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RUNWAYS
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Title: President
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A RUNWAY-IMPLANTABLE ELECTRONIC SENSOR IS PROPOSED FOR MEASUREMENT OF ICE ACCUMULATION ON AIRPORT RUNWAYS AND NAVIGATION AID STRUCTURES. THE SENSOR OPERATES BY MEASURING PHASE AND FREQUENCY RESOLVED DIFFERENTIAL ELECTRIC FIELD FLUCTUATIONS WITHIN AN AIR/ICE DIELECTRIC LAYER IN RESPONSE TO AN APPLIED VOLTAGE WAVEFORM ON A RUNWAY-IMPLANTED INSUL ATED SENSOR PLATE. THE SIGNIFICANT FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE OF THE DIELECTRIC SUSPECTIBILITY OF ICE IN THE AUDIO FREQUENCY RANGE CAN BE EXPLOITED TO YIELD A MEASUREMENT OF THE AMOUNT OF ICE PRESENT ON THE RUNWAY IF INTERFERING EFFECTS SUCH AS SPACE CHARGE POLARIZATION, DC CONDUCTIVITY OFFSETS, LIQUID-WATER AND DIRT ACCUMULATIONS, AND INSULATION-CAUSED ARTIFICIAL DEBYE-DISPERSION CAN BE OVERCOME. THESE INTERFERFERENCES ARE COMPOUNDED BY THE HIGH ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF CONTAMINATED WATER AND SLUSHY ICE ON THE RUNWAY SURFACE.
* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *