Capacitance-Type Sensor System for Characterizations of Icing Behavior

An online monitoring and real-time simulation system for icing of transmission lines is designed using sensing technology with a coplanar multipoint capacitance. A sensor is used in the system to detect changes in the metal electrode capacitance at various positions surrounding transmission lines and verify the ice thickness on the analog lines. Using theoretical analysis and simulations of coplanar electrode fields and capacitors, as well as freezing tests of the system at low temperatures, we found that the system could be quite useful for monitoring the ice thickness of transmission lines.