Blower assisted heating and defogging system for small aircraft

Abstract

For the purposes of increasing pilot visibility and comfort in small planes during winter conditions, this invention provides an auxiliary heating system. Prior to actual flight, that is to say that during start up, warm up, taxi and takeoff, a small aircraft does not intake sufficient outside air to warm the cabin and defrost the windshield. The normal heating system on a small plane depends upon ram air when the plane is flying at normal speeds. This invention consists of a simple replacement part, mainly an electric blower which sucks in air from outside the aircraft and forces it through the muffler shroud and thereafter into the cabin and defroster ducts. The system is operated by a switch located on the control panel. Once the aircraft is in flight, the system may be shut off as there is sufficient ram air to heat the small aircraft.

1 . An auxiliary heating and defrosting system adapted to provide warmed air to a cabin and windshield of a small piston engine aircraft; said system including: 
 a first electrically powered blower connected to an opening in an engine compartment cooling baffle wall system of said aircraft, said blower having an inlet and an outlet end;    said inlet end of said blower receiving ambient air from outside the aircraft;    said outlet end of said blower discharging said ambient air received from outside the aircraft into a heat shroud system enclosing a portion of an engine exhaust system wherein, in operation said air is heated;    a second electrically powered blower also having an inlet end and an outlet end; said second blower located downstream of said first heat shroud system; said second blower receiving heated air through its inlet end and discharging said heated air into said heating and defrosting system; where said blowers forcibly move air through said heating and defrosting system.    
   
   
       2 . An auxiliary heating and defrosting system adapted to provide warmed air to a cabin and windshield of a small piston engine aircraft; said system including: 
 a first electrically powered blower connected to an opening in an engine compartment cooling baffle wall; said blower having and inlet end and an outlet end; said inlet end of said blower receiving outside air, and said outlet end of said blower discharging said air into a heat shroud system enclosing a portion of an engine exhaust system wherein, in operation, said air is heated;    a second electrically powered blower also having an inlet end and an outlet end; said second blower located in the cabin of said aircraft downstream of said first electrically powered blower for receiving a blend of ambient cabin air and heated air from said first blower and heat shroud system though said inlet end, and discharging said heated air and said ambient cabin air through said outlet end into said aircraft defrosting system;    wherein said blowers, in operation, forcibly move air through said aircraft heating and defrosting system.    
   
   
       3 . An auxiliary heating and defrosting system adapted to provide warmed air to a cabin and a windshield of a small piston engine aircraft; said system including: 
 a first electrically powered blower connected to an opening in an engine compartment cooling baffle wall system of said aircraft, said blower having an inlet end and an outlet end; said inlet end of said blower receiving outside ambient air; said outlet end of said blower discharging said air into a heat shroud system enclosing a portion of an engine exhaust system wherein, in operation, said air is heated and discharged into the cabin of said aircraft,    said system also including a second electrically powered blower having an inlet end and an outlet end, said second blower being located in the cabin of said aircraft and adapted to receive a blend of ambient cabin air and heated air from said first blower and heat shroud system through said inlet end, and discharge said blend of ambient cabin air and heated air into said aircraft defrosting system; wherein, in operation said blowers forcibly move air through said aircraft heating and defrosting system.    
   
   
       4 . An auxiliary defrosting system adapted to provide ambient cabin air to a windshield of a small piston engine aircraft; said system including: 
 a first electrically powered blower located in a cabin of said small piston engine aircraft;    said blower having an inlet end and an outlet end; said inlet end of said blower receiving ambient cabin air; said outlet end of said blower in operation discharging said ambient air received from said cabin onto said windshield of said small engine aircraft, wherein, in operation said blower forcibly moves said ambient air through said auxiliary defrosting system.    
   
   
       5 . An auxiliary heating and defrosting system, adapted to provide warmed air to the cabin and windshield of a small aircraft; said system including: 
 a first blower adapted to be connected to a flange and an engine compartment baffle wall;    said flange being also connected to said engine compartment baffle wall around a pre-existing air intake aperture;    said system also including an air duct hose and a first clamp;    said clamp being adapted to secure a first end of said air duct hose around an air outlet end of said blower;    said air duct hose also including a second end;    said second end being connected by a second clamp to a muffler shroud air intake aperture;    said muffler shroud also including an air outlet aperture connected to a cabin air intake hose;    said cabin air intake hose being connected at its downstream end to a second blower accepting heated air and assisting the first blower in accelerating and moving the air through an aircraft cabin heat and defrost system;    said second blower at its downstream end being connected to a duct leading to said cabin and defrost system;    said muffler shroud encircling and enclosing an airspace about an exhaust muffler;    said exhaust muffler forming an existing portion of an exhaust system of a small aircraft engine;    said system also including electrical circuit breaker wiring and an on/off circuit breaker switch;    said electrical circuit breaker wiring being connected to an electrical source in said aircraft, said blowers, and said circuit breaker switch;    said switch for said blowers being located in said small aircraft cabin; and    wherein, in operation, when said circuit breaker switch is in an “on” position, said first blower forces outside ambient air through said muffler shroud into said cabin and said second in-line blower assists in moving greater volumes of air at higher velocities through the cabin heat and defrost system.    
   
   
       6 . An auxiliary heating and defrosting system, adapted to provide warmed air to a cabin and windshield of a small aircraft; said system including: 
 a first blower adapted to be connected to a flange and an engine compartment baffle wall;    said flange being also connected to said engine compartment baffle wall around a pre-existing air intake aperture;    said system also including an air duct hose and a first clamp;    said clamp being adapted to secure a first end of said air duct hose around an air outlet end of said blower;    said air duct hose also including a second end;    said second end being connected by a second clamp to a muffler shroud air intake aperture;    said muffler shroud also including an air outlet aperture connected to a cabin air intake hose;    said cabin air intake hose having an outlet end directing heated air into said cabin through an aperture to a second blower;    said second blower located within the cabin and adapted to assist said first blower to force heated air to an aeroplane's windshield and cabin;    said muffler shroud encircling and enclosing an airspace about an exhaust muffler;    said exhaust muffler forming an existing portion of an exhaust system of a small aircraft engine;    said system also including electrical circuit breaker wiring and an on/off circuit breaker switch; said switch being located within said aircraft cabin;    said electrical circuit breaker wiring being connected to an electrical source in said aircraft, said blowers, and said circuit breaker switch; and    wherein, in operation, when said circuit breaker switch is in an “on” position, said blowers can be operated, or shutdown, then relying on forces produced by outside ambient air pushed through said muffler shroud into said cabin by ram air effect caused by forward motion of the aircraft.    
   
   
       7 . An auxiliary heating and defrosting system adapted to provide air to a windshield of a small aircraft, said system including: 
 a first axial electric in-line blower attached to a ram air inlet aperture in an aircraft engine cowling wall;    said first blower being connected at its downstream end to an air duct; said air duct being connected at its downstream end to an air inlet in a muffler heat shroud;    said muffler heat shroud having an air outlet connected to a cabin air intake duct; said cabin air intake duct adapted to pass through a cabin firewall to a second cabin air intake duct;    said system also including an ambient cabin air intake duct communicating with and connected said second cabin air intake duct;    said ambient air intake duct adapted to receive ambient cabin air;    said second cabin intake duct connecting at its downstream end, to a second axial in-line electrical blower;    said blower being connected at its downstream end to a duct directed at said windshield of a small aircraft;    said first and second axial blowers being connected to an aircraft electrical system and operated by at least one switch located in said cabin;    wherein, in operation said system, during take-off and taxi and idle, provides warmed engine muffler shroud air and ambient cabin air to said aircraft windshield.    
   
   
       8 . An auxiliary defrosting system, adapted to provide air to a windshield of a small aircraft; said system including: 
 at least one inline axial blade blower located in a cabin area with an inlet end for receiving heated or unheated ambient cabin air;    said blower having an outlet end for directing said cabin air to said windshield for removing fog from or preventing fog from forming on said windshield;    said blower being attached to said aircraft under an instrument panel in said cabin area, said system also including openings in a dashboard above said instrument panel for allowing air in operation to be directed onto said windshield;    said system also including electrical circuit breaker wiring an “on/off” circuit breaker switch;    said electrical circuit breaker wiring being connected to an electrical source in said aircraft, said blower, and said circuit breaker switch;    and when said switch for said blower is in an “on” position, said blower can be operated for providing good visibility for safe taxiing and takeoffs.    
   
   
       9 . An electrical in-line blower system for small aircraft adapted to heat an aircraft cabin and defrost a windshield during start-up, taxiing, and take-off, said system including a first blower adapted to receive air through a ram air inlet in an engine cowling wall; said first blower adapted to force air through a duct to a muffler shroud; said muffler shroud encompassing hot air from a muffler of an aircraft engine exhaust system; in operation said air being heated and forced through a muffler shroud outlet duct into a second in-line axial blower; said second blower being connected to a cabin air duct and assisting said first blower to force heated air into said aircraft cabin and against said windshield, when an aircraft heating system switch is in an “on” position.  
   
   
       10 . A system as claimed in  claim 5  wherein said second blower is located in the cabin side of a cabin firewall.  
   
   
       11 . An auxiliary heating and windshield defogging system for a small aircraft comprising a first axial electrical in-line blower adapted in operation to receive outside ambient air from a ram air inlet aperture in a engine compartment baffle wall and force said air through a muffler shroud; said air, being forced through a cabin intake hose through an aperture in a cabin firewall; said system further including a cabin air intake duct adapted to receive ambient air from a cabin; said intake duct communicating with and connected to said cabin intake hose; said cabin intake hose forcing air to a second axial electrical blower; said second blower in operation being adapted to force both heated air and ambient cabin air towards said windshield; said first and second blowers being operated by at least one cabin electrical switch; said switch and said blowers being connected to an aircraft electrical system.  
   
   
       12 . An auxiliary heating and windshield defogging system comprised of an electrical axial blower located within a small aircraft cabin below a dashboard; said electrical axial blower in operation being adapted to receive ambient cabin air and direct it through an air duct towards said windshield, said blower being actuated by a switch in the cabin, said switch being in circuit connected to an aircraft electrical system.