EP0100621A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Detector and method for detecting ice
Assignee: United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
•
Filing: 1983-07-15
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2003-07-15
Abstract
Abstract An ice detector to detect a layer of ice on a thin solid sheet 14, such as the skin of an aircraft wing, even in the presence of water, comprises two ultrasonic transducers attached to the sheet. The first transducer 10 is adapted to cause propagation of ultrasonic waves through the sheet 14 having their predominant component parallel to the surface of the sheet 14. Such waves will dissipate energy into an ice layer adhering to the surface, but not into air or a liquid layer. The second transducer 30 is adapted to detect the waves propagating in the sheet and to give a signal representative of their amplitude. A discriminator 34 responsive to the signal detects the presence of an ice layer on the surface.
Inventors
- 👤 Roger David Watkins
- 👤 Arthur Blackley Gillespie
- 👤 Michael Oliver Deighton
- 👤 Roger Barrie Pike
- 👤 Colin Basil Scott-Kestin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 07:48
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N29/00; G01N29/04; G01N29/11; B; B64; B64D; B64D15/00; B64D15/20; G01N2291/00; G01N2291/02; G01N2291/023; G01N2291/025; G01N2291/0251; G01N2291/04; G01N2291/042; G01N2291/0422; G01N2291/0427; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S367/00; Y10S367/908
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
103 words
A method for detecting ice on a surface of a thin solid sheet (14) characterised by, energising a transducer (10) to cause propagation through a portion of the sheet (14) of ultrasonic waves having their predominant component parallel to the surface (16) of the sheet (14), detecting the waves by means of a second transducer (30), measuring the amplitude of the waves received by the second transducer (30), and detecting by means of the amplitude of the waves received by the second transducer (30) the presence of a layer of ice on the surface " (16) of the portion of the sheet (14).
Claim 2
Independent Claim
103 words
A method for detecting ice on a surface of a thin solid sheet (14) characterised by, energising a transducer (10) to cause propagation through a portion of the sheet (14) of ultrasonic waves having their predominant component parallel to the surface (16) of the sheet (14), detecting the waves by means of a second transducer (30), measuring the amplitude of the waves received by the second transducer (30), and detecting by means of the amplitude of the waves received by the second transducer (30) the presence of a layer of ice on the surface " (16) of the portion of the sheet (14).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as claimed in Claim 1 characterised in that the waves are horizontally polarized guided shear waves.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as claimed in Claim 1 characterised in that the waves are a mode of Lamb wave whose predominant component is horizontal.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
32 words
A method as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims characterised in that the frequency of the waves is chosen to provide a desired sensitivity to thickness of the ice layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
92 words
An ice detector to detect ice on a surface (16) of a thin solid sheet (14), comprising an ultrasonic transducer (10) adapted to cause propagation through a portion of the sheet (14) of ultrasonic waves having their predominant component parallel to the surface (16) of the sheet (14), an ultrasonic transducer (30) adapted to receive the waves and create a signal representative of the amplitude thereof, and means (34) responsive to the signal to detect the presence of an ice layer on the surface (16) of the portion of the sheet (14).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
92 words
An ice detector to detect ice on a surface (16) of a thin solid sheet (14), comprising an ultrasonic transducer (10) adapted to cause propagation through a portion of the sheet (14) of ultrasonic waves having their predominant component parallel to the surface (16) of the sheet (14), an ultrasonic transducer (30) adapted to receive the waves and create a signal representative of the amplitude thereof, and means (34) responsive to the signal to detect the presence of an ice layer on the surface (16) of the portion of the sheet (14).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
An ice detector as claimed in Claim 5 characterised in that the waves are horizontally polarized guided shear waves.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
An ice detector as claimed in Claim 5 characterised in that the waves are a mode of Lamb wave whose predominant component is horizontal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
An ice detector as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 7 characterised in that the frequency of the waves is chosen to provide a desired sensitivity to thickness of the ice layer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
An ice detector as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 8 characterised in that the ultrasonic transducers (10, 30) are acoustically coupled to the opposite surface (12) of the portion of the sheet (14) to that (16) on which an ice layer may form.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
An ice detector as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 9 characterised in that the ultrasonic transducers (10, 30) are piezoelectric transducers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
ll. An ice detector as claimed in Claim 10 characterised in that each transducer (10, 30) includes more than five piezoelectric strips (40).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
An ice detector as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 9 characterised in that the ultrasonic transducers (50) are electromagnetic transducers.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
An ice detector as claimed in Claim 12 characterised in that each transducer (50) comprises more than five ferromagnetic strips (52), and an exciting coil (60).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
213 words
An ice detector to detect ice on a surface (16) of a thin solid sheet (14), characterised by: (a) a first ultrasonic transducer (10) acoustically coupled to the surface (12) of the sheet (14) opposite to the surface (16) on which an ice layer may form, and adapted when energised to cause propagation through a portion of the sheet (16) of horizontally polarized guided ultrasonic shear waves of a frequency between 250 kHz and 1 MHz; (b) a second ultrasonic transducer (30) acoustically coupled to the said opposite surface (12) of the sheet (14), and adapted to receive the ultrasonic waves propagating through the portion of the sheet (14) and to create a signal representative of the amplitude of said ultrasonic waves; and (c) means (34) responsive to the signal to detect the presence of an ice layer on the surface (16) of the portion of the sheet (14); wherein the frequency is chosen to provide a desired sensitivity to thickness of the ice layer, and each transducer (10, 30) comprises a plurality of linear elements (40) arranged adjacent to the said opposite surface (12), aligned parallel to each other at a spacing at least approximately equal to the wavelength of the ultrasonic waves of the chosen frequency propagating in the sheet (14).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
213 words
An ice detector to detect ice on a surface (16) of a thin solid sheet (14), characterised by: (a) a first ultrasonic transducer (10) acoustically coupled to the surface (12) of the sheet (14) opposite to the surface (16) on which an ice layer may form, and adapted when energised to cause propagation through a portion of the sheet (16) of horizontally polarized guided ultrasonic shear waves of a frequency between 250 kHz and 1 MHz; (b) a second ultrasonic transducer (30) acoustically coupled to the said opposite surface (12) of the sheet (14), and adapted to receive the ultrasonic waves propagating through the portion of the sheet (14) and to create a signal representative of the amplitude of said ultrasonic waves; and (c) means (34) responsive to the signal to detect the presence of an ice layer on the surface (16) of the portion of the sheet (14); wherein the frequency is chosen to provide a desired sensitivity to thickness of the ice layer, and each transducer (10, 30) comprises a plurality of linear elements (40) arranged adjacent to the said opposite surface (12), aligned parallel to each other at a spacing at least approximately equal to the wavelength of the ultrasonic waves of the chosen frequency propagating in the sheet (14).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.