Method and apparatus for determining an icing condition status of an environment

• US 9,846,261 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2013
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universite Laval
• Original Assignee: Universite Laval
• Inventors: Bgin-Drolet, Andr, Ruel, Jean, Lemay, Jean
• Primary Examiner(s): Verbitsky, Gail Kaplan
• Application Number:
  US14/404,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20150110149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 374 29, 374 30, 374100, 374 16, 374 28, 374 7, 374138, 374141, 374208, 374109, 374147, 374148, 374 43, 738615, 73 73, 73 2336, 738612
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/40 Ice detection; De-icing means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/04 of melting point; of freezing point; of softening point
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/02 Instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover or wind speed G01W1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/06 giving a combined indication of weather conditions catathermometers for measuring "cooling value" related either to weather conditions or to comfort of other human environment G01W1/17; computers per se G06
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/02 Alarm responsive to formation or anticipated formation of ice
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

The method includes receiving a value of a quantity of heat applied to at least a portion of a structure, said structure having a sensor surface exposed to the environment, receiving a temperature measurement of the sensor surface, receiving a wind speed measurement of the environment, receiving an ambient temperature measurement of the environment, determining a heat transfer projection of the sensor area using at least the wind speed measurement, the ambient temperature measurement, and one of the value of a quantity of heat and a target temperature of the sensor surface; comparing the heat transfer projection to an associated heat transfer value, and generating a signal indicating the icing condition status based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A method for determining an icing condition status of an environment, the method comprising:

receiving a value of a quantity of heat applied to at least a portion of a structure, said structure having a sensor surface exposed to the environment,

receiving a temperature measurement of the sensor surface,

receiving a wind speed measurement of the environment,

receiving an ambient temperature measurement of the environment,

determining a heat transfer projection of the sensor area using at least the wind speed measurement, the ambient temperature measurement, and one of the value of a quantity of heat and a target temperature of the sensor surface;

comparing the heat transfer projection to an associated heat transfer value, and

generating a signal indicating the icing condition status based on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the heat transfer projection is a quantity of heat projection determined using the target temperature of the sensor surface, and the associated heat transfer value is the value of a quantity of heat applied.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising varying the value of a quantity of heat based on said comparison.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the heat transfer projection is a temperature projection determined using the value of the quantity of heat applied, and the associated heat transfer value is the temperature measurement of the sensor surface.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the icing condition status is one of a presence of icing, an absence of icing, and a quantitative indication of a likelihood of icing.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising activating an ice mitigation system if the signal indicating the icing condition status indicates one of the presence of icing and the quantitative indication of a likelihood of icing exceeding a given threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature measurement is done by a temperature sensor located in the structure.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the heat transfer projection includes obtaining the heat transfer projection from an empirically established table.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the heat transfer projection includes calculating the heat transfer projection.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising measuring the wind speed of the environment using an anemometer.

10. An apparatus for determining an icing condition status of an environment, the apparatus comprising:

a structure having a sensor surface exposed to the environment,

a resistor positioned to apply a quantity of heat to at least a portion of the structure,

a temperature sensor positioned to obtain a temperature measurement of the sensor surface,

a controller to receive a wind speed measurement of the environment and an ambient temperature measurement of the environment, a function to determine a heat transfer projection of the sensor area using at least the wind speed measurement, the ambient temperature measurement, and one of the value of the quantity of heat and a target temperature of the sensor surface and a function to compare the heat transfer projection to an associated heat transfer value.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising an ice mitigation system connected for activation based on the results of said function to compare.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the temperature sensor is located in the structure.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the sensor surface is cylindrical.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the sensor surface is provided in the form of a hollow shaft with the resistor being positioned in the hollow shaft.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising an anemometer to obtain the wind speed measurement.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the temperature sensor is a first temperature sensor, further comprising a second temperature sensor to obtain an ambient temperature measurement of the environment.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the sensor surface and the anemometer are mounted to a windmill.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the function uses the value of the quantity of heat, the heat transfer projection is a temperature projection of the sensor surface, and the associated heat transfer value is the temperature measurement of the sensor surface.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the function uses the value of the target temperature of the sensor surface, the heat transfer projection is a quantity of heat projection, and the associated heat transfer value is a quantity of heat measurement.