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Next > Microstrip Ice Detectors Microstrip lines are now being
used to detect the presence of ice on aircraft wings in experiments . Their thinness
allows installation at the surface of the airfoil where the ice accumulates without
significantly affecting the airfoil shape. Sensor spots are areas of microstrip
that are exposed to the environment and depend on a change in local capacitance
due to the presence of ice or water. The spots are spaced at open circuit points
every half wavelength (about 4 inches for the substrate in use). A 1 GHz signal
is fed into the system and the return loss phase and magnitude is used determine
when to activate de-icing equipment. A microprocessor corrects the I and Q components
to maintain the waveshape along the transmission line so that a constant reference
is maintained. This work is being done at the Johnson Space Center in Texas.
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