Patent · US Expired

Microwave ice accretion measuring instrument

US4688185A · kind A · utility

21Cited by
6References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 10, 1984
Grant dateAug 18, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 10, 2004

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01B15/02
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An ice measurement instrument includes a waveguide operating in a transmission mode passing energy from an input port to an output port. The resonant frequency of the waveguide depends on the presence and/or thickness of ice at a measuring location. The energy applied to the input port is swept in frequency from a first frequency to a second frequency at or above an ice-free resonant frequency of said waveguide, and back to said first frequency. Energy received at the output port is peak detected to provide a detection signal with four recognizable transitions identifying a pair of peaks which correspond to the resonant frequency of the waveguide. The time delay between these peaks can be used, in comparison with the time delay corresponding to an ice-free condition, to determine ice thickness.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.