMs are instructed to switch simultaneously; said at least one MCU including an MCU microcontroller; and wherein a hardware failsafe circuit is used to rapidly detect and isolate selected fault conditions independently from said microcontroller.