Systems And Methods For Modifying An Ice-To-Object Interface

Abstract

A windshield deicer has a windshield with a substantially transparent heating element that generates heat in response to applied power in a magnitude sufficient to melt an interfacial layer of ice on the windshield; and a controller for limiting duration of the applied power such that a heat diffusion distance into the interfacial layer of ice and/or the windshield is less than about a thickness of the ice and/or the windshield. In an embodiment, the heating element is visually transparent semiconductor material having an electron gap larger than about 3 eV, and examples are given including ZnO and ZnS films. In another embodiment, the heating element is a transparent conductor made from indium tin oxide (ITO), tin oxide, metal, and mixtures thereof. In another embodiment, the heating element dissipates at least 2 kilowatts per square meter.

1 . A windshield deicer, comprising:
 a windshield; and   a substantially transparent heating element disposed with the windshield that generates heat in response to applied power in a magnitude sufficient to melt an interfacial layer of ice on the windshield; and   a controller for limiting duration of the applied power such that a heat diffusion distance into the interfacial layer of ice and/or the windshield is less than about a thickness of the ice and/or the windshield.   
   
   
       2 . The windshield deicer of  claim 1 , the heating element being selected from visually transparent semiconductor material having an electron gap larger than about 3 eV. 
   
   
       3 . The windshield deicer of  claim 2 , the material comprising one of ZnO, ZnS, and mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       4 . The windshield deicer of  claim 1 , the heating element comprising transparent conductor material. 
   
   
       5 . The windshield deicer of  claim 4 , the material comprising one of indium tin oxide (ITO), tin oxide, metal, and mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       6 . The windshield deicer of  claim 1 , further comprising a protective coating on the heating element. 
   
   
       7 . The windshield deicer of  claim 1 , further comprising a power supply for generating the power. 
   
   
       8 . The windshield deicer of  claim 7 , the power supply comprising a vehicle battery and a step-up converter. 
   
   
       9 . The windshield deicer of  claim 1 , the controller limiting duration of the applied power such that the heat diffusion distance comprises a thickness into the interfacial layer of ice being between about one micron and one millimeter. 
   
   
       10 . The windshield deicer of  claim 1 , the heating element configured into a plurality of heating elements forming a plurality of segmented regions, the controller configured for applying the power to each of the plurality of heating elements to de-ice segments of the windshield.