Device and method for detecting ice deposited on an aircraft structure
First Claim
1. An ice detection device for an aircraft, said detection device comprising:
- at least one transmitter which emits a first radiation and a second radiation in the direction of a reflective surface, said first radiation and said second radiation respectively being within a first wavelength band and a second wavelength band;
a receiver which captures the first radiation and the second radiation reflected by said reflective surface; and
a computer which determines the presence or absence of ice as a function of the intensity of the first radiation and the intensity of the second radiation captured;
wherein said transmitter and said receiver are designed to be attached to an external surface of the aircraft, and wherein the detection device comprises;
a protuberance on which the reflective surface is placed, said reflective surface extending at an angle substantially between 20.degree. and 90.degree. relative to the external surface of the aircraft, said reflective surface being located outside the boundary layer of the aircraft during flight; and
a heating/cooling device able to exchange heat with at least a portion of said reflective surface and wherein said reflective surface is surrounded by a thermal gasket.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to an ice detection device and method for detecting ice on an aircraft in flight. The device includes a transmitter which emits a first and a second radiation in the direction of a reflective surface, these two radiations respectively being within a first wavelength band and a second wavelength band; and a receiver which captures the reflected radiations. The transmitter and said receiver are fixed on an external surface of the aircraft. Then a computer determines the presence or absence of ice as a function of the intensity of the captured radiations. The reflective surface is located outside the boundary layer of the aircraft during flight and includes a heating/cooling device.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An ice detection device for an aircraft, said detection device comprising:
-
at least one transmitter which emits a first radiation and a second radiation in the direction of a reflective surface, said first radiation and said second radiation respectively being within a first wavelength band and a second wavelength band; a receiver which captures the first radiation and the second radiation reflected by said reflective surface; and a computer which determines the presence or absence of ice as a function of the intensity of the first radiation and the intensity of the second radiation captured;
wherein said transmitter and said receiver are designed to be attached to an external surface of the aircraft, and wherein the detection device comprises;a protuberance on which the reflective surface is placed, said reflective surface extending at an angle substantially between 20.degree. and 90.degree. relative to the external surface of the aircraft, said reflective surface being located outside the boundary layer of the aircraft during flight; and a heating/cooling device able to exchange heat with at least a portion of said reflective surface and wherein said reflective surface is surrounded by a thermal gasket. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 19)
-
-
7. An ice detection method for an aircraft, wherein a detection device comprises a transmitter, a receiver, a computer, a heating/cooling device, and a clock;
- said method comprising the following steps;
emitting a first radiation and a second radiation in the direction of a reflective surface, with said first radiation and said second radiation respectively being within a first wavelength band and a second wavelength band; receiving said first radiation and said second radiation reflected by said reflective surface; determining the absence or presence of ice on the reflective surface as a function of the intensity of the first reflected radiation and the intensity of the second reflected radiation, wherein said method additionally comprises the following steps; a) cooling the reflective surface until the presence of ice is determined, and measuring the cooling time; b) heating the reflective surface until the absence of ice is determined, and measuring the heating time; c) repeating steps a) and b) a predetermined number of times; d) determining the severity of the ice conditions as a function of the cooling time measured during step a) and the heating time measured during step b); and
further comprising the following steps;e) evaluation of a first ice thickness by measuring the contrast between the intensity of the first radiation received and the intensity of the second radiation received; f) after a time, evaluation of a second ice thickness by measuring the contrast between the intensity of the first radiation received and intensity of the second radiation received; g) calculating the ice accretion speed according to the first ice thickness, the second ice thickness and the length of time between the evaluation of the first ice thickness and the evaluation of the second ice thickness; and h) determining the severity of the ice conditions as a function of the accretion speed. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 20)
- said method comprising the following steps;
-
10. An ice detection method for an aircraft, using a detection device comprising a transmitter, a receiver, a computer, a heating/cooling device, and a clock;
- said method comprising the following steps;
emitting a first radiation and a second radiation in the direction of a reflective surface, said first radiation and said second radiation respectively being within a first wavelength band and a second wavelength band; receiving said first radiation and said second radiation reflected by said reflective surface; wherein said method additionally comprises the following steps; a) measuring the contrast between the intensity of the first radiation received and the intensity of the second radiation received;
said measuring step is repeated a predetermined number of times with a predetermined timing until it reaches a predetermined number of steps or a predefined maximum contrast value;b) calculating the slope of the contrast signal reconstructed from the measurements, and c) determining the severity of icing conditions according to said slope.
- said method comprising the following steps;
-
11. An ice detection device for an aircraft, said detection device comprising:
-
at least one transmitter which emits a first radiation and a second radiation in the direction of a reflective surface of the aircraft, said first radiation and said second radiation respectively being within a first wavelength band and a second wavelength band; a receiver which captures the first radiation and the second radiation reflected by said reflective surface; a computer which determines the presence or absence of ice as a function of the intensity of the first radiation and the intensity of the second radiation captured;
wherein said transmitter and said receiver are designed to be attached to an external surface of the aircraft, and wherein the detection device comprises;a protuberance on which the reflective surface is placed, said reflective surface extending at an angle substantially between 20.degree. and 90.degree. relative to said external surface of the aircraft, said reflective surface being located outside the boundary layer of the aircraft during flight; and a heating/cooling device able to exchange heat with at least a portion of said reflective surface;
the heating/cooling device exchanging heat with at least an end portion of the protuberance, andwherein said reflective surface is located on said end portion of the protuberance, said end portion being surrounded by a thermal gasket. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
Specification