Non-contact Ice Detection Using Waveguide Sensor at 12.4-18 GHz Frequency Span

Ice detection, icing prevention, and removal are considered vital issues in many applications, particularly in the aviation industry. This work presents a WR-62 waveguide-based detection sensor to monitor icing and to detect and distinguish between water and ice on metallic and non-metallic surfaces. The difference between the dielectric properties of water and ice makes the proposed waveguide-based probe an accurate sensor for the ice accretion monitoring purpose. The sensor operates based on tracking the scattering parameter of the reflection coefficient (S
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), and the frequency response of the waveguide at 13.48 GHz. The proposed waveguide probe system has the capability of non-contact detecting ice formation over various surfaces and can be mounted on industrial drones for autonomous inspection purposes.