Methods and apparatus for an in-flight precipitation static sensor

US7596997B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Boeing Company · US

Inventors

• Arlene M. Brown · Normandy Park, US
• Grant J. Erickson · Enumclaw, US
• Joe Heeter · Sammamish, US
• David W. Kwolek · Renton, US
• Robert Steinle · Seattle, US
• Kari L. Stromsland · Seattle, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 15, 2008
• Grant date: Oct 6, 2009
• Expiry date: May 15, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T156/10
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A precipitation static sensor includes a bottom flexible dielectric layer (e.g., a layer of urethane tape) configured to be attached to a wing or other external surface of an aircraft, a flexible conductive layer (e.g., a layer of aluminum tape) formed over a portion of the first flexible dielectric layer, and a conductor (such as a twisted-pair wire) coupled to the flexible conductive layer. A top flexible dielectric layer is formed over a portion of the bottom dielectric layer and a portion of the flexible conductive layer, thus forming an exposed detector region. In accordance with a further embodiment, multiple such precipitation static sensors are used and coupled to a meter device (e.g., a picoammeter), which may also be coupled to a data acquisition and display for providing a visual indication of the charge accumulated by the precipitation static sensors.