EP-4059844-B1 - ICING DETECTOR

EP4059844B1EP 4059844 B1EP4059844 B1EP 4059844B1EP-4059844-B1

Inventors

SOEJIMA, HIDEKI
KONO, MITSURU
YASUI, Shuugo
OKADA, SATOSHI

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20220304

Claims (1)

An icing detector (200) comprising: an aircraft structure (AS); an exposed member (210) coupled to the aircraft structure (AS), exposed to an outside of the aircraft structure (AS), and fixed to an outer surface (SU) of the aircraft structure (AS), wherein the exposed member (210) includes a flexible member (211) that is an optical fiber cable, and a post (111) that has one end fixed to the outer surface (SU); an optical fiber sensor (220) coupled to the exposed member (210) and covered by the aircraft structure (AS); and a measuring device (130) configured to emit light into the optical fiber sensor (220) and measure a change in the frequency of the backscatter of the light traveling through the optical fiber sensor (220), wherein the change is due to the optical fiber sensor (220) being strained or deformed by transmission of vibration or load to the optical fiber sensor (220) if ice is formed on the exposed member (210) and the flexible member (211) is fixed to the post (111) with the ice, wherein one end of the flexible member (211) is coupled to the optical fiber sensor (220), the flexible member (211) is wound around the post (111) with at least a portion thereof being spaced apart from the post (111), and the exposed member (210) comprises a weight member (113), and the other end of the post (111) and the other end of the flexible member (211) is coupled to the weight member (113).

Description

BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field The disclosure relates to an icing detector. 2. Related Art An icing sensor configured to detect icing that may occur on the surface of an aircraft is disclosed by Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2005-145453. The icing sensor disclosed by JP-A No. 2005-145453 detects icing with reference to the frequency of resonance that is caused in a finger by electrical excitation. US 7 370 525 B1 discloses a dual channel system to detect inflight ice accretion on the surface of an aircraft. The system comprises an ice collecting surface fixed in a housing mounted on an aircraft; transmission means to transmit a light source of single linear polarization to said ice collecting surface; receiving means to acquire backscattered light from said ice collecting surface using one receiving light conductor with polarization sensitivity aligned to the polarization of the light source and a second receiving light conductor with polarization sensitivity aligned orthogonal to the polarization of the light source; detection means to detect light intensities in each of said receiving light conductors; processing means to determine the ratio of detected light intensities; processing means to determine the change in the ratio as indication of ice accretion on said ice collecting surface; a heat source adjacent to said housing that is initially activated upon indication of ice accretion and then maintained active until a change in detected light intensities indicates the removal of ice on the ice collecting surface; and control means to repeat process while inflight, determine ice accretion severity and activate the ice protection and pilot warning systems. CN 111 216 899 A discloses an icing detector based on grating fiber deformation, comprising an icing rod. The icing rod is provided with a plurality of periodically arranged ice crystal collecting holes along its axial direction. The hole runs through a windward side of the icing rod to a leeward side. The ice crystal collecting hole is provided with a windward net at a windward surface. A leeward net is arranged at the other end at the leeward surface. An elastic pillar is arranged between the windward net and the leeward net and the elastic pillar is arranged along the axial direction of a grating fiber. JP S63 135810 A discloses a single input optical waveguide and a plurality of reflected light receiving waveguide groups arranged in parallel with each other at intervals. The ends of both waveguides are exposed on a detection surface of a substrate and oriented, so that the light that exits from the input optical waveguide end and is reflected at the substrate surface or an attached matter interface enters one of the light receiving waveguide groups. SUMMARY An aspect of the disclosure provides an icing detector according to claim 1, including an aircraft structure, an exposed member, an optical fiber sensor, and a measuring device. The exposed member is coupled to the aircraft structure and is exposed to an outside of the aircraft structure. The optical fiber sensor is coupled to the exposed member and is covered by the aircraft structure. The measuring device is configured to measure light received from the optical fiber sensor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate example embodiments and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aircraft according to an embodiment of the disclosure;FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an icing detector according to an example being not encompassed by the wording of the claim;FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the icing detector according to the example of Figure 2, with ice formed on an exposed member thereof;FIG. 4 illustrates a first modification of a weight member;FIG. 5 illustrates a second modification of the weight member;FIG. 6 illustrates a third modification of the weight member;FIG. 7 illustrates a fourth modification of the weight member;FIG. 8 schematically illustrates an icing detector according to an embodiment; andFig. 9 schematically illustrates the icing detector according to the embodiment, with ice formed on an exposed member thereof. DETAILED DESCRIPTION An electrical icing sensor such as the one disclosed by JP-A No. 2005-145453 has a problem in being susceptible to electromagnetic interference. It is desirable to provide an icing detector that is less susceptible to electromagnetic interference. Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, values, and other details to be described in the following embodiments are only exemplary for easy understanding of the disclosure and do not limit the disclosure, unless otherwise stated. I