Mechanism Analysis and Simulation of Coplanar Multi-Electrode Capacitive Ice Thickness Measuring Sensor

In this paper, we use the coplanar multi-electrode for designing a rod-shaped sensor for measuring the ice thickness. In order to analyze and study mechanism and feasibility of ice thickness measurements using this technique, we use modes of mathematical model derivation and software simulation to study coplanar multi-electrode capacitance sensors. It uses MAXWELL software to simulate the coplanar multi-electrode capacitance sensor under the models which are being approached by three different media, namely ice, air and water. Both mathematical model derivation and simulation results show that the sensor designed with coplanar multi-electrode capacitance can be used to level the automated measurement of sea ice or river ice thickness. The accuracy is ± 1 cm.