Modified Microwave Sensor with a Patterned Ground Heater for Detection and Prevention of Ice Accumulation

Ice accumulation on aircraft is known to negatively impact the aerodynamic and mechanical operation, sometimes resulting in catastrophic failure. Recently, microwave resonators have gained interest as durable and reliable frost and ice detectors. Here, a microwave resonator sensor with built-in heating capability patterned into the ground plane was designed, fabricated, and tested to investigate real-time ice and frost growth. Sensing was performed on surfaces with anti-icing coatings to quantitatively analyze the effectiveness of these materials. The sensor was also tested to determine its ability to evaluate different deicing methods. The sensor itself was a split-ring resonator (SRR) operating at 5.82 GHz, which could effectively distinguish between water and ice by detecting changes in the dielectric properties on or around its surface. This application was particularly suited for an SRR due to the extreme difference between the relative permittivity of water (ε = 90) and ice (ε = 3.2) at 5 GHz and 0 °C. The results from this sensor can be used to determine the holdover time of various coatings to resist ice formation. This study validates the use of SRRs as ice detection sensors for applications where ice and frost are of great interest, such as on aircraft, roads, or walkways.