Abstract:
The present invention provides for a method and apparatus for protecting a vehicle from a plurality of harmful airborne agents. The method comprises the steps of generating a plurality of charged particles from a charged particle source mounted on said vehicle for imparting the vehicle with a positive charge and irradiating the harmful airborne agents with radiation from a radiation source which is also mounted on the vehicle for forming positively charged harmful airborne agents for protecting the vehicle by electrostatic repulsion.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    Past efforts for protecting aircraft from ice accumulation using radiation sources have been limited to either heating the surface of the aircraft itself or in heating the cold droplets before they freeze. These prior method and apparatuses do not provide for a method and apparatus for repelling the droplets away from the surface of the aircraft  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    As used herein the words “vision field” is defined as the region of space as seen by object if it had eyes.  
           [0003]    The present invention also provides for a method and apparatus for protecting both animate and inanimate objects such as an aircraft from harmful airborne agents. The method comprises the steps of first, connecting a charging device to an object such as an aircraft for providing a positive charge thereto. One or more radiation source is also actuated for forming one or more beams of ultraviolet radiation for impinging upon a plurality of harmful airborne agents for ejecting an electron therefrom and thereby electrifying the harmful airborne agents with a positive charge for repelling the harmful airborne agents from the object for protecting the object from harmful airborne agents.  
           [0004]    The present invention provides for a method and apparatus for protecting an aircraft, such as a plane, jet or helicopter, from ice accumulation during flight. The method comprising the steps of first, mounting an ultraviolet radiation source to an aircraft for providing radiation therefrom and electrically connecting a charged particle source to the aircraft for providing charged particles therefrom. During icing fight conditions, a sensor sends a signal to the charged particle source for ejecting a plurality of negative particles from the aircraft for electrostatically charging at least a portion of the aircraft with a positive charge. The sensor also actuates the radiation source for forming a beam of ultraviolet radiation. The beam is focused upon on coming water droplets for ejecting an electron therefrom and thereby electrifying the droplets with a positive charge for repelling the droplets from the aircraft for protecting the aircraft from ice accumulation. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]    [0005]FIG. 1, shows a schematic of a method and apparatus for protecting an object from harmful airborne agents by the use of a radiation charger.  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 2, shows a schematic of a method and apparatus for protecting an aircraft from ice accumulation during flight.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 3, there is shown a schematic of a method and apparatus for protecting a parked aircraft from freezing droplets of water.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 4, there is shown a schematic of a method and apparatus for protecting an aircraft from ice accumulation during flight by use of a heated wire electrode.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]    While the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the present invention would be of significant utility.  
         [0010]    Now referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a schematic of a method and apparatus for protecting an object from harmful airborne agents by the use of a radiation charger. The apparatus is a harmful airborne agent deflector generally indicated by the numeral  10 .  
         [0011]    The harmful airborne agent deflector  10  operates as now described. First, a charging device  12  is provided for establishing a positive electrostatic charge on at least a portion of an object  14 . Charging device  12  can be comprised of, for example, (1) an electret  16  that is boned to object  14  by an adhesive material  15 , (2) an electrostatic generator  18  that is electrically connected to object  14  through an electrical cable  20 , (3) an inducer  30  for electrostatically charging object  14  by induction, or (4) a charged particle source  32  for charging object  14  by the emission of a plurality of unipolar charged particles (not shown). Object  14  can be isolated from ground for maintaining an electrostatic charge on object  14 .  
         [0012]    After an electrostatic charge has been placed on object  14 , one or more radiation sources  40  are actuated for forming one or more beams of radiation generally indicated by the arrow  42 . In one form of the invention, beam(s)  42  are focused within at least a portion of a vision field generally indicated by the arrows  44  for ejecting electrons from a plurality of harmful airborne agents generally indicated by the numeral  46  located therein for electrostatically charging at least a portion of agents  46  with a positive electrostatic charge for protecting object  14  from agents  46 .  
         [0013]    Radiation source  40  may have a wavelength greater than 3 eV for ejecting electrons from harmful airborne agents  46  having an effective work function of greater than 3 eV. In one form of the invention, radiation source  40  has a wavelength greater than 6 eV for ejecting electrons from harmful airborne agents  46  comprised of water. Radiation source  40  can be, but is not limited to, an ultraviolet flashlamp or an excimer laser or a source of s-rays.  
         [0014]    In another form of the invention, beam(s)  42  are focused within a sea of harmful airborne agents generally indicated by the numeral  48  that is in fluid communication with object  14  for electrifying agents  48  therein.  
         [0015]    In still another form of the invention, beam(s)  42  are focused within an electrostatic field generally indicated by the arrows  50  for electrifying harmful airborne agents  46  located therein.  
         [0016]    In still yet another form of the invention, beam(s)  42  are focused within a travel path generally indicated by the arrow  52  such as a flight path or road for electrifying harmful airborne agents  46  therein. In this form of the invention, both radiation source  40  and one or more lens  51  can be directly attached to object  14  for continuously illuminating the travel path  52 . This form of the invention, is particularly useful for protecting occupants of a vehicle from harmful airborne agents in the form of a cloud of chemical or biological.  
         [0017]    Now referring to FIG. 2 there is shown a schematic of method and apparatus for protecting an aircraft from ice accumulation during flight. The apparatus is an electrostatic droplet repeller generally indicated by the numeral  110 .  
         [0018]    The electrostatic droplet repeller  110  operates in a manner now described. A charged particle source  112  is electrically connected to an aircraft  114  through a cable  116 . Charged particle source  112  can be comprised of a corona device which is electrically connected to an electrostatic generator. Aircraft  114  can be in the form of a helicopter, plane or jet.  
         [0019]    One or more ultraviolet source(s)  132  and  134  of radiation are also mounted on aircraft  114 .  
         [0020]    During icing flight conditions, an ice sensor  140 , of a type well known in the art, sends a signal to charged particle source  112  for ejecting a plurality of negatively charged particles generally indicated by the numeral  142  away from aircraft  114  for placing a positive electrostatic charge on at least a portion of aircraft  114 . Negatively charged particles  142  can be in the form of electrons. In the preferred form of the invention, the magnitude of the electrostatic charge on aircraft  114  is held just below the breakdown voltage of the air.  
         [0021]    Sensor  140  also activates radiation source(s)  132  and  134  for forming a beam generally indicated by the arrows  150  and  152  of radiation. Beams  150  and  152  are focused upon a plurality of on coming freezing water droplets generally indicated by the numeral  154  contained in a flight path generally indicated by the arrow  156  of the aircraft  114  for electrifying droplets  154  with a positive charge for repelling droplets  154  from at least a portion of aircraft  114  for protecting aircraft  114  from ice accumulation thereon. Source  132  can be activated for forming beam  150  in the form of a continuous or intermittent beam.  
         [0022]    In one form of the invention, beam  150  is swept over flight path  156  by a light deflector  160  for exposing flight path  156  to electrifying radiation.  
         [0023]    Now referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a schematic of a method and apparatus for protecting a parked aircraft from freezing droplets of water. The apparatus is a radiation umbrella generally indicated by the numeral  210 .  
         [0024]    The radiation umbrella  210  operates as now described. First, an electrostatic charge is placed on or otherwise created on at least a portion of an aircraft  214  by an electrostatic charger  212 .  
         [0025]    One or more source(s)  232  and  234  are then actuated for forming a radiation umbrella over at least a portion of aircraft  214  for electrifying a plurality of descending droplets generally indicated by the numeral  256  for protecting aircraft  214  from ice accumulation.  
         [0026]    Now referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a schematic of a method and apparatus for protecting an aircraft from ice accumulation during flight by use of a heated wire electrode, The apparatus is a wired electrostatic droplet repeller generally indicated by the numeral  310 .  
         [0027]    The wired repeller  310  operates in a manner now described. First, during icing flight conditions, an ice sensor  340  sends a signal to charged particle source  312  for ejecting a plurality of charged particles  342  away from an aircraft  314  for placing an electrostatic charge on at least a portion of aircraft  314 .  
         [0028]    Sensor  340  also activates one or more electrostatic generators  370  and  371  for charging one or more wire electrodes  372  and  374  which are located in a flight path generally indicated by the arrow  356  of aircraft  314  for forming a cloud generally indicated by the numeral  375  of charged particles generally indicated by the numeral  376  having the same polarity as aircraft  314 . In one form of the invention, wire electrode  372  is strung in front of a plurality of wings  380  and  382  for creating cloud  374  in the flight path of aircraft  314 .  
         [0029]    Cloud  374  of charged particles  376  electrifies a flow generally indicated by the arrow  390  containing a plurality of freezing water droplets  354  for placing a repellant charge thereon. The electrostatically charged droplets  354  are then repelled from at least a portion of aircraft  314  for the protection thereof.  
         [0030]    One or more heaters  392  and  394  may be used to heat wires  370  and  372  by Joule heating.