Fundamentals of Monitoring Condensation and Frost/Ice Formation in Cold Environments Using Thin-Film Surface-Acoustic-Wave Technology

Moisture condensation, fogging, and frost or ice formationon structuralsurfaces cause severe hazards in many industrial components such asaircraft wings, electric power lines, and wind-turbine blades. Surface-acoustic-wave(SAW) technology, which is based on generating and monitoring acousticwaves propagating along structural surfaces, is one of the most promisingtechniques for monitoring, predicting, and also eliminating thesehazards occurring on these surfaces in a cold environment. Monitoringcondensation and frost/ice formation using SAW devices is challengingin practical scenarios including sleet, snow, cold rain, strong wind,and low pressure, and such a detection in various ambient conditionscan be complex and requires consideration of various key influencingfactors. Herein, the influences of various individual factors suchas temperature, humidity, and water vapor pressure, as well as combinedor multienvironmental dynamic factors, are investigated, all of whichlead to either adsorption of water molecules, condensation, and/orfrost/ice in a cold environment on the SAW devices. The influencesof these parameters on the frequency shifts of the resonant SAW devicesare systematically analyzed. Complemented with experimental studiesand data from the literature, relationships among the frequency shiftsand changes of temperature and other key factors influencing the dynamicphase transitions of water vapor on SAW devices are investigated toprovide important guidance for icing detection and monitoring.

Automated summary

Surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) technology is a promising technique for monitoring and eliminating hazards caused by moisture condensation, fogging, and frost/ice formation on structural surfaces in a cold environment. This study investigates the influences of temperature, humidity, water vapor pressure, and other key factors on the frequency shifts of resonant SAW devices and provides important guidance for icing detection and monitoring.