Research status and prospects of dynamic perception and quantitative detection sensors for icing characteristics

Ice detection technologies are essential for mitigating icing hazards in energy, transportation, and other fields in cold and humid environments. This review systematically summarizes the sensing principles, performance metrics, optimization strategies, and applications of ice detection technologies. Based on the physical properties of ice, sensing technologies are classified into acoustic, optical, thermal, electrical, and mechanical, and systematically compared for their capabilities in detecting icing characteristics, including ice type, thickness, and distribution. Optical and acoustic sensors achieve accuracies of about 0.1 mm within a 13 mm detection range, whereas electrical and mechanical sensors offer accuracies of 0.2–1.0 mm within a 20 mm range. Optimization strategies focusing on structures, materials, and algorithms are examined. Representative ice detection products and engineering applications are comprehensively analyzed. Finally, challenges and future directions for intelligent and multimodal ice detection are assessed, providing guidance for accurate icing monitoring and effective ice hazard mitigation.