Automated water drop measurement and ice detection system
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- a sensor system comprising a number of probes each having a viscous portion configured to collect drops of water from air on an exterior of an aircraft, the sensor system configured to and generate a number of images of the drops of water collected;
wherein the sensor system comprises a camera system configured to generate the number of images of the drops of water collected by the number of probes, wherein the number of probes is configured to;
extend into the air on the exterior of the aircraft and retract out of the air on the exterior of the aircraft into an interior of the aircraft; and
an icing condition detector configured to detect a presence of a number of types of icing conditions for the aircraft using the number of images from the sensor system and analyze the number of images to identify a first type of icing condition and a second type of icing condition for the aircraft when the drops of water collected are frozen drops of water by comparing a size of the frozen drops of water in the number of images with a drop database of drop sizes for frozen drops of water, wherein the second type of icing condition is a supercooled large drop type of icing condition.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for detecting an icing condition. The apparatus comprises a sensor system and an icing condition detector. The sensor system is configured to collect drops of water from air on an exterior of an aircraft and generate a number of images of the drops of water collected. The icing condition detector is configured to detect a presence of a number of types of icing conditions for the aircraft using the number of images from the sensor.
7 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- a sensor system comprising a number of probes each having a viscous portion configured to collect drops of water from air on an exterior of an aircraft, the sensor system configured to and generate a number of images of the drops of water collected;
wherein the sensor system comprises a camera system configured to generate the number of images of the drops of water collected by the number of probes, wherein the number of probes is configured to;
extend into the air on the exterior of the aircraft and retract out of the air on the exterior of the aircraft into an interior of the aircraft; and
an icing condition detector configured to detect a presence of a number of types of icing conditions for the aircraft using the number of images from the sensor system and analyze the number of images to identify a first type of icing condition and a second type of icing condition for the aircraft when the drops of water collected are frozen drops of water by comparing a size of the frozen drops of water in the number of images with a drop database of drop sizes for frozen drops of water, wherein the second type of icing condition is a supercooled large drop type of icing condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14)
- a sensor system comprising a number of probes each having a viscous portion configured to collect drops of water from air on an exterior of an aircraft, the sensor system configured to and generate a number of images of the drops of water collected;
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8. An icing condition detection system comprising:
a group of sensor units configured to generate information about a number of types of icing conditions outside of an aircraft, wherein a sensor unit in the group of sensor units comprises a number of probes each having a viscous portion configured to collect drops of water from air on an exterior of the aircraft and a camera system configured to generate a number of images of the drops of water collected by the number of probes, wherein the number of probes are configured to;
extend into the air on the exterior of the aircraft, and retract out of the air on the exterior of the aircraft into an interior of the aircraft; and
an icing condition detector configured to detect a presence of the number of types of icing conditions for the aircraft using the number of images from the camera system and analyze the number of images to identify a first type of icing condition and a second type of icing condition for the aircraft when the drops of water collected are frozen drops of water by comparing a size of the frozen drops of water in the number of images with a drop database of drop sizes for frozen drops of water, wherein the second type of icing condition is a supercooled large drop type of icing condition.- View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A method for detecting an icing condition, the method comprising:
- collecting drops of water from air on an exterior of an aircraft using a number of probes each having a viscous portion;
moving the number of probes to extend into the air on the exterior of the aircraft and retract out of the air on the exterior of the aircraft into an interior of the aircraft;
generating, using a camera system, a number of images of the drops of water collected on the number of probes as frozen drops of water when the number of probes are retracted out of the air on the exterior of the aircraft into the interior of the aircraft;
determining whether a number of types of icing conditions for the aircraft is present using the number of images from a sensor system; and
analyzing the number of images to identify a first type of icing condition and a second type of icing condition for the aircraft when the drops of water collected are frozen drops of water by comparing a size of the frozen drops of water in the number of images with a drop database of drop sizes for frozen drops of water, wherein the second type of icing condition is a supercooled large drop type of icing condition. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
- collecting drops of water from air on an exterior of an aircraft using a number of probes each having a viscous portion;
Specification