Devices, systems, and methods for remote deicing/anti-icing of an aircraft are described herein. One remote operator deicing/anti-icing station located in a remote location from a deicing/anti-icing rig includes a number of remote rig control components for actuation by a remote operator, wherein the remote rig control components include a remote operator user interface, located outside of a rig being at least partially controlled by the remote operator deicing/anti-icing station, the rig including a truck and a deicing/anti-icing control cabin that controls disbursement of substances to deice/anti-ice an aircraft, and a communication device that communicates instructions from the remote operator user interface and the number of remote rig control components to the rig to control at least one of the truck and the deicing/anti-icing control cabin.

Devices, systems, and methods for remote deicing/anti-icing of an aircraft are described herein. One remote operator deicing/anti-icing station located in a remote location from a deicing/anti-icing rig includes a number of remote rig control components for actuation by a remote operator, wherein the remote rig control components include a remote operator user interface, located outside of a rig being at least partially controlled by the remote operator deicing/anti-icing station, the rig including a truck and a deicing/anti-icing control cabin that controls disbursement of substances to deice/anti-ice an aircraft, and a communication device that communicates instructions from the remote operator user interface and the number of remote rig control components to the rig to control at least one of the truck and the deicing/anti-icing control cabin.

There is provided a system and a method for operating a multi-engine rotorcraft. When the rotorcraft is cruising in an asymmetric operating regime (AOR) at least one engine is an active engine and is operated in an active mode to provide motive power to the rotorcraft and at least one second engine is a standby engine and is operated in a standby mode to provide substantially no motive power to the rotorcraft, at least one of a power level of the at least one second engine is increased and at least one variable geometry mechanism of the at least one second engine is moved to shed any ice accumulation on the at least one second engine.

There is provided a system and a method for operating a multi-engine rotorcraft. When the rotorcraft is cruising in an asymmetric operating regime (AOR) at least one engine is an active engine and is operated in an active mode to provide motive power to the rotorcraft and at least one second engine is a standby engine and is operated in a standby mode to provide substantially no motive power to the rotorcraft, at least one of a power level of the at least one second engine is increased and at least one variable geometry mechanism of the at least one second engine is moved to shed any ice accumulation on the at least one second engine.

A method, comprising: providing a light source, a high contrast providing object, and an image acquisition device; emitting a light beam from the light source through the high contrast providing object, a transparent object and a surface of the transparent object toward the image acquisition device; exposing the surface of the transparent object to icing conditions such that a layer of ice is formed by ice accretion on the surface, wherein the light beam traverses the layer of ice after having traversed the transparent object; acquiring a series of images over time of the high contrast providing object using the image acquisition device; determining blur occurring in the series of images over the time; and quantifying the loss of visibility over the time through the transparent object on the basis of the determined blur.

A method, comprising: providing a light source, a high contrast providing object, and an image acquisition device; emitting a light beam from the light source through the high contrast providing object, a transparent object and a surface of the transparent object toward the image acquisition device; exposing the surface of the transparent object to icing conditions such that a layer of ice is formed by ice accretion on the surface, wherein the light beam traverses the layer of ice after having traversed the transparent object; acquiring a series of images over time of the high contrast providing object using the image acquisition device; determining blur occurring in the series of images over the time; and quantifying the loss of visibility over the time through the transparent object on the basis of the determined blur.

The present invention provides, in order to improve detection accuracy, a freezing detection device comprising: a strut having a mounting space formed therein, the strut being installed in a freezing measurement area in which a freezing detection object unit is disposed; a probe made of a magnetostrictive material and disposed to penetrate the strut, the lower end of the probe being inserted into the mounting space, the upper end thereof being exposed to the freezing measurement area, the probe having a drive coil disposed so as to surround the outer periphery of one side of the interior of the mounting space such that a driving magnetic field for magnetostrictive vibration is formed, and the probe having a feedback coil disposed so as to surround the outer periphery of the other side of the interior of the mounting space while being spaced apart from the drive coil by a predetermined interval; a variable adjustment unit circuit-connected to the drive coil and the feedback coil such that errors of a vibration frequency occurring in the probe are adjusted; a magnet unit disposed along outer peripheries of the drive coil and the feedback coil such that the vibration displacement of the probe increases, thereby forming a bias magnetic field; an elastic member disposed in the mounting space and provided to have an elastic modulus preconfigured such that a vibration frequency occurs in the probe, the elastic member generating magnetostrictive vibration and elastically supporting the probe; and so as to apply a voltage corresponding to a vibration frequency, the calculation control unit indirectly assessing the freezing condition of the freezing detection object unit through a change in the vibration frequency of the probe resulting from a freezing load.

A device for measuring the accretion of ice on a studied surface. The device has two aims, a first arm and a second arm, the second arm forming an enclosure for housing an image acquisition system disposed to acquire, through an orifice, images of a part of the studied surface located on the first arm. The device thus makes it possible to dissociate the support of the image acquisition system from that of the studied surface on which ice accumulates. Consequently, it is possible to place the second arm in the direction of the flow of the stream of air flowing along the aircraft while the first arm passes through the stream.

A device for measuring the accretion of ice on a studied surface. The device has two aims, a first arm and a second arm, the second arm forming an enclosure for housing an image acquisition system disposed to acquire, through an orifice, images of a part of the studied surface located on the first arm. The device thus makes it possible to dissociate the support of the image acquisition system from that of the studied surface on which ice accumulates. Consequently, it is possible to place the second arm in the direction of the flow of the stream of air flowing along the aircraft while the first arm passes through the stream.

A method and system for detecting and determining icing conditions. The method includes: creating a statistical model from test data in which set of data from n data inputs are each plotted as a point in n-dimensional space, and wherein the n-dimensional space is divided into a plurality of regions each representative of a different icing condition according to the data in that region; for a set of current data from n data inputs, using the model to classify the icing condition indicated by the current data, by: obtaining current data from n data inputs; providing the current data as input data to the model; determining the region of the model in which the current data set is located; and identifying the icing condition indicated by the current data set according to the determined region.