Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a sensing device, especially an ice sensor to detect ice formation on aircraft surface and melt the deposited ice from the sensor body.

Background of the Invention

Ice detection devices are electrical sensing devices that are specially designed to detect and measure the presence of ice and its accretion rate on cold surfaces. Ice detection devices are commonly used in refrigerators, wind turbines, aircraft wings, roads, and rooftops to sense the presence of ice. The output of the ice detection device might trigger a deicing system to remove the deposited ice mechanically, thermally, or chemically.

An aircraft must be make secure from the environmental intrusions . If water, ice, and their mixture accumulate on the aircraft, the aircraft becomes contaminated. At the same time, the weight of the aircraft increases. If left unchecked, the accumulation of ice can be laden, so the aircraft with additional weight and alter airfoil configuration to cause undesirable flying conditions. The ability to detect the accumulation of ice on such surfaces and measure the accumulated thickness thereof to identify dangerous flight conditions has therefore become highly desirable.

The European patent application numbered US20030189434A1 in state of the art discloses a system for determining the presence of ice on the surface of a structure. The system includes a guard layer mounted to the surface. A non-conductive layer is mounted on top of the ground plane. The first and second electrodes are made of a resistive material mounted on the non-conductive layer. The first and the second electrical lead is having the first ends attached to the first and second electrodes, respectively. This patent document hasn’t declared any specific ice thickness measurement technique for the aircraft. This sensor is based on capacitance and impedance measuring technique to quantify the ice deposition.

The patent application numbered US201715688840A in state of the art is based on the magnetostrictive principle, which measures the thickness of ice by the change in the vibrating frequency of the rod when a mass deposits on it.

None of the documents in state of the art disclose a solution as in the present application.

Short Description of the Invention

The objective of the invention is that an ice sensor is provided for the detection of the thickness of the ice on the aircraft surface.

The objective of the invention is that an ice sensor is provided for the removal of the ice from the sensor body after the ice detection.Another objective of the invention is that the ice sensor is provided a capacitance-based ice thickness measurement technique.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The ice sensor in order to fulfill the objects of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1. Schematic of the ice sensor

Figure 2. View of the ice sensor Elements shown in the figures are individually numbered, and the correspondence of these numbers are given as follows:

1. Ice sensor 2. Sensor body

3. Electrode

4. Heater

5. Measurement unit

6. Controller

The ice sensor (1) for detection of ice formation on preferably aircraft, submarine and ship surface and melting the deposited ice comprises; at least one sensor body (2), at least two electrodes (3) which operate on the capacitance-based principle and extending from the sensor body (2), at least one heater (4) connected to the electrodes (2) for melting ice deposition, at least one measurement unit (5) connected to the electrodes (2) configured to measure the capacitance of the electrodes (2), at least one controller (6) configured to calculate a reference regarding the formation of ice using said capacitance and calculate a reference regarding the formation of ice using said output.

The ice sensor (1) comprises at least one sensor body (2). The sensor body preferably includes the space therein. Preferably, the sensor body (2) has a circular bottom region, and the top portion of the sensor body (2) has a small circular preferably cylindrical. The sensor body (2) preferably is made of aluminum. The ice sensor (1) comprises at least two electrodes (3) extending from the top portion of the sensor body (2). Electrodes (3) operate on the capacitance-based principle. The electrodes can be made up of copper metal, aluminum, gold, carbon fiber, or any electrical conductors. The electrodes can be made from Nichrome material which is a resistive material and can be used for heating. The top portion of the body (2) is hollow from the inside, which has a space for the heater (4). One side of the top cylindrical body has two groves for the copper electrodes (3). These two groves face the air flow. The diameter of the top cylinder is 10[mm], and the diameter of the lower cylinder is 74[mm]. The electrodes (3) are deposited on the groves with adhesive, and they are coated with non-conductive insulating material. The electrodes (3) are connected with the measurement unit (5). Measurement unit (5) has an integrated circuit that converts capacitance to frequency.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the top of the bottom circular cylinder has been extended to form a rectangular shape, and all four comers have one hole for the screws so that sensor (1) can be attached to the aircraft surface.

From the bottom side, the sensor is enclosed by a circular cup shape which has threads at its outer surface, and it makes its bond with the same threads on the threads present on the bottom surface of the sensor (1) body surface.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the ice sensor (1) preferably includes at least one RS-232 data output for the connection with the industrial applications or aircrafts.

The working principle of the sensor (1) is based on the parallel plate capacitor. The ice thickness is measured by the change in the dielectric value of the fringing value of capacitance by the deposition of the ice on the sensor tip. The electrodes (3) are not entirely parallel, but they are in a curved shape, and they fit on the circular cylinder onto the groves on the outer surface of the top cylinder. A distance d is kept between the electrodes (3) plates to maintain a reference capacitance value. The electrodes (3) are connected with the measurement unit (5), which measures the change in the capacitance when the ice starts to deposit on the sensor (1). Measurement unit (5) has an LC tank resonator circuit. The electrodes (3) are operated in differential mode and are connected to an integrated circuit whose output is the frequency change upon the change in the capacitance value.

The sensor (1) is the place of the installation; the sensor (1) should be installed in such a manner on the aircraft surface such that the electrodes (3) plates face the airflow. Sensor (1) is also capable of differentiating between rain and snow as the dielectric value of the water is much more than snow.

Furthermore, the addition of heater (4) inside the sensor (1) makes it a stand-alone device to detect at one and melt the ice so that the ice deposition rate can be calculated by repeating the melting and deposition cycle and measuring the time of deposition.

The electrodes (3) are connected to the measurement unit (5), which measures the change in the frequency, and the data is transmitted in i2c format, and this is further connected to the controller (6) to fetch the data from the ice and make decisions and apply algorithms to indicate the presence of ice on the sensor surface. The controller (6) is configured to activate the heater (4) on the response of the sensor feedback.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the sensor body (2) is composed of aluminum with a special design, having two portions in the main body, the top portion for the placement of the electrodes (3) and the lower portion for the placement of the electronic part.

Ice sensor (1) can be preferably used to detect ice on aircrafts, submarines and ships.