Application Cases

Experiment Name: Experimental Study on Ultrasonic Guided Wave Ice Detection System

Research Direction: Ultrasonic Detection

Test Objective: To develop an ice detection system based on piezoelectric materials to detect ice accretion on aircraft fuselages during flight.

Testing Equipment: Signal generator, Aigtek ATA-4315 high-voltage power amplifier, host computer, signal acquisition card, piezoelectric ceramic patches.

Experimental Procedure: The host computer controls the signal generator to emit an excitation signal, which is then amplified by the power amplifier. The amplified excitation signal is selectively transmitted via a switching function, meaning only one transmitting piezoelectric patch operates per emission, while all receiving piezoelectric patches work simultaneously. The received signals are transmitted through the acquisition card to the host computer for observation and analysis. Each transmitting piezoelectric patch is activated sequentially, capturing 8 signals per activation, resulting in 8×8=64 signal sets per complete acquisition cycle. These signals are then analyzed using localization algorithms and imaging algorithms.

Figure: Wing Layout Icing Probability Map

Figure: Airfoil Guided Wave Probability Map

Experimental Results: In a circular layout, the impact of icing on the sensor pair can be well distinguished, with significant SDC differences and good quality of ice imaging reconstruction. In a parallel layout, icing conditions can also be relatively well reflected near the centerline of the parallel lines. In a wing layout, the presence of icing can be detected, and the most severe icing areas can be roughly reflected, but certain errors exist in non-icing areas, resulting in suboptimal ice reconstruction images. Analysis of this phenomenon suggests that in the wing layout, manual water spraying results in uneven ice formation with dense pores. When guided waves pass through the ice layer, the reflection and scattering phenomena of the ice are highly complex, causing superposition of multiple waveforms in the signals received by the sensors, leading to significant deviations from ideal results. Additionally, the thin wing structure is difficult to fabricate, and manufacturing errors may exist. Furthermore, ice thickness and ice type (rime ice, glaze ice, and mixed ice) also have certain impacts on the results.

Figure: ATA-4315 High-Voltage Power Amplifier Specifications and Parameters