ICING CONDITION DETECTION METHOD

• US 20160257414A1
• Filed: 05/16/2016
• Published: 09/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Clemen, Mark Joseph Jr., Wert, Jerry Lee, Perry, George Albert, Gardner, Scott Hutchinson, Langhofer, Erik Marc, Meis, Charles Steven
• Granted Patent: US 10,124,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/12 by electric heating electric heating elements in general H05B
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/20 Means for detecting icing or initiating de-icing
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 15/22 Automatic initiation by icing detector

Abstract

A method for detecting an icing condition using an apparatus comprising a piezoelectric material and a vibration detector. The piezoelectric material has a surface proximate to a surface of a vehicle. The piezoelectric material is configured to vibrate. The vibration detector is configured to detect a change in vibrations in the piezoelectric material that indicates a presence of an icing condition on the surface of the piezoelectric material.

Claims

1. A method for detecting an icing condition, the method comprising:

causing vibrations in a piezoelectric material associated with a surface of a vehicle; and

determining whether the icing condition is present on a surface of the piezoelectric material from a change in the vibrations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the icing condition is present on the surface of the piezoelectric material from the vibrations comprises:

monitoring the vibrations in the piezoelectric material; and

determining whether the change in the vibrations is large enough to indicate a presence of the icing condition on the surface of the piezoelectric material.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing an operation when a determination is made that the icing condition is present on the surface of the piezoelectric material.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein performing the operation when the determination is made that the icing condition is present on the surface of the piezoelectric material comprises:

indicating that a number of icing conditions is present when the determination is made that the icing condition is present on the surface of the piezoelectric material.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein performing the operation when the determination is made that the icing condition is present on the surface of the piezoelectric material comprises:

initiating operation of an anti-icing system when the determination is made that the icing condition is present on the surface of the piezoelectric material.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein initiating operation of the anti-icing system when the determination is made that the icing condition is present on the surface of the piezoelectric material comprises:

initiating operation of the anti-icing system when the determination is made that the icing condition is present on the surface of the piezoelectric material, wherein the anti-icing system is selected from at least one of an infrared heater, an electrical resistive heater, and a de-icer boot.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the vibrations in the piezoelectric material associated with the surface of the vehicle comprises:

causing the vibrations in the piezoelectric material associated with the surface of the vehicle, wherein the piezoelectric material is selected from one of a piezoelectric crystal, a piezoelectric ceramic, quartz, and gallium phosphate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the vibrations in the piezoelectric material associated with the surface of the vehicle comprises:

causing the vibrations in a shear mode in the piezoelectric material associated with the surface of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the vibrations in the piezoelectric material associated with the surface of the vehicle comprises:

causing the vibrations in the piezoelectric material associated with the surface of the vehicle, wherein the piezoelectric material and a vibration detector are associated with a housing installed in the vehicle such that the surface of the piezoelectric material is substantially flush with the surface of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric material is a first piezoelectric material, the method comprising:

causing the vibrations in a shear mode in the first piezoelectric material associated with the surface of the vehicle, wherein the first piezoelectric material vibrates in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction in which waves generated by the first piezoelectric material;

causing vibrations in the shear mode in a second piezoelectric material having a second surface remote from the surface of the vehicle; and

detecting a difference in a frequency of vibrations in the first piezoelectric material compared to a frequency of vibrations in the second piezoelectric material to determine whether the icing condition is present.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

removing ice from the surface of the vehicle using an electrical resistive heater.

12. A method for detecting an icing condition, the method comprising:

causing vibrations in a first piezoelectric material having a first surface proximate to a surface of a vehicle and configured to vibrate in a shear mode such that the first piezoelectric material vibrates in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction in which waves generated by the first piezoelectric material propagate;

causing vibrations in the shear mode in a second piezoelectric material remote from the surface of the vehicle, wherein the first piezoelectric material and the second piezoelectric material are exposed to a same temperature; and

detecting a difference in a frequency of vibrations in the first piezoelectric material compared to a frequency of vibrations in the second piezoelectric material to determine whether the icing condition is present.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

removing ice from the surface of the vehicle using an electrical resistive heater.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first surface of the first piezoelectric material is exposed to an environment, a second surface of the second piezoelectric material is not exposed to the environment, and the second piezoelectric material is identical to the first piezoelectric material.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein changes in the temperature result in vibrations in the first piezoelectric material being the same as the vibrations in the second piezoelectric material when ice or other fluid is not present on the surface of the first piezoelectric material.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting a change in the frequency of vibration of the first piezoelectric material relative to a frequency of vibration of the second piezoelectric material to determine whether the icing condition is present on the surface of the first piezoelectric material.

17. The method of claim 12, further wherein the first piezoelectric material and a vibration detector are associated with a housing installed in the vehicle such that the surface of the first piezoelectric material is substantially flush with the surface of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the icing condition is selected from at least one of ice on the surface of the vehicle and water droplets on the surface of the vehicle in conditions that cause the water droplets to form the ice.

19. A method for detecting an icing condition, the method comprising:

causing vibrations in a first piezoelectric material having a first surface proximate to a surface of a vehicle and configured to vibrate in a shear mode such that the first piezoelectric material vibrates in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction in which waves generated by the first piezoelectric material propagate;

causing vibrations in the shear mode in a second piezoelectric material remote from the surface of the vehicle;

detecting a difference in a frequency of vibrations in the first piezoelectric material compared to a frequency of vibrations in the second piezoelectric material to determine the icing condition is present; and

removing ice from the surface of the vehicle using an electrical resistive heater.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first surface of the first piezoelectric material is exposed to an environment, a second surface of the second piezoelectric material is not exposed to the environment, and the second piezoelectric material is identical to the first piezoelectric material.