Conceptual design of cost-effective ice detection system based on infrared thermography

Abstract

Ice accretion has been a persisting issue in cold regions and poses a threat to both onshore and offshore infrastructure, especially to sensitive equipment and personnel safety. Thermal infrared imaging (thermography) can be used as a non-destructive, non-invasive technique to determine the presence and thickness of ice over a surface. This paper presents early-stage experiment results with a FLIR® Lepton 2.5 radiometric thermal IR camera (resolution ) to detect ice. Other technical aspects are also studied qualitatively, and corresponding results are validated against a high-speed, high-resolution FLIR® T1030SC thermal IR camera. The presented results are the first step in detecting and mitigating ice on flat surfaces. This technique may lead to the development of autonomous, remote, economical ice detection and mitigation system.