US 12,071,249 B2
Method and device for determining icing on an aircraft, and aircraft
Martin Fengler, St. Gallen (CH); Lukas Hammerschmidt, St. Gallen (CH); Christopher Hartmann, St. Gallen (CH); Daniel Schmitz, St. Gallen (CH); Philipp Kryenbühl, St. Gallen (CH); Benjamin Koffel, St. Gallen (CH); Raphael Storchenegger, St. Gallen (CH); Mathias Haukås, St. Gallen (CH); Dominik Schindler, St. Gallen (CH); and Jürg Wildi, St. Gallen (CH)
Assigned to METEOMATICS AG, St. Gallen (CH)
Filed by METEOMATICS AG, St. Gallen (CH)
Filed on Dec. 21, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/557,726.
Claims priority of application No. 102020134597.6 (DE), filed on Dec. 22, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0194605 A1, Jun. 23, 2022
Int. Cl. B64D 15/22 (2006.01); B64D 41/00 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 15/22 (2013.01) [B64D 41/00 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for determining icing on an aircraft, the method comprising:
acquiring, by a processor connected to one or more systems of the aircraft, data related to a current flight state of the aircraft;
acquiring, by the processor, data related to current flight conditions of the aircraft;
executing, by the processor, a model of the aircraft, wherein the model uses the acquired current flight state and current flight conditions of the aircraft as input parameters to generate an output that includes at least an estimated power feed generated by a power supply;
supplying, by the power supply, the power feed to one or more components of the aircraft configured to perform at least one of a flight control operation and an in-flight maneuver in the current flight state under the current flight conditions;
receiving, by the processor, a measure of an actual power feed provided by the power supply to the one or more components of the aircraft in performing at least one of the flight control operation and the in-flight maneuver;
comparing, by the processor, the output of the model with the actual power feed of the power supply of the aircraft; and
determining, by the processor, a presence of icing on the aircraft when a probability of an existence of icing conditions exceeds a predetermined probability threshold and the estimated power feed exceeds the actual power feed by a predetermined amount.