Technology Transfer Opportunity: Capacitive Impedance Water Ice Sensor (CIWIS) (LEW-TOPS-183) RFP

Description: Ice accumulation on an aircraft’s surface poses a serious safety risk, causing stalls and crashes due to the distortion of the smooth flow of air necessary to maintain lift. There are a variety of sensors commonly used to identify materials collecting on the surface of an aircraft, however, they all have operational limitations. Vibrating sensors are not able to detect small amounts of accumulation, optical sensors can be blocked by dirt or debris, and magnetostrictive sensors require precise calibration and have limited range. Engineers at NASA’s Glenn Research Center have developed a novel method for detecting ice or other material accumulation on the surface of aircraft. The Capacitive Impedance Water Ice Sensor (CIWIS). CIWIS works by measuring the impedance of accumulation using the phase of a smart capacitive sensor. This allows users to accurately determine when ice, water, or other materials are on the surface of an aircraft. The CIWIS is configured to detect ice, water, and other material accretion on an aircraft's surface using a capacitive sensor comprised of metal traces on a printed circuit board (PCB) with a dielectric surface covering.