Patent ID: 8602359
Filing Date: 2013-12-10
Classification: B64D,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An ice protection system for a structure having at least one surface to be protected from a range of icing conditions, the ice protection system comprising: at least one heater device, arranged in thermal contact with said at least one surface; at least one temperature sensor for outputting at least one temperature signal, said at least one sensor being in thermal contact with at least one said heater device and said temperature signal being indicative of a temperature of one or more heater devices; and a control system for controlling the heat output of said at least one heater device, wherein said at least one heater device is arranged between said at least one temperature sensor and said at least one surface to be protected, said at least one heater device being arranged to dissipate heat in one direction through said at least one surface and being arranged to dissipate heat through the structure in a direction away from the at least one surface, said at least one temperature sensor being arranged between said at least one heater device and said structure, and the ice protection system being arranged such that a first thermal resistance between said at least one heater device and said structure is smaller than a second thermal resistance between said at least one heater device and said at least one surface, wherein the control system comprises a processing unit configured to output at least one estimate of the temperature at said at least one surface, the processing unit calculating said at least one estimate of the temperature using at least one estimate of the heat output by said at least one heater device, said at least one temperature signal, and at least one estimate of the thermal resistance between said at least one heater device and said at least one surface, wherein the control system is operable to control the heat output of said at least one heater device using at least one of said at least one temperature signal and/or said at least one estimate of the temperature at said at least one surface, and wherein the control system is operable to control the heat output of said at least one heater device to maintain the temperature of the, or each, heater device at a substantially constant temperature.