De-icing systems and control

A system for heating an exterior of an aircraft, the system comprising:

• a series of individual heating elements arranged on a skin of the aircraft;
• a first sensor positioned on the skin in a first location that corresponds with a region of relatively low temperature within a heating pattern produced by the heating elements;
• a second sensor positioned on the skin of the aircraft in a second location that corresponds with a region of relatively high temperature within the heating pattern produced by the heating elements;
• and
• a control system connected to the heating elements, the first sensor, and the second sensor,
• wherein the control system is configured to:
• control power supplied to the heating elements responsive to output from the first sensor;
• detect, based on an output from the second sensor, a temperature of the aircraft skin at the second location;
• compare the temperature to a reference temperature for the second location;
• and
• in response to determining that temperature is greater than the reference temperature, trigger an indication of an over-temperature condition.

A system for heating an exterior of an aircraft, the system comprising:

• a series of individual heating elements arranged on a skin of the aircraft;
• a first sensor positioned on the skin in a first location that corresponds with a region of relatively low temperature within a heating pattern produced by the heating elements;
• a second sensor positioned on the skin of the aircraft in a second location that corresponds with a region of relatively high temperature within the heating pattern produced by the heating elements;
• and
• a control system connected to the heating elements, the first sensor, and the second sensor,
• wherein the control system is configured to:
• control power supplied to the heating elements responsive to output from the first sensor;
• detect, based on an output from the second sensor, a temperature of the aircraft skin at the second location;
• compare the temperature to a reference temperature for the location;
• and
• in response to determining that temperature is greater than the reference temperature, reduce power applied to a heating element.

A system for heating an exterior of a bulk conductor, the system comprising:

• a series of individual heating elements arranged on a skin of the bulk conductor;
• a sensor positioned on the skin in a location that corresponds with a region of relatively low temperature within a heating pattern produced by the heating elements;
• and
• a control system connected to the heating elements and the sensor, the control system configured to control power supplied to the heating elements responsive to output from the sensor,
• wherein the heating elements are coupling strips comprising a multi-layer structure extending along a surface of the bulk conductor skin that forms, in combination with the bulk conductor skin, an electrical transmission line, the multi-layer structure comprising:
• a first dielectric layer over the bulk conductor skin,
• a conductive layer over the first dielectric layer,
• a second dielectric layer over the conductive layer, and
• a conductive shielding layer over the second dielectric layer.

A system for heating an exterior of a bulk conductor, the system comprising:

• a series of individual heating elements arranged on a skin of the bulk conductor;
• a first sensor positioned on the skin in a first location that corresponds with a region of relatively low temperature within a heating pattern produced by the heating elements;
• a second sensor positioned on the skin of the bulk conductor in a second location that corresponds with a region of relatively high temperature within the heating pattern produced by the heating elements;
• and
• a control system connected to the heating elements, the first sensor, and the second sensor,
• wherein the control system is configured to:
• control power supplied to the heating elements responsive to output from the first sensor;
• detect, based on an output from the second sensor, a temperature of the bulk conductor skin at the second location;
• compare the temperature to a reference temperature for the second location;
• and
• in response to determining that temperature is greater than the reference temperature, trigger an indication of an over-temperature condition.

A system for heating an exterior of a bulk conductor, the system comprising:

• a series of individual heating elements arranged on a skin of the bulk conductor;
• a first sensor positioned on the skin in a first location that corresponds with a region of relatively low temperature within a heating pattern produced by the heating elements;
• a second sensor positioned on the skin of the bulk conductor in a second location that corresponds with a region of relatively high temperature within the heating pattern produced by the heating elements;
• and
• a control system connected to the heating elements, the first sensor, and the second sensor,
• wherein the control system is configured to:
• control power supplied to the heating elements responsive to output from the first sensor;
• detect, based on an output from the second sensor, a temperature of the bulk conductor skin at the second location;
• compare the temperature to a reference temperature for the location;
• and
• in response to determining that temperature is greater than the reference temperature, reduce power applied to a heating element.

A system for heating an exterior of an aircraft, the system comprising:

• a series of individual heating elements arranged on a skin of the aircraft, wherein the heating elements are coupling strips comprising a multi-layer structure extending along a surface of the aircraft skin that forms, in combination with the aircraft skin, an electrical transmission line, the multi-layer structure comprising:
• a first dielectric layer over the aircraft skin,
• a conductive layer over the first dielectric layer,
• a second dielectric layer over the conductive layer, and
• a conductive shielding layer over the second dielectric layer, and
• wherein the conductive layer of at least one of the coupling strips comprises a sense line and a carrier line, the sense line arranged, within the coupling strip, to sense faults in the carrier line or the coupling strip;
• and
• a control system connected to the heating elements, the control system configured to:
• control power supplied to the heating elements;
• and
• detect, based on one or more signals received through the sense line, a fault in one or more of the coupling strips.