Icing Conditions Infrared Imaging System

Aircraft icing is a severe aviation weather hazard as formation of ice on aircraft surfaces leads to degradation in aerodynamic performance. Today, there are limited ice detection systems available that warn pilots of icing, used primarily by the military and airlines due to their high acquisition and certification costs. Innovative Dynamics Inc. will address these issues by developing a low cost windshield infrared (IR) ice detector for the GA fleet. Existing windshield ice detectors consist of a dash mounted red light that is only visible to the flight crew at night when light is reflected from ice accretion on the pilots windshield. The proposed ice detector will operate day and night providing icing conditions information, Outside Air Temperature as well as direct measurement of accumulated ice on the windshield. During Phase I, we will develop a prototype IR ice detector and demonstrate performance in an icing tunnel. During Phase II, we will team with a leading GA manufacturer to develop a flight worthy ice detector for application to windshields of popular commercial Business Jet.