A320 Ice Detector
 

Hi All

Trying to find out what frequency the A320 ice detector vibrates at and how long the ice indication is displayed after ice is no longer detected. I'm sure it's in the Engineering Manual but I don't have access to one.

Thanks

No idea, 190 seconds

https://www.slideshare.net/FernandoN...old-weatherops

Page 44 and onwards. Found it by Google.

From the AMM. Probe allowed to vibrate at normal frequency of 40KHZ.
, as ice builds frequEncy drops @ 133Hz (approx 0.5mm of ice build up) signal is sent for 60 seconds. If a new ice detection occurs with in that 60seconds signal will continue to be sent for 60 seconds after last detection.

The A320 detector vibrates at a rest frequency of 40.000 Hz.
A shift of 133 Hz represents an ice thickness on the probe of approximately 0.020 inch and lead to the ice signal which remains active for 60 seconds.

For the A320Fam a ice "detector" is only an option.
Normally there is only a lighted icing indicator between the windshields.

How much fuel would be saved if these were fitted as standard instead of using anti ice whenever icing conditions existed ?

First question is what reliability do these detectors have to detect and then annunciate for all icing conditions to be encountered?

second what certification standard exists that will validate the first question?

only after these questions are disposed is it practical to assess the cost basis of the installation and training vs fuel savings per icing segment flown

I'm pretty sure both of those questions would have been answered in the original testing & certification of the aircraft.

and the answer is ?

There's a reason the system is called anti ice, rather than de ice (like on turboprops).

I don't think that's how the ice detector is supposed to work. It's more of a reminder than an instruction, a bit like "yo, dumbass, you forgot to turn it on"

I turned the wing anti ice on when I saw this.

http://i64.tinypic.com/4qlgk2.jpg

No knowledge of the ice detector system on the A320. However at Boeing the 'early' ice detection systems were not terribly reliable and we didn't take credit for them - basically just a hand slapper to remind the crew they were in icing.
The latest generation of ice detectors Boeing calls "PIIDS" - Primary Ice Indication and Detection System". It's a dual redundant system, and when set to "AUTO", PIIDS will turn on engine anti-ice without crew intervention - indication that anti-ice is ON is a EAI (or NAI) display above that engine's indications on EICAS. The crew can still over-ride PIDDS by selecting EAI to "ON" or "OFF". Note that PIIDS can't detect Ice Crystal Icing (ICI) nor does it work on the ground - the crew still needs to select anti-ice manually when on the ground.

Metro man: and exactly so in accordance with the FCOM wording.