Effective ice sensor technology that detects the very commencement of accretion for core engine icing, leading edges, and airport runways. This technology directly addresses the flight safety risks and airworthiness directives issued by regulatory agencies.
Core Engine Icing: Problem of High Altitude Jet Engine Icing
Podium’s innovative Core Engine Icing Sensor effectively eliminates the risks associated with dangerous accumulations of high altitude ice crystals that can damage and even stall a jet engine. This powerful sensor will have a profound impact on flight safety across the aerospace industry. It answers airworthiness directives issued by regulatory agencies like the EASA, FAA and Transport Canada who, along with several industry consortiums, including NASA, have been searching for a way to instantly detect and monitor changing conditions inside jet engines.
The formation of tiny ice crystals inside jet engines occurs mostly in convective weather conditions such as tropical thunderhead clouds at altitudes above 30,000 feet. More than 200 instances of ice influenced power loss events have been documented over the last 25 years and the rate is increasing.
Existing de-icing solutions and avoidance manoeuvres are both costly and time consuming. Because they can't detect exactly when these ice crystals begin to form, pilots are forced to rely on weather radar to help make educated guesses about when to avoid high risk areas or when to engage de-icing systems that limit engine performance and reduce fuel efficiency.
How it Works
The Core Engine Icing Sensor solves these problems by using an LED light to illuminate an area inside the engine. When ice crystals begin to accumulate there is a change in reflected light, which comes back to the sensor. It is this change that is immediately detected and a real time notification is sent to the pilots. This allows them to only activate ice avoidance measures when they are necessary, which saves time and fuel.
This sensor is installed on the engine casing and has a small optical window through the casing. It is a solid-state device with no moving parts and therefore has no adverse effects on engine performance.
Aerospace Applications
Podium's Internationally patented ice sensor can be effectively implemented for air craft leading edges, helicopters, and airport runway icing safety concerns.
