Correlation between measurement of an ice detector and the mass of ice accreted on two different sized conductors

In cold regions, atmospheric icing is an important parameter for the design and reliability of exposed structures. A test site, located on Mt. Valin ( Quebec) Canada, is used to obtain field data on icing events. This test sit e mainly includes two test lines supporting four types of electrical conduc tors, instrumentation, and an ice detector. The ice detector monitors ice a ccretion by measuring the shift in frequency, at resonance, of a vibrating cylindrical probe, under the effect of the mass of ice accreted. This instr ument, which is electrically de-iced, sends a cumulative alarm signal for e ach ice mass accretion reaching a preset value. The correlation between the ice detector signal and the mass of ice accreted on two different sized co nductors is presented for three typical icing events monitored during the 1 994-1995 season. In order to improve the correlation, a procedure rejects t he data points corresponding to the shedding of ice during an icing event. The comparison between the mass of ice accreted on different conductors and the ice detector signal is a convenient way to calibrate the instrument. T hen, these results could be used for predicting the ice mass accreted on si milar cables, using the number of alarm signals from the ice detector. Resu lts indicate the need to take into consideration the cable diameter and the apparent area of the probe with respect to the direction of droplets in th e calibration of such ice detector.