# US 2014/0191084 A1 · Ice detection and mitigation device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191084 A1 - Document ID: US20140191084A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/098,100 - Filed: 2013-12-05 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-05 - Assignees: Mesocribe Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Mesocribe Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: RICHARD J. GAMBINO; CHRISTOPHER GOULDSTONE; JONATHAN GUTLEBER; DAVID HUBBLE; JASON TRELEWICZ - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191084A1 ## CPC - B64D 15/12: by electric heating (heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas H05B3/84) - B64D 15/20: Means for detecting icing or initiating de-icing - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT ## Abstract A method for deicing an aerostructure includes driving a sensing current through a heater element coated to an aerostructure, the heater element having a resistance that is temperature dependent. A resistance of the heater element is monitored. It is determined whether there is icing at the heater element using the monitored resistance of the heater element. A melting current is driven through the heater element when it is determined that there is icing at the heater element. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for deicing an aerostructure, comprising: driving a sensing current through a heater element coated to an aerostructure, the heater element having a resistance that is temperature dependent; monitoring a resistance of the heater element; determining whether there is icing at the heater element using the monitored resistance of the heater element; and driving a melting current through the heater element when it is determined that there is icing at the heater element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether there is icing at the heater element using the monitored resistance at the heater element includes estimating a temperature of the heater element based on the resistance, determining how the estimated temperature of the heater element changes as a result of the sensing current, and determining whether there is icing at the heater element based on the manner in which the estimated temperature changes as a result of the sensing current. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heater element is organized as arrays of heater elements on the surface of the aerostructure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heater element is coated to the aerostructure by a direct write method. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heater element includes one or more materials with positive or negative temperature coefficients of resistance (TCR). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of whether there is icing at the heater element using the monitored resistance at the heater element includes monitoring the resistance of the heater element after a predetermined delay from the driving of the sensing current. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether there is icing at the heater element using the monitored resistance of the heater element includes utilizing an assumption that an iced heater element takes longer to change resistance upon the driving of the sensing current than a heater element that is free of ice. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the resistance of the heater element is determined from a voltage of the heater element upon driving the sensing current. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the Amperage of the sensing current is substantially less than the Amperage of the melting current. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing current is driven for a shorter duty cycle than the melting current. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein one or more additional sensors may be used to estimate the temperature of the heating element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the heater element is a first heater element and the one or more additional sensors are part of a second heater element in communication with the first heater element or a control circuit thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heater element comprises a metallic material. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heater element has a resistance approximately equal to a resistance of NiCr. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heater element comprises a plurality of parallel lines with a fixed line length, width and spacing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether there is icing at the heater element using the monitored resistance of the heater element includes analyzing a determined rate of change for the resistance of the heater element after the driving of the sensing current. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein analyzing the determined rate of change for the resistance of the heater element includes comparing the determined rate of change to a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the rate of change for the resistance of the heater element is determined by tracking the monitored resistance of the heater element over time and calculating an instantaneous rate of change thereof at a predetermined time. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the instantaneous rate of change of the monitored temperature is calculated after a predetermined time delay from the start of the driving of the sensing current. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the instantaneous rate of change of the monitored resistance is averaged over a predetermined time frame. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein determining whether there is icing at the heater element by analyzing the determined rate of change includes taking into account a present air speed. ### Claim 22 A method for deicing an aerostructure, comprising: monitoring a temperature at a heater element coated to an aerostructure using a temperature monitoring device coated to the aerostructure and in close proximity to the heater element; determining whether there is icing at the heater element using the monitored temperature at the heater element; and driving a melting current through the heater element when it is determined that there is icing at the heater element. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the temperature is monitored by measuring a resistance of the heater element and calculating a temperature from the measured resistance. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the heater element comprises a single heater module that is coated to the aerostructure as part of an array of said heater modules. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein the array of heater elements are connected to each other by copper traces. ### Claim 26 A system for de-icing an aerostructure, comprising: a sensing-current driving device for driving a sensing current through a heater element coated to an aerostructure, the heater element having a resistance that is temperature dependent; a monitoring device for monitoring a resistance of the heater element; a processing unit for determining whether there is icing at the heater element using the monitored resistance of the heater element; and a melting-current driving device for driving a melting current through the heater element when it is determined that there is icing at the heater element. ### Claim 27 A system for detecting ice on a surface of an aerostructure, comprising: a sensing-current driving device for driving a sensing current through a coil element coated to an aerostructure, the coil element having a resistance that is temperature dependent; a monitoring device for monitoring a resistance of the coil element; and a processing unit for determining whether there is icing at the coil element using the monitored resistance of the coil element. ### Claim 28 A self de-icing aerostructure, comprising: an aerostructure component; and one or more self-regulating de-icing arrays coated to the aerostructure component, wherein each of the one or more self-regulating de-icing arrays comprise a plurality of miniature heater elements having a resistivity that is temperature dependent. ### Claim 29 A method for detecting ice on a surface of an aerostructure, comprising: driving a sensing current through a heater element coated to an aerostructure, the heater element having a resistance that is temperature dependent; monitoring a resistance of the heater element; and determining whether there is icing at the heater element using the monitored resistance of the heater element.