Apparatus and method for detecting water or ice

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for detecting the presence of water or ice on a structure, for example on the surface of an aircraft. One or more separate heaters are thermally coupled to a structure (for example on the back of wing leading edge skins). A controller applies...

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Bibliographische Detailangaben
Hauptverfasser:	Stothers, Ian McGregor, Saunders, Robert William
Format:	Patent
Sprache:	eng
Schlagworte:	AIRCRAFT ARRANGEMENTS OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSIONTRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT AVIATION COSMONAUTICS EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT FLYING SUITS INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES MEASURING MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT MEASURING TEMPERATURE PARACHUTES PERFORMING OPERATIONS PHYSICS TESTING THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR TRANSPORTING
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Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:	The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for detecting the presence of water or ice on a structure, for example on the surface of an aircraft. One or more separate heaters are thermally coupled to a structure (for example on the back of wing leading edge skins). A controller applies power to the heaters to heat the different regions of the surface of the structure. The controller detects the presence of water or ice by comparing the power required to achieve the desired surface temperature, and a reference power, where the reference power is the power required to heat the surface of the structure to the same temperature if the structure were in a dry air environment (i.e. an environment devoid of water). If the power consumed by the heater is greater than the reference power, the presence of water or ice is inferred.