Method of determining the risk of ice deposition due to precipitation and apparatus for exercising the method

• US 7,418,347 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2003
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dalsgaard Nielsen APS
• Original Assignee: Dalsgaard Nielsen APS
• Inventors: Nielsen, Evan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nghiem; Michael P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Toan M
• Application Number:
  US10/525,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,827 Days
• Field of Search: 702/3, 702/1, 702/2, 340/580, 340/601, 340/602, 244/134.R, 731/702.6
• US Class Current: 702/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/20 Means for detecting icing or initiating de-icing
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/30 Cleaning aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining the risk of ice deposition due to precipitation. According to the invention the measurements of precipitation known so far are combined with measurements of the actual amount of ice deposited from the precipitation. Said measurements are combined in a combination unit that is able to receive further parameter information, eg the amount and type of anti-icing liquid. Compared to previously a considerably more reliable determination of the risk of ice deposition is accomplished, eg on the wing of an aeroplane applied with anti-icing liquid, and so is reliable determination of the holdover time, HOT, during which one can be sure that the aeroplane is free from ice in the current weather conditions.

Claims

1. A method of determining risk of ice deposition from air due to precipitation comprising the steps of measuring the air temperature, estimating a type of precipitation and an amount of precipitation, rotating a surface element having a surface with a predetermined area through the air for a predetermined period of time, measuring an actual amount of ice accumulated on the surface element, and combining the measurements to determine the risk of ice deposition.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the type of precipitation is estimated on the basis of a measurement for determining the ratio of liquid to frozen particles contained in the precipitation.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein a measurement is performed for determining the total equivalent, liquid amount of precipitation.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement for determining the actual amount of ice contained in the precipitation is performed as a calculation on the basis of dew point measurement.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein at the temperature of the surface element is caused to correspond essentially to the temperature of the atmosphere.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the surface is caused to have another predetermined temperature during said period of time.

7. A method according to claim 6 following measurement of the accumulated amount of ice, a relative movement is briefly provided between the surface element and the atmosphere at a relative rate that considerably exceeds the rate prior to said measurement, following which a further measurement of deposited ice is performed.

8. A method according to claim 7, comprising controlling the relative rate between the surface element and the atmosphere by controlling the rate of rotation of one or more rotatable surface elements.

9. A method according to claim 8, comprising measuring adhesive capacity of the ice by measurement of the accumulated amount of ice following a number of rotations at mutually different rates.

10. A method according to claim 8, comprising measuring resistance between the air and the ice accumulated on the surface element.

11. A method according to claim 10, comprising applying an anti-icing liquid in a predetermined concentration and a predetermined amount on the surface element before the measurements are performed.

12. A method according to claim 11, and wherein a surface is applied with a predetermined type and concentration of anti-icing liquid, wherein the risk of ice deposition on the surface is calculated on the basis of knowledge of the type and concentration of the anti-icing liquid;

knowledge of the result of the measurement for determining the ratio of liquid to solid particles contained in the precipitation; and

knowledge of the result of the measurement for determining the current amount of ice contained in the precipitation.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the risk is calculated and shown as a holdover time.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein manual tables are used to estimate holdover time, wherein the tables are grouped according to different types of precipitation, wherein the knowledge of the current amount of ice contained in the precipitation and the ratio of the precipitation of solid to liquid particles is used for defining the type of precipitation.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein the concentration and anti-icing liquid is determined as a function of holdover time and the measured risk of ice deposition.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein an expert system is used for the calculations which is configured for being run on a computer and configured for being able to estimate the risk of ice deposition on the basis of measurements, and configured for receiving information about the actual amount of ice accumulated, and, on the basis of the difference between the calculated and actual amount of ice, adjusting parameters in a calculation model for calculating the deposited amount of ice.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the computer is caused to be in communicative connection with other computers that are located in geographical different places;

and that the expert system is configured for calculating in advance future changes with regard to the risk of ice deposition in response to meteorological parameters entered therein.

18. An apparatus for determining a risk of ice deposition from air due to precipitation which comprises a combination of optical means for measuring reflectivity of precipitation, mechanical means for rotating a measuring surface element in relation to the air and for measuring an amount of ice accumulated on the surface element during a given period of time, and electronic means for combining said measurements.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18 and for the calculation of holdover time for anti-icing liquid, comprising a data storage device for storing information about empirical values for holdover time as a function of type of precipitation and the concentration of the anti-icing liquid.

20. An apparatus according to claim 18, comprising a mathematical model for estimating the ice deposition due to precipitation;

and that the electronic means are configured for comparing the estimated values to the actually measured values for the amount of ice and for adjusting parameters in the model for optimisation thereof.