Deicing system in sodar systems
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for heating surfaces within a remote SODAR apparatus, the system comprising:
- a transducer array comprising a plurality of acoustic transducers;
a sound mirror comprising a rear surface and a sound-reflective surface, wherein the sound-reflective surface is disposed opposite the transducer array and on an opposite side of the sound mirror as the rear surface;
a drain path leading out of the remote SODAR apparatus;
a heater;
a closed loop system coupled with the rear surface of the sound mirror and coupled with the heater, the closed loop system comprising channels and a liquid disposed within the channels, the closed loop system arranged to circulate heated liquid within the channels from the heater to the rear surface of the sound mirror and proximate the drain path;
one or more conductive structures thermally coupled with the closed loop system and the rear surface of the sound mirror;
sensors that sense precipitation and temperature; and
a controller coupled with the sensors and the heater, the controller configured to cause the heater to heat the liquid in the closed loop system in response to either or both sensed precipitation and sensed temperature from the sensors.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for heating the sound-reflective mirror surface of a phased array monostatic sodar apparatus. The system has a heat source located at a position that is spaced from the mirror, a control system that controls the operation of the heat source, a working fluid that is heated by the heat source and used to transfer heat from the source to the mirror, and a delivery system that constrains the heated working fluid and delivers it from the heat source to the mirror.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for heating surfaces within a remote SODAR apparatus, the system comprising:
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a transducer array comprising a plurality of acoustic transducers; a sound mirror comprising a rear surface and a sound-reflective surface, wherein the sound-reflective surface is disposed opposite the transducer array and on an opposite side of the sound mirror as the rear surface; a drain path leading out of the remote SODAR apparatus; a heater; a closed loop system coupled with the rear surface of the sound mirror and coupled with the heater, the closed loop system comprising channels and a liquid disposed within the channels, the closed loop system arranged to circulate heated liquid within the channels from the heater to the rear surface of the sound mirror and proximate the drain path; one or more conductive structures thermally coupled with the closed loop system and the rear surface of the sound mirror; sensors that sense precipitation and temperature; and a controller coupled with the sensors and the heater, the controller configured to cause the heater to heat the liquid in the closed loop system in response to either or both sensed precipitation and sensed temperature from the sensors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for heating surfaces within a remote SODAR apparatus, the system comprising:
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a transducer array comprising a plurality of acoustic transducers; a sound mirror comprising a rear surface and a sound-reflective surface, wherein the sound-reflective surface is disposed opposite the transducer array and on an opposite side of the sound mirror as the rear surface; a drain path leading out of the remote SODAR apparatus; a closed loop which comprises one or more enclosed liquid-carrying channels and comprising a liquid disposed within the liquid-carrying channels, wherein the liquid comprises a liquid antifreeze solution; a heater fueled by propane and operating catalytically to oxidize the propane without an open flame to heat the liquid disposed within a portion of the liquid-carrying channels; an electrically driven pump that circulates the liquid through the liquid carrying channels from the heater to the rear surface of the sound mirror and proximate the drain path; one or more conductive structures to which one or more of the enclosed liquid-carrying channels are coupled, the conductive structures sized and shaped so as to conform to the outside surface of the channels over a majority of the channel'"'"'s circumference and with a generally flat surface that is coupled to the rear surface of the sound mirror, to accomplish the effective thermal connection between the channels and the sound mirror; a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the sound mirror; a precipitation sensor; a controller that controls the operation of the heater, wherein the controller turns on the heater upon the simultaneous detection of precipitation from the precipitation sensor and a sound mirror temperature from the temperature sensor that is close to or below the freezing point of water, and turns off the heater when the sound mirror temperature reaches at least a certain temperature above freezing; and a thermally conductive epoxy adhesive used to make a joint of low resistance to heat transfer between the conductive structures and the sound mirror, and also used to make a joint of low resistance to heat transfer between the enclosed channels and the conductive structures, and in which the enclosed channels, the conductive structures and the sound mirror are all made of a same metal.
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Specification