Abstract:
A method of forming an air data probe comprises the steps of utilizing an additive manufacturing technique to lay down a portion of a wall of an air data probe, and also utilizing an additive manufacturing technique to lay down a conductive portion of a heater element within the wall. An air data probe is also disclosed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This application relates to an air data probe for use in aircraft applications and wherein electrical heater elements are imbedded in a wall of the probe. 
         [0002]    Modern aircraft are becoming more sophisticated and require precise information. Controls for modern aircraft must know an air speed with accuracy. As part of determining the air speed, an air data probe is often mounted at a location on an aircraft body. 
         [0003]    Modern air data probes take in air and evaluate that air to determine air speed and other parameters (as examples, altitude, angle of attack, angle of side slip) of an aircraft carrying the probe. One challenge is that aircraft often operate in extremely cold environments. 
         [0004]    As such, air data probes are often provided with heater elements. Standard air data probes as manufactured will typically include an outer wall formed of a metal. The heater elements are then mounted within an inner periphery of that wall. Of course, mounting the heater elements within the inner periphery spaces them away from the outer surface of the air data probe. 
         [0005]    It has been proposed to cast heater elements within a body of an air data probe. However, casting processes may result in degradation of the heater assembly. In addition, a dielectric material and casing is often placed between the electric heater element and the material forming the wall separated by the casing. The dielectric material and casing may also be subject to degradation from casting processes. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    A method of forming an air data probe comprises the steps of (1) utilizing an additive manufacturing technique to lay down a portion of a wall of an air data probe, and (2) also utilizing an additive manufacturing technique to lay down a conductive portion of a heater element within the wall. An air data probe is also disclosed. 
         [0007]    These and other features may be best understood from the following drawings and specification. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  shows an air data probe mounted on an aircraft. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2A  shows a first step in forming the air data probe. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2B  shows a subsequent step. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2C  shows a portion of the air data probe as manufactured. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]      FIG. 1  shows an aircraft body  20 , schematically. An air data probe  22  is mounted to the aircraft body. The air data probe  22  has a tap  24  at a forward end. The tap  24  will sample a portion of air W as the aircraft moves through the air. The tapped air will move into an opening  28  in a tube  26 , and to a pitot pressure tap  30 . Pressure tap  30  is shown communicating with a control  31 . Control  31  will translate the tapped pressure into an air speed of the aircraft body  20 . In addition, a static pressure tap  32  is utilized and communicates to the control  31 . A hole  33  provides a tap to communicate air to static pressure tap  32 . The details for translating tapped pressures into an air speed may be as known and form no portion of this disclosure. 
         [0013]    A wall  34  of the air data probe is formed, as is a forward boss  36  receiving the tube  26 . An electric heater connection  38  communicates to the control  31  and provides electric power to heater elements  40 . In addition, sensors  42  may be imbedded within the wall  34 . The sensors  42  may be temperature sensors, as an example. The temperature sensors  42  also communicate back to the control  31 . The heater elements  40  are provided with electric current to generate heat and are imbedded within the wall  34 . As such, the heater elements  40  are closer to an outer periphery  41  of the air data probe  22  than has been the case in the traditional air data probe. 
         [0014]    The sensor  42  will communicate a temperature of the wall  34 , as an example, to the control  31 . The control  31  can, thus, control the current supplied to the heater element  40  based upon the sensed temperature and to ensure proper operation. 
         [0015]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  show a method of forming the air data probe  22 . So-called “additive manufacturing” techniques are utilized to form the air data probe  22  and the embedded elements  40  and sensors  42 . While any number of additive manufacturing techniques may be utilized, additive manufacturing techniques as suggested to form structure of appropriate wall material that is a good temperature conductor, as well as depositing the electric elements  40  and  42 . Typically, metal is utilized for wall  34  and boss  36 , as well as the electric components  40  and  42 . 
         [0016]    Laser engineered net shaping additive manufacturing techniques may be utilized. Laser sintering or powder feed technology may be utilized. Alternatively, a laser may be utilized to melt wire to form the electric conductor and sensor portions  40  and  42 . Other additive manufacturing techniques, such as electron beam melting may also be used. 
         [0017]    As shown in  FIG. 2A , a portion of the wall  34  is being formed by an additive manufacturing tool  50 . Another tool  52  is shown in phantom and deposits a dielectric material. The tools  50  and  52  may be a single additive manufacturing tool and simply, the feed to a laser, which forms a portion of these tools, may differ when the wall  34  is being formed as compared to the material  46 . The dielectric material insulates a conductor portion of the heater element  40 . 
         [0018]    As shown in  FIG. 2B , another tool  54  may deposit a conductor portion  44  of the heater element  40 . Again, a laser may be utilized as a portion of the tool  54  and a single laser may be utilized for each of the tools  50 ,  52  and  54 , with the feeds to the lasers being simply changed between materials. 
         [0019]    In addition, as shown in  FIG. 2B , the sensor  42  may have previously been formed in a similar manner. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2C  shows the final wall  34  having the heater element  40  with an inner electric conductor portion  44  and a dielectric material  46 . The dielectric material serves to electrically insulate the conductor  44 , but preferably is a good transmitter of heat, such that the heat from the conductor  44  reaches the outer surface  41  of the wall  34 . Tube  26  and boss  36  are formed in a similar manner, and from the same material as wall  34 . 
         [0021]    With the disclosed embodiment, a one-piece air data probe provides better operational features than the prior art. 
         [0022]    Although an embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.