A REAL TIME ICE DETECTION SYSTEM FOR STRUCTURES

ICE ACCUMULATION ON STRUCTURES HAS LONG BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A SIGNIFICANT AND COSTLY PROBLEM FOR BOTH INDUSTRY AND FOR GOVERNMENT. AT PRESENT NO SYSTEM HAS BEEN DEVELOPED WHICH POSITIVELY DETECTS ICE PER SE, AND NOT MERELY POTENTIAL ICING CONDITIONS. OUR PROPOSAL IS TO DEVELOP A DETECTION SYSTEM WHICH WILL DEFINITIVELY REPORT THE PRESENCE OF ICE, AND WILL AUTOMATICALLY ACTIVATE A DEICING SYSTEM. WHEN ICE ACCUMULATION IS NO LONGER A PROBLEM, THE SYSTEM WILL BE ACTIVATED AUTOMATICALLY. THE OBJECTIVE OF OUR RESEARCH WILL BE TO DEVELOP A SMALL, RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE DETECTING DEVICE WHICH CAN BE INSTALLED ON ANY STRUCTURE. THE DEVICE WILL MEASURE CHANGES WHICH OCCUR IN THE TRANSITION PERIOD DURING WHICH WATER CHANGES TO ICE. THESE CHANGES WILL BE INTERPRETED AND FORWARDED TO A RECORDING OR READOUT DEVICE WHICH WILL AUTOMATICALLY INSTITUTE DEICING PROCEDURES.