FORT LAUDERDALE Fla., 4 Sept. 2007. New Avionics Corp. in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is offering an ice detecting sensor for use in static-air applications. New technology eliminates moving parts and reduces cost, size, and weight, company officials say. The sensor can detect clear ice, rime ice, frost, snow, dew condensation, and raindrops.
New Ice*Meister Model 9734 industrial ice detecting sensor system offers benefits of ice sensing capability in new applications where ice sensing has never been affordable before -- or even available -- such as roadway signs; commercial and household refrigerators; retail thermometers; rain gauges; heliports at hospitals and oil rigs; irrigation controls for agriculture and golf courses; vehicle dispatch offices; sprinkler controls; wind power farms; and industrial freezers.
Once "tuned" for the application at hand, Model 9734 operates as a digital ice/no-ice indicator. At maximum sensitivities, it detects the incipient formation of any kind of ice, and even senses the condensation from human breath.
At minimum sensitivities, it distinguishes heavy ice from slightly heavier ice. It detects and "stretches" raindrops for efficient control of irrigation sprinklers, and it detects the point at which rain has turned to ice. It can be used in hazardous, remote, unattended locations. It offers an optional de-ice heater for system reset.
Model 9734 precipitation sensor system runs on about 1 Watt from virtually any power source available, of any polarity -- primary batteries, solar panels, six-volt motorcycle batteries; even cell phone chargers, AC and DC alike.
The three components of Ice*Meister Model 9734 are the sensor head, the cable, and the interface board. Users provide raw input power, and receive data output via indicator LEDs and isolating relay contacts -- this helps avoid system ground loops. User interface board "tunes" sensor head to specific applications. Various options* are available for the sensor head and cable assembly.
