Methods and systems for removing ice from surfaces
AssigneeTrustees of Dartmouth College
InventorsVictor Petrenko, Charles Sullivan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A coating (626) comprising a ferroelectric, lossy dielectric, ferromagnetic or semiconductor material is disposed near an object (620). AC current flows through an electrical conductor (624), creating an electromagnetic field. The coating (626) absorbs energy from the electromagnetic field, thereby generating heat, which melts snow and ice on the object (620).
Claims26
A system of removing or preventing ice and snow on a surface of an object, comprising:
- an electrical conductor for generating an alternating electric field in response to an AC voltage;
- and
- a coating integral with the surface of the object and with the electrical conductor, the coating capable of absorbing energy from the alternating electric field to generate heat.
A method of melting ice on a surface of a power line, comprising steps of:
- applying a high-frequency AC voltage having a frequency in a range of about from 0.5 kHz to 300 kHz and a voltage in a range of about from 10 kV to 1000 kV to the power line, wherein the AC voltage generates an alternating electric field and the ice absorbs energy from the alternating electric field.
A system of removing ice on a power line, comprising:
- a power line having an electrical conductor;
- a high-frequency AC voltage in the electrical conductor having a voltage in a range of about from 10 kV to 1000 kV and a frequency in a range of about from 0.5 kHz to 300 kHz. where energy from an alternating electric field generated by the high-frequency AC voltage is dissipated in the ice as heat, thereby melting or detaching the ice from the power line.
A method of removing or preventing ice and snow on a surface of an object, comprising:
- applying an AC voltage to an electrical conductor to produce an alternating electric field in a coating integral with the surface of the object, wherein the coating absorbs energy from the alternating electric field to generate heat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.