Method and apparatus for adaptive ice control
OwnerRaymond P. Morkinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and controls for cyclical operation of ice reducers in open bodies of water. An ambient condition transducer provides an ambient signal representing the amplitude of a condition affecting ice formation. A timer cyclically produces a ramp signal, thereby setting the frequency of cycles for operation of a water movement device. In each cycle a comparator compares the relative amplitudes represented by the ambient and ramp signals and gates power to said device upon a change in the sign of the difference between said amplitudes. Thus the duration of gated power in each cycle is a function of the ambient condition.
Claims24
A method for operating the power switch of a submerged energy transducer adapted to produce water movements to reduce surface ice formations, comprising the steps of
- sensing an ambient condition affecting ice formation and generating an ambient signal having a characteristic representing increases in amplitude with changes in said condition that increasingly produce ice formations,
- generating a ramp signal having a periodic characteristic representing progressively increasing amplitudes between a minimum value and a maximum value,
- comparing the amplitudes represented by the ramp and ambient signals, and
- changing the position of the power switch upon a change in the sign of the difference between said amplitudes.
Apparatus for reducing ice formation within a predetermined surface area of a body of water comprising, in combination,
- an energy transducer located and adapted to produce water movements beneath said area,
- a switch connecting the energy transducer with a source of energy,
- an ambient condition transducer sensing an ambient condition and having means to produce an ambient signal representing increases in amplitude with changes in said condition that increasingly produce ice formations,
- a timer generating a ramp signal having a periodic characteristic representing progressively increasing values of amplitude between a minimum value and a maximum value,
- a comparator for comparing the amplitudes represented by the ambient and ramp signals, and
- means actuated by the comparator to change the position of the switch upon a change in the sign of the difference between said amplitudes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.