Low-power ice protection system having zoned thermal elements integrated with zoned vibration elements

An ice protection system (IPS) comprising:

• a body region comprising body region zones having zone-center regions and zone-perimeter regions that are around and do not overlap with the zone-center regions;
• thermal elements within the body region and the zone-perimeter regions;
• vibration elements within the body region and the zone-center regions;
• and
• a sensor network within the body region;
• wherein the IPS is controlled to perform ice protection operations comprising:
• the sensor network detecting a formation of a target frozen material to a predetermined first thickness;
• based at least in part on the sensor network detecting the formation of the target frozen material to the predetermined first thickness, one or more of the thermal elements generating heat that is transmitted into and through one or more of the zone-perimeter regions of the body region to the target frozen material;
• and
• subsequent to the one or more of the thermal elements beginning generating the heat that is transmitted into and through one or more of the zone-perimeter regions of the body region to the target frozen material, one or more of the vibration elements generating dislodgement-inducing vibrations that are transmitted into and through one or mor of the zone-center regions of the body region to the target frozen material;
• and
• wherein the dislodgment-inducing vibrations are configured to induce dislodgement of one or more portions of the target material.

A controller configured to perform controller operations that control a target material removal (TMR) element, the controller operations comprising:

• sending control instruction to the TMR element that control the TMR to perform TMR operations;
• wherein the TMR element comprises a body region that includes thermal elements and vibration elements;
• wherein the body region comprises body region zones having zone-center regions and zone-perimeter regions that are around and do not overlap with the zone-center regions;
• wherein thermal elements are within the zone-perimeter regions;
• wherein the vibration elements are withing the zone-center regions;
• wherein the TMR operations comprise:
• one or more of the thermal elements generating heat that is transmitted into and through one or more of the zone-perimeter regions of the body region to a target material;
• and
• subsequent to the one or more of the thermal elements beginning generating the heat that is transmitted into and through one or more of the zone-perimeter regions of the body region to the target material, the one or more of the vibration elements generating dislodgement-inducing vibrations that are transmitted into and through one or more of the zone-center regions of the body region to the target material;
• and
• wherein the dislodgement-inducing vibrations are configured to induce dislodgement of one or more portions of the target material.