Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for acoustic plate mode liquid-solid phase transition detection

US5187980A · kind A · utility

17Cited by
12References
2Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 31, 1990
Grant dateFeb 23, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 31, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2291/0425
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sensing a liquid-solid phase transition event is provided which comprises an acoustic plate mode detecting element placed in contact with a liquid or solid material which generates a high-frequency acoustic wave that is attenuated to an extent based on the physical state of the material is contact with the detecting element. The attenuation caused by the material in contact with the acoustic plate mode detecting element is used to determine the physical state of the material being detected. The method and device are particularly suited for detecting conditions such as the icing and deicing of wings of an aircraft. In another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided wherein the adhesion of a solid material to the detecting element can be measured using the apparatus of the invention.

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