Detection system and method for ice and other debris
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of detecting debris on a surface of a member, the method comprising:
- heating the member by actuating a de-icing system integral to the member;
sensing an infrared radiation emitted from a portion of the surface of the member opposite the de-icing system; and
determining a change in the infrared radiation resulting from the heating of the member by the de-icing system in said heating step, the change being determined as a temporal emission profile of the radiation emitted from the portion of the member, and thereby detecting the presence of debris on the surface of the member.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for detecting debris on the surface of a member are provided, for example, for detecting ice or other debris on an outer surface of an aircraft. The detection system includes a heating device in thermal communication with the member, an infrared sensing device configured to sense infrared radiation emitted from the member, and a monitoring device in communication with the sensing device. The monitoring device is configured to monitor a change in emission from the member and thereby detect the presence of debris on the surface of the member.
-
Citations
27 Claims
-
1. A method of detecting debris on a surface of a member, the method comprising:
-
heating the member by actuating a de-icing system integral to the member; sensing an infrared radiation emitted from a portion of the surface of the member opposite the de-icing system; and determining a change in the infrared radiation resulting from the heating of the member by the de-icing system in said heating step, the change being determined as a temporal emission profile of the radiation emitted from the portion of the member, and thereby detecting the presence of debris on the surface of the member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method of detecting debris on a surface of a member, the method comprising:
-
a first heating step comprising heating the member at a time when debris is known to exist on the member; after said heating step and while the debris is known to exist on the member, sensing infrared radiation emitted from the member and determining a change in the infrared radiation to thereby establishing a predetermined profile characteristic of the member; a second heating step comprising heating the member by actuating a de-icing system integral to the member and in thermal communication with the member; after a start of said second heating step, sensing an infrared radiation emitted from a portion of the surface of the member opposite the de-icing system during a time interval; determining a temporal emission profile of the radiation emitted from the portion of the member during the time interval and comparing the temporal emission profile of the member to the predetermined profile characteristic to thereby detect the presence of debris on the surface of the member. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A method of detecting debris on a surface of a member, the method comprising:
-
sensing emissions of an infrared radiation from the surface of the member; heating the member during a time interval if the sensed emissions are below a characteristic temporal emission profile; sensing emissions of the infrared radiation from the surface of the member during the time interval; and determining a change in the infrared radiation resulting from the heating of the member in said heating step, and thereby detecting the presence of debris on the surface of the member.
-
Specification