Inflight ice detector to distinguish supercooled large droplet (SLD) icing
US6759962B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 4, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jul 6, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 27, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG08B19/02
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An ice detector has a pair of probes, each of which is used for determining the accretion of ice thereon. One of the probes in the assembly is configured so the smaller droplets of supercoooled water are inertially separated and flow away from the one probe. The ice accretion on the one probe is primarily from large (50 microns or greater) supercooled droplets. The ice accreting on the one probe is therefore biased to supercooled large droplets. The probes are connected to detection circuitry that will determine the ratio of the rates of icing between the probes so the presence of supercooled large droplets can be determined. In one form, a flow guide is arranged to create an airflow that carries smaller droplets past one of the probes without impinging on the probe, but the higher inertia, supercooled large droplets will impinge on that one probe.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.