Abstract: Ice accretion on a probe is detected by determining the change of frequency of a vibrating type ice detector or sensor as ice starts to build up. The rate of change of frequency is determined and is combined with parameters including air velocity and air temperature for providing a signal that indicates liquid water content in the airflow as well as ice accretion on the ice detector.

Abstract: Ice accretion on a probe is detected by determining the change of frequency of a vibrating type ice detector or sensor as ice starts to build up. The rate of change of frequency is determined and is combined with parameters including air velocity and air temperature for providing a signal that indicates liquid water content in the airflow as well as ice accretion on the ice detector.

Abstract: An ice detector has a pair of probes, each of which is used for determining the accretion of ice thereon. One of the probes in the assembly is configured so the smaller droplets of supercoooled water are inertially separated and flow away from the one probe. The ice accretion on the one probe is primarily from large (50 microns or greater) supercooled droplets. The ice accreting on the one probe is therefore biased to supercooled large droplets. The probes are connected to detection circuitry that will determine the ratio of the rates of icing between the probes so the presence of supercooled large droplets can be determined. In one form, a flow guide is arranged to create an airflow that carries smaller droplets past one of the probes without impinging on the probe, but the higher inertia, supercooled large droplets will impinge on that one probe.

Abstract: A smart probe system for an aircraft receives an input from a heated total air temperature sensor. When on the ground, the heater for the total air temperature probe is cycled so that when a preselected temperature is indicated by the temperature sensing element in the total air temperature probe, the heater power is turned off, and as the total air temperature probe cools, changes. Changes in indicated temperature from the temperature sensing element are measured and the changes analyzed and used for determining outside air temperature. The outside air temperature can be calculated by determining the rate of change in the temperature while the probe cools. A complimentary method is to determine when the indicated temperature stabilizes, after the heater is turned off, and deriving outside air temperature from the stabilized temperature signal from the sensing element.

Abstract: An aerodynamic air data sensing probe adapted for mounting to an air vehicle and capable of generating signals related to a fluid flowing relative to the air vehicle. A fluid inlet positioned on a first end of the strut faces generally transverse to the fluid flow selectively admits fluid to an internal strut cavity due to a pressure differential thereacross. In operation, the pressure differential forms between the first end surface of the aerodynamically-shaped, forward-inclined strut and probe exhaust ports. A temperature sensing element disposed in the internal strut cavity registers the temperature of the fluid and the sensed fluid is expelled from the internal strut cavity through the exhaust ports. In another embodiment, a barrel-shaped probe head adapted to sense fluid pressure connects to a portion of the leading edge of the strut to form an aerodynamic multifunction air data sensing probe.

Abstract: An aerodynamic air data sensing probe adapted for mounting to an air vehicle and capable of generating signals related to a fluid flowing relative to the air vehicle. A fluid inlet positioned on a first end of the strut faces generally transverse to the fluid flow selectively admits fluid to an internal strut cavity due to a pressure differential thereacross. In operation, the pressure differential forms between the first end surface of the aerodynamically-shaped, forward-inclined strut and probe exhaust ports. A temperature sensing element disposed in the internal strut cavity registers the temperature of the fluid and the sensed fluid is expelled from the internal strut cavity through the exhaust ports. In another embodiment, a barrel-shaped probe head adapted to sense fluid pressure connects to a portion of the leading edge of the strut to form an aerodynamic multifunction air data sensing probe.