WO2012000385A1

WO2012000385A1 - Detecting device for detecting icing

Info

Publication number: WO2012000385A1
Application number: PCT/CN2011/075789
Authority: WO
Inventors: 陈迎春; 叶林; 张淼; 葛俊锋; 冯丽娟; 刘铁军; 周峰
Original assignee: 中国商用飞机有限责任公司; 中国商用飞机有限责任公司上海飞机设计研究院; 华中科技大学
Priority date: 2010-07-02
Filing date: 2011-06-16
Publication date: 2012-01-05
Also published as: CN102313511B; CN102313511A

Abstract

A detecting device for detecting icing by an image includes an image acquiring system (1-A) and an image processing system (2-A). The image acquiring system (1-A) can acquire an image of an object's surface. The image processing system (2-A) can analyze the image and obtain an icing condition of the object's surface. The image acquiring system (1-A) also includes an image-carrying fiber bundle (104). The detecting device can meet the requirements of application in a special space without miniaturizing the image acquiring system (1-A).

Description

Icing detector

The invention relates to an icing detecting device for detecting the water-soil condition of an object surface to obtain information such as icing, icing type, icing thickness and area. Background technique

In many cases, icing conditions on specific surfaces or parts of an object need to be detected and analyzed. For example, in cold regions, it is necessary to monitor the icing condition of the winter road surface, and it is necessary to detect the water condition of the blades of the wind turbine and some rotating parts, and to the various parts of the body (such as the windshield during the flight of the aircraft). The icing phenomenon of the leading edge of the wing tail, the engine intake, etc. is monitored to prevent the icing from adversely affecting the flight and preventing the water from causing serious flight safety accidents. It should be noted that the term "ice" as used in this application shall include all kinds of ice, frost and mixtures thereof.

To date, a variety of devices have been designed and manufactured for icing detection so that appropriate measures can be taken to avoid the occurrence of icing hazards. However, these existing icing detection devices have various defects and deficiencies, which greatly affect their performance and application range.

For example, earlier icing detection devices include radiation, conductivity, and differential pressure. Among them, the radiation icing detection device will bring great harm to human health, the reliability of the conductivity type icing detection device is poor, the differential pressure type is large, the structure is complex, and the response speed is slow. In addition, these types of icing detection devices can only give qualitative detection results of icing or not, and cannot give quantitative information about icing thickness and icing rate.

Currently widely used are magnetostrictive vibrating cylinders and piezoelectric diaphragm type icing detectors, which are capable of giving quantitative information on the thickness of ice and the rate of icing in a certain range of ice thickness. However, they also have certain defects: The magnetostrictive vibrating cylinder type icing detector has a complicated structure, high production process requirements, difficult calibration, and cannot be flush and conformally mounted on curved surfaces (such as the leading edge of the aircraft wing tail); Although the diaphragm-type icing detector has a small volume and weight, it can achieve a flush conformal installation of the curved surface to a certain extent, but the production of sensitive materials is strict, the process is complicated, and the assembly is difficult. Summary of the invention

It is an object of an aspect of the present invention to provide a new image icing detector comprising: an image acquisition system and an image processing system, the image acquisition system being capable of acquiring an image of an object surface, the image processing system being capable of The image is analyzed to obtain an icing condition on the surface of the object, and the image acquisition system includes an image fiber bundle.

The good imaging performance of the imaging fiber bundle makes the detector setup more flexible, thus better adapting to the needs of various specific detection environments.

Preferably, the image icing detector further comprises an image fixing device, the front end of the image fiber bundle is aligned with the surface of the object to be detected, and the rear end is connected to the image fixing device.

Preferably, the image fixing device is disposed away from the surface of the object. With this arrangement, the front end of the detector includes only a portion of the image fiber bundle and its ancillary components. In this way, the size and weight of the front end are greatly reduced, so that it can be installed in applications where space weight is critical. In addition, the front end structure is very simple and stable, and can be applied to harsh environments.

Preferably, the image fixing device comprises an image sensor.

Preferably, the image acquisition system further includes a filter disposed in front of the image sensor. This makes it possible to make a targeted selection of the range of electromagnetic waves received in the system.

Preferably, the image acquisition system further includes an electromagnetic wave emitting device for illuminating the surface of the object.

Preferably, the electromagnetic waves emitted by the electromagnetic wave emitting device include visible light, infrared light, and/or ultraviolet light. The detection environment in which various electromagnetic waves are particularly suitable is different. The selection of the electromagnetic wave source for the possible range of icing, or the hybrid detection using a plurality of electromagnetic waves can effectively improve the detection accuracy.

Preferably, the electromagnetic wave emitting device operates intermittently; or when the electromagnetic wave emitting device operates, the image fixing device operates. This can significantly increase the life of the device. The electromagnetic wave transmitting device can operate at a frequency of 1 to 20 Hz.

Preferably, the electromagnetic wave emitting device comprises a light emitting fiber bundle.

Preferably, the image acquisition system includes an anti-icing device and/or a de-icing device for preventing and/or eliminating icing near the front end of the imaging fiber bundle. Anti-icing and/or de-icing is not required in all applications. In the microscopic detection of the surface of the object to be detected, it is necessary to detect the icing near the front end of the image fiber bundle. Preferably, the water removal device comprises a miniature electric heater.

Preferably, the front end of the image fiber bundle is provided with a focus lens and a protection lens.

Preferably, the image acquisition system further includes a temperature sensor. Ambient temperature is not only the main parameter for controlling the operation of the heater, but also for the determination of the icing condition, in order to further improve the accuracy of the detection.

Another object of the present invention is to propose a new aircraft icing detector comprising an image icing detector according to the first aspect of the invention.

Preferably, the front end of the image fiber bundle can be placed close to the surface of the object to be detected for performing close-range microscopic detection of the surface of the object.

Preferably, the front end of the image fiber bundle is disposed away from the surface of the object to be detected for remote macroscopic detection of the surface of the object.

The application of the image fiber bundle makes the image water detector's probe smaller in size, simpler in structure, and able to withstand harsher environments, making it easy to install in a variety of applications where size and environment are critical. It is widely used for water detection in a variety of areas such as transportation, power equipment, field work equipment and refrigeration equipment, as well as for icing detection applications in a variety of aircraft. DRAWINGS

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the process of describing the embodiments of the present invention in detail, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an image acquisition system in an image icing detector according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a schematic diagram of an image processing system in an image icing detector in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of an image icing detector in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the arrangement of microscopic detection;

Figure 4 is a schematic illustration of an image icing detector in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the arrangement of macroscopic detection;

Figure 5 is a schematic illustration of an image icing detector in accordance with a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the arrangement of detectors for detecting from the side of the ice layer. detailed description DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

An image icing detector according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention mainly comprises an image acquisition system and an image processing system, the former for acquiring an image from an object surface, and then the latter calculating and analyzing the acquired surface image, thereby finally Obtain the icing condition on the surface of the object.

Referring first to Fig. 1, there is shown an image acquisition system 1-A of the image icing detector of the first preferred embodiment described above.

Among them, the core component of the image acquisition system 1-A is a imaging fiber bundle 104, which is capable of receiving a surface image of an object at the front end and transmitting the surface image along the optical fiber therein to other components connected to the rear end thereof. The structure and principle of the imaging fiber bundle 104 itself are well known to those skilled in the relevant art and are not within the scope of the present invention. And as a mature technology, the image fiber bundle has been widely used in many fields (such as gastroscope), so it will not be described here.

The advantage of using the imaging fiber bundle 104 in the present embodiment is that since the imaging fiber bundle 104 can achieve high-quality image propagation, the image of the surface of the object can be completely transmitted to a position away from the surface of the object, and finally Received by an image fixture disposed at a location remote from the surface of the object. This advantage is very important for some special applications.

In one example, there is a strict requirement for the size of the space near the surface of the object to be detected (for example, the wing of an aircraft), and only equipment that meets the dimensional conditions is allowed to be installed. Existing imaging devices are difficult to meet this size requirement and thus cannot be applied. However, by means of the image fiber bundle, only the front end of the very small size image fiber bundle can be placed near the surface of the object (for example, the wing), and the rear end thereof can be connected to the imaging device located away from the wing position, for example, Inside the machine gun. In this way, even larger existing imaging (including camera and video) devices can be used. According to the above method, the same effect as the miniaturization design can be achieved without downsizing the image acquisition system.

In another example, the environment of the surface of the object to be detected is relatively harsh. At this time, by imaging the fiber bundle, the imaging device can be placed away from the surface of the object, and only the image fiber bundle remains in the vicinity of the surface of the object. Since the image fiber bundle itself is structurally simple and is not susceptible to damage, it can be easily applied to various detection environments and can protect a relatively vulnerable image forming apparatus.

In practical applications, the size of the imaging fiber, the number of fibers, and the arrangement pattern of the fiber bundles can be reasonably determined according to different applications and implementations. A detailed description will not be given in this embodiment. A focus lens 102 is coupled to the front end of the imaging fiber bundle 104 for receiving an image from the surface of the object. The type thereof may be appropriately selected depending on the application form, for example, as will be described later, in the close-range microscopic detection, the head of the image fiber bundle 104 is very close to the surface of the object, and the focus lens 102 needs to use a macro lens. In the long-range macroscopic detection, the focus lens 102 needs to use a telephoto lens or a fisheye wide-angle lens.

A protective mirror 101 may also be disposed at the front end of the focus lens 102 to protect the focus lens 102 from the external environment, for example, to avoid abrasion of sand dust carried in a high-speed air stream on the surface of the object.

At the rear end of the image fiber bundle 104, a coupling lens 107 and an image sensor 108 serving as image fixing means in the present embodiment are connected in series. Wherein, the coupling lens 107 can transmit the image collected by the focusing lens 102 and transmitted via the imaging fiber bundle 104 to the image sensor 108, and finally converted by the image sensor 108 into image information that can be recognized by the digital system for subsequent connection. The image processing system (not shown in Figure 1) performs the analysis. The image sensor 108 may include, for example, a CCD type or CMOS type image sensor, or an infrared and/or ultraviolet image sensor to detect infrared rays and/or ultraviolet rays in the image of the surface of the object.

In addition, an electromagnetic wave emitting device 115 may be disposed near the front end of the image fiber bundle 104 for transmitting electromagnetic waves of a certain power and a certain wavelength to the surface of the object, including visible light (400-760 nm) and infrared (760 nm to 1000 μm). And / or ultraviolet (1 to 400 nm), etc., and combinations thereof to achieve active detection. Its advantages are not only to overcome the adverse effects of detection when the ambient light is insufficient, but also to select some specific bands of electromagnetic waves as the detection source according to the detection needs, which is particularly suitable for detecting ice of a specific type and a specific thickness range. In addition, composite probing can also be implemented, making the image information targeted in some applications more abundant. Of course, those skilled in the art will understand that the detection does not necessarily require the use of electromagnetic wave emitting devices 115, and ambient light such as natural light is sufficient for the detection requirements in many applications. Also, in some applications, the electromagnetic wave transmitting device does not need to be deliberately added, but can utilize existing equipment near the surface of the object. For example, in aircraft applications, a signal light on the surface of the aircraft can be utilized as an electromagnetic wave emitting device.

At the same time, image information of different spectra can be selectively obtained by a filter (not shown) disposed between the protective mirror 101 and the image sensor 108.

Further, in order to ensure the smooth progress of the detection, an anti-icing and/or de-icing device may be disposed in the vicinity of the protective mirror 101 and the focus lens 102, for example, an occlusion provided on the windward surface (not shown in the figure) And/or a miniature electric heater 112, to avoid and/or eliminate ice formed on the protective mirror 101 or the like, thereby eliminating the influence on the detection result. An additional temperature sensor 111 can also be provided to prevent the heating temperature from being too high to damage the surface of the object or to image the optical fiber. On the other hand, temperature is an important reference for analyzing the icing condition.

The image acquisition system 1-A also includes some other accessory components, such as a protected image fiber bundle.

The flexible protective connector 105 of 104, the protective cover 106, and the connecting line 116 connecting the electromagnetic wave transmitting device 115, and the power supply line and control signal line required for the operation of the device, etc., will not be described in detail.

Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown a control portion of an image icing detector in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 2, the control section mainly includes an image processing system 2-A, a temperature measurement and control system 2-B, a light source control system 2-C, and a central microprocessor 2-D.

The image processing system 2-A includes two parts: an icing warning unit 201, an icing analysis unit 202, and a water storage status database 203.

The icing warning unit 201 is specifically for image information processing in the initial stage of icing, which can adopt high-speed image processing electronic system technology, can quickly obtain icing condition information in the initial stage of water sluicing, and gives an alarm signal to start watering. . If used with a probe, the shape of the probe is specially designed to freeze more easily than the surface of the object to be detected, and it is possible to advance the warning before the surface of the object begins to freeze.

The working process of the icing warning unit 201 is: after receiving the image information transmitted by the image fixing device, comparing it with the clean water image stored in the icing condition database 203 without freezing, to determine whether Ice makes a judgment. The specific judging process can be referred to the following description of the icing analysis unit 202.

The icing analysis unit 202 works in time with the icing warning unit 201 to enable qualitative and quantitative analysis of the specific icing conditions (icing type, icing thickness, and/or icing area) of the surface of the object, It generally includes a parameter marking module, a calculation module, and a judgment module (not shown in the figure).

After receiving the image information transmitted by the image fixing device, the icing analysis unit 202 first performs parameter marking on the image through the parameter marking module. The labeling method used may include gray scale processing and chromatographic analysis processing, which are respectively implemented by a gray scale analysis module and a chromatographic analysis module, wherein the chromatographic analysis process may further include analysis using a single color or a plurality of colors (for example, three primary colors). Moreover, the mark can be performed for all the pixels of the image, or by selecting a plurality of pixels from the point module, and multiple regions can be selected in the image and the average value of each region can be obtained. It depends on the accuracy of the detection and the speed requirements. After the parameter marking of the surface image is completed, the parameters obtained by the marking will be transmitted to the calculation module.

The function of the calculation module is to calculate the feature factors corresponding to the current surface image by calculating the received marker parameters for subsequent judgment modules to compare with the feature data in the icing condition database 203.

The calculation method used may include, for example, statistics. Specifically, the value range of the parameter marking of the marking module may be divided into several intervals according to a predetermined criterion, and then the number of times all the marking parameters fall into each interval is counted, and Then get the percentage it occupies. In this case, the distribution of the marker parameters in each interval is the characteristic factor corresponding to the surface image of the object. Of course, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the division of the intervals can be taken in an uneven manner depending on the test results.

Of course, the above method is only a relatively simple one of the feasible calculation methods, and a more complicated calculation method can be adopted in the specific implementation to obtain a more accurate feature factor. This will be further mentioned in the following description.

The function of the decision module is as described above for comparing the calculated feature factors with the existing feature data in the icing condition database 203 to find the feature data closest to the current feature factor. The icing condition (including icing type, icing thickness, and/or icing area, etc.) corresponding to the characterization data can be considered as the current icing condition on the surface of the object. Of course, a new reference quantity, such as the ambient temperature obtained by the temperature sensor 1 1 1 , can also be introduced during the determination.

The icing condition database 203 is obtained by a large number of simulation tests and processing and classification of actual detection results. It may include a plurality of pieces of data, each of which includes information on a particular icing condition (icing type, water thickness and/or icing area, etc.) and characteristic data corresponding to the icing condition for judging The module compares the feature data with the calculated feature factors to obtain the corresponding icing condition.

In order to better understand the contents of the present invention, a brief description will be made below on the working principle of the present invention.

Whether in visible light, infrared or ultraviolet, the optical properties of the ice layer (water layer-air interface reflection, scattering within the ice layer, and absorption) are different as the icing condition changes, thus forming a difference. Obvious icing image. The difference between images of icing and different types of thickness is very obvious. When examining the type of icing, it is possible to examine the characteristics of the image such as the uniformity of the luminance values of the respective pixels (including the gradation of the gradation and the luminance of the three primary colors). When the ice is ice, since the interior of the ice layer is approximately transparent, the electromagnetic waves reflected on the ice layer and the air interface can be received by the image fiber bundle with a large intensity, so the brightness value of the image pixels is large and uniform. . When the ice is drowning, the reflection effect is greatly reduced due to the inclusion of air bubbles in the ice layer, and the scattering effect is strong, so the image pixel brightness value is low and unevenly distributed. Mixed ice is between the above two cases.

When examining the thickness of the icing, the brightness of the ice layer can also be examined. Because, after the icing type is determined, the thicker the icing thickness is within the thickness of a certain ice thickness, the greater the brightness of the image pixels.

The entire working process of the icing analysis unit 202 will be described below by two examples in order to more clearly understand its working principle and advantages.

In the first example, upon receiving the image transmitted by the image fixing device, the parameter marking module in the icing analysis unit 202 first selects a plurality of pixel points (e.g., N) from above according to a predetermined rule. The so-called rule means that the point can be taken only in a specific area of the image, or it can be relatively dense in some areas and relatively sparse in other areas. Then, through the common software in the field of image processing, three primary colors are analyzed for each selected pixel, and the three primary color values of each pixel are respectively obtained, thereby completing the parameter marking. Taking an eight-bit microprocessor system as an example, each primary color has a value range of 0-255.

The three primary color values of the tag completion are transmitted to the calculation module. First, each point is classified into its corresponding interval according to the previously divided three primary color value interval. The division of each of the three primary color values can be performed as needed. For example, red, green, and blue light are respectively divided into p, q, and r segments, thereby forming a total of K=pxqxr three primary color values. Interval. Then, the number of points n ₂ , n ₃ ... η _κ which fall into each section and the percentages m ₂ , m ₃ ... m _{K which are the} total number of points N are counted. The number of points {!^, 112, n ₃ ... η _κ } or the percentage {xx ₂ , x ₃ ... χ _κ } is used as the feature factor corresponding to the current surface image.

Finally, the judging module compares the calculated feature factor with the feature data stored in the icing condition database 203, thereby selecting a piece of data in the database that is closest to the current icing condition, and using the data in the piece of data. Contains information on the icing condition (ice type, icing thickness, and/or icing area, etc.) as the current water level on the surface of the object.

In the second example, the parameter marking module and the judging module do not have much work. Another ¹ J, but different calculation methods are used in the calculation module.

When investigating the type of icing, the variance of the pixel brightness value can be used as the characteristic factor of the judgment, so that the distribution of the brightness can be more clearly seen; and when the thickness of the ice layer is examined, the sum of the brightness values of all the pixels can be used. As the final feature factor. By comparing the variance and the sum of the luminance values of all the pixel points obtained by the calculation with the existing feature data in the icing condition database 203, the quantitative detection result of the thickness of the water formation can be conveniently obtained.

Moreover, although not described in detail, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above-described detector and detection method can also achieve direct identification of the thickness of the water layer observed from the side. As shown in Fig. 5, by identifying the grayscale and color in the image, the icing area and the surface area of the object can be clearly distinguished, and by analyzing the icing image, multiple measurement points are selected to determine the ice layer. The average thickness can also easily determine the thickness of the entire ice layer.

In addition to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art will also appreciate other improvements to further improve performance. For example, after obtaining the grayscale and/or chromatographic values of the respective points, instead of directly calculating them, the difference is compared with the grayscale and/or color value in the clean ice-free image. The value is used as a marker parameter for subsequent calculation and judgment; the surface of the object can also be divided into several regions, and then each of the regions is independently calculated and judged so that the judgment results of the regions are mutually confirmed, thereby reducing the error of the detection.

The functional units other than the image processing system 2-A will be briefly described below, and these functional units can all adopt the existing schemes in the prior art and are not part of the present invention.

The temperature measurement and control system 2-B can acquire the temperature signal of the temperature sensor 111 and compare the temperature signal with the set temperature value to serve as a control basis for the operation of the heater 112. It is also possible to transmit the temperature value to the judgment module as a reference for judging the current icing condition.

The light source control unit 2-C controls the operation of the electromagnetic wave transmitting device 115, that is, controls the electromagnetic wave type, the emission time, and the transmission power. The electromagnetic wave transmitting device 1 15 can operate continuously or intermittently or irregularly. In the regular intermittent working state, the emission frequency of the electromagnetic wave can be selected as 1-20 Hz, which can work in coordination with the image acquisition system and ensure a sufficiently fast detection speed.

In a non-continuous operating state, the operation of the light source control unit 2-C and the image processing system 2-A can be coordinated by the central microprocessor 2-D such that the image processing system 2 is only operated when the electromagnetic wave transmitting device 115 is operating. -A only works. The central microprocessor 2-D can realize control of the image processing system 2-A, the temperature measurement and control system 2-B, and the light source control unit 2-C and exchange information with each other, thereby realizing the functions of the respective units.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, two applications of the icing detector according to the present invention will be described by taking the water detection of the aircraft as an example. The internal structure of the detector is substantially the same as that of the previous embodiment, and therefore will not be repeated.

The image icing detector according to the present invention can be used for microscopic detection of icing conditions in a small area of the surface of an object. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the front end 10 of the image acquisition system is buried in the surface of the aircraft, and toward the outside, the image fiber bundle is led out from the front end 110 in the protective cover 106 and extends to an image processing system away from the front end (in the figure). Not shown). In this application, the focus lens is a macro lens, and the image that can be acquired is limited to the very limited area that the front end is aligned with. However, since the distance is very close, microscopic detection of the image inside the ice layer can be achieved, and the accuracy of the acquired image information is very high. The amount of increase in icing thickness per unit time, that is, the rate of icing, is also correspondingly more accurate.

It should be added that in this arrangement, water condensation at the front end of the detector is unavoidable, otherwise icing detection will not be possible. However, at this time, the de-icing device can still be set up for the reset of the detector.

The image icing detector according to the present invention can also be used for macroscopic detection of icing conditions in a large area of the surface of an object. As shown in Figure 4, the detector is mounted on the vertical tail of the aircraft and diagonally opposite the surface of the tail. In this application, the focus lens is a telephoto lens or a fisheye wide-angle lens, and by adjusting the parameters of the lens, the entire surface area where icing detection is required (for example, a rectangular area of abcd shown in the figure) can be realized. Get a clear picture.

In this arrangement, there is no icing at the front end of the detector, otherwise the icing image on the surface of the object to be detected will not be obtained. At this time, the setting of the anti-icing and de-icing device is very important. And since the image fiber bundle is a high temperature resistant glass fiber or quartz fiber, as long as the temperature of the heating device is not too high, the detector will not be damaged.

This type of detection for a large area of the surface of the object has a lower accuracy in detecting the local point than the former, but can achieve an overall detection of the entire area. From this perspective, the overall analysis accuracy of the icing condition can be improved. Because the uneven distribution of the ice layer may cause the result of the point detection to not represent the overall icing condition, the conclusion based on several specific points deviates from the actual situation. In addition, this form of macroscopic detection can produce special technical effects in certain special applications, such as the detection of "backflow ice" formed by large droplets of supercooling. This is very important for the detection of water in areas such as aircraft.

So-called supercooled large water droplets refer to supercooled water droplets with a median volume diameter exceeding 50 microns. Since the supercooled large water droplets have a large mass, a large amount of latent heat needs to be released before the water is formed. It remains liquid for a period of time after contact with, for example, the surface of the aircraft, and no icing occurs. Only when the latent heat of the liquid is completely released, the icing occurs on a surface a certain distance backwards in the direction of the airflow. Therefore, in the case of "post-flowing ice", there may be a special case where ice is not formed at the leading edge portion of the aircraft wing and the empennage, and icing occurs at the non-protected portion after the leading edge.

According to the conventional detection method, if the water is to be detected, a large number of water detector units are required to be placed on a large portion. In this way, not only is there a large installation space, but also damage to the structure of the surface of the object, and the provision of a plurality of icing detector units can also significantly increase the cost. The detection of "post-flowing ice" can be easily achieved. All that has to be done is to modify the algorithm in the calculation module (for example, to partition the surface of the object to be detected along the direction of the airflow, and calculate each region separately) so that it can achieve no icing on the surface of the object along the direction of the airflow. After the identification of the next icing condition, the post-flow ice detection can be realized.

What has been described above is a preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; The inventors expect that a person skilled in the art can implement suitable modifications and that such changes are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

Claim

An image icing detector comprising: an image acquisition system (1-A) and an image processing system (2-A), the image acquisition system (1-A) capable of acquiring an image of an object surface, the image The processing system (2-A) is capable of analyzing the image to obtain an icing condition on the surface of the object,

Characterized in that the image acquisition system (1-A) comprises a imaging fiber bundle (104).

2. The image icing detector according to claim 1, further comprising image fixing means, the front end of the image fiber bundle (104) being aligned with the surface of the object to be detected, the rear end and the image The fixtures are connected.

The image icing probe according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the image fixing device is disposed away from the surface of the object.

4. An image icing probe according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said image fixing means comprises an image sensor (108).

5. The image icing probe of claim 4, wherein the image acquisition system (1-A) further comprises a filter disposed before the image sensor (108).

The image icing detector according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the image acquisition system (1-A) further comprises an electromagnetic wave emitting device (115) for illuminating the surface of the object.

7. The image icing detector according to claim 6, wherein the electromagnetic wave emitted by the electromagnetic wave emitting device (115) comprises visible light, infrared light, and/or ultraviolet light.

The image icing detector according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the electromagnetic wave emitting device (115) operates intermittently.

The image icing detector according to claim 8, wherein the image fixing device operates when the electromagnetic wave emitting device (115) operates.

The image icing detector according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the electromagnetic wave transmitting device (115) operates at a frequency of l-20 Hz.

11. An image icing detector according to any of claims 6-10, characterized in that The electromagnetic wave emitting device (115) includes a light emitting fiber bundle (104).

12. The image icing detector according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the image acquisition system (1-A) further comprises an anti-icing device and/or a de-icing device for preventing and/or The icing near the front end of the imaging fiber bundle (104) is eliminated.

13. The image icing probe of claim 12, wherein the de-icing device comprises a miniature electric heater (112).

14. An image icing detector according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a focus lens (102) and a protective lens (101) are provided at the front end of the image fiber bundle (104).

15. An image icing probe according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the image acquisition system (1-A) further comprises a temperature sensor (111).

16. An aircraft icing detector, comprising an image icing probe according to any of the preceding claims.

17. The aircraft icing detector of claim 16, wherein a front end of the image fiber bundle (104) is disposed adjacent to a surface of the object to be detected for closely following the surface of the object Microscopic detection.

18. The aircraft icing detector of claim 16, wherein a front end of the image fiber bundle (104) is disposed away from a surface of the object to be detected for remotely displacing the surface of the object Macroscopic detection.