Patent ID: 8517601

Claim:
Apparatus for detecting an icing condition in which ice may form on a structure, the apparatus comprising: a first and second heater mat thermally coupleable to a structure for heating a respective first and second region of the structure adjacent to the respective first and second heater mats; a first and second temperature sensor for outputting respective first and second temperature sensor signals indicative of a respective first and second temperatures of the respective first and second regions; a controller for controllably applying power to the first and second heater mats, the controller being adapted to: supply a first and second power to the respective first and second heater mats, the first power being sufficient to heat the first region of the structure to a first temperature and the second power being sufficient to heat the second region of the structure to a second temperature; receive first and second temperature sensor signals from the respective first and second temperature sensors; compare the first and second powers to identify a difference between the first and second powers; and detect an icing condition when the difference between the first and second powers is substantial, wherein the first and second regions are located so as to experience substantially the same environmental conditions, and wherein the first temperature is higher than the second temperature.