A rotor ice protection system (RIPS) apparatus for an aircraft to heat aircraft rotor blades is provided. The RIPS apparatus includes circuitry disposed to transmit electrical loads associated with RIPS operations, an indicator unit disposed to alert a pilot of the aircraft to a RIPS condition indicating an operating status of the RIPS operations, a controller configured to actuate the RIPS operations in accordance with current conditions and to issue a command to the indicator unit to alert the pilot to the RIPS operations according to the actuation and a sensor system disposed to sense whether the circuitry is transmitting the electrical loads and to provide a sensing result to the indicator unit. The indicator unit additionally alerts the pilot to the RIPS operations according to the sensing result.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to determining metrics of water particles in clouds by directing light pulses at a cloud and measuring a peak, a post-peak value and a high-frequency fluctuation of light signals reflected from the cloud. The light pulses include: a first pulse having circularly polarized light of a first wavelength; and a second pulse of a second wavelength. The reflected light signals include: a first reflected light signal having left-hand circular polarization of the first wavelength; a second reflected light signal having right-hand circular polarization of the first wavelength; and a third reflected light signal of the second wavelength. An extinction coefficient and a backscatter coefficient are determined based on the measured peak and post-peak slopes of the first and second reflected light signals. The measured high-frequency fluctuations of the three reflected light signals can be used to calculate cloud particle sizes.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to determining metrics of water particles in clouds by directing light pulses at a cloud and measuring a peak, a post-peak value and a high-frequency fluctuation of light signals reflected from the cloud. The light pulses include: a first pulse having circularly polarized light of a first wavelength; and a second pulse of a second wavelength. The reflected light signals include: a first reflected light signal having left-hand circular polarization of the first wavelength; a second reflected light signal having right-hand circular polarization of the first wavelength; and a third reflected light signal of the second wavelength. An extinction coefficient and a backscatter coefficient are determined based on the measured peak and post-peak slopes of the first and second reflected light signals. The measured high-frequency fluctuations of the three reflected light signals can be used to calculate cloud particle sizes.

An ice detector includes an icing assembly that includes a transparent icing rod with an illuminating element is disposed therein and having an ice accretion surface and a support structure. The icing rod has at least one visual sensor configured to obtain an image of the ice accretion surface; a controller electrically connected to the visual sensor and including an image contrast module configured to compare the obtained image with an initial image so as to judge whether ice is formed on the ice accretion surface of the icing rod. The icing assembly includes a refrigerating element respectively connected to the icing rod and the support structure. The refrigerating element may perform active refrigeration for the icing rod, reduce the surface temperature of the icing rod and facilitate the ice detector detecting ice accretion before ice is formed on a wing/nacelle.

An ice detector includes an icing assembly that includes a transparent icing rod with an illuminating element is disposed therein and having an ice accretion surface and a support structure. The icing rod has at least one visual sensor configured to obtain an image of the ice accretion surface; a controller electrically connected to the visual sensor and including an image contrast module configured to compare the obtained image with an initial image so as to judge whether ice is formed on the ice accretion surface of the icing rod. The icing assembly includes a refrigerating element respectively connected to the icing rod and the support structure. The refrigerating element may perform active refrigeration for the icing rod, reduce the surface temperature of the icing rod and facilitate the ice detector detecting ice accretion before ice is formed on a wing/nacelle.

Systems and methods for electronics systems are provided herein. An electronics system may comprise a heating circuit and a fault detection system. The heating circuit may include a heating element. The fault detection system may include a current-to-voltage converter, a voltage level detector, and a controllable switch connected in series with the heating element, the controllable switch in electronic communication with the voltage level detector. A fault may be detected in response to a secondary voltage being greater than a threshold value.

Systems and methods for electronics systems are provided herein. An electronics system may comprise a heating circuit and a fault detection system. The heating circuit may include a heating element. The fault detection system may include a current-to-voltage converter, a voltage level detector, and a controllable switch connected in series with the heating element, the controllable switch in electronic communication with the voltage level detector. A fault may be detected in response to a secondary voltage being greater than a threshold value.

An aircraft (5) including an aerodynamic surface (6), an aerodynamics improvement device with a first electrode (27) embedded beneath and electrically isolated from the aerodynamic surface (6), a second electrode (28) electrically isolated from the first electrode (27), a voltage generator (30) adapted to apply a voltage between the first and the second electrode, further comprising a layer of electrically insulating material (26) between the second electrode (28) and the aerodynamic surface (6). Methods for detecting ice on and de-icing an aerodynamic surface (6), and for delaying a boundary layer transition and separation from the aerodynamic surface.

An air data system includes an air data probe and a surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor attached to the air data probe for detecting particulate accumulation. The air data probe includes a probe head, a strut connected to the head, and a mounting plate connected to the strut. The probe head has an inlet, an interior surface extending from the inlet, and an exterior surface extending from the inlet.

The method of controlling an autonomous anti-icing apparatus includes: a first step of collecting and storing ice formation environment data; a second step of calculating a calculated value of an aerodynamic parameter based on the ice formation environment data and the ice formation prediction data in real time to determine whether ice formation is present on a surface of the structure and calculating a degree of ice formation through the calculated value of the aerodynamic parameter; and a third step of allowing a calculation control unit to send a temperature control signal, which includes a heating period signal, to a power supply so that an electric heating part is heated when the ice formation is determined by comparing the degree of ice formation with a preset value.