Abstract: Love wave aircraft ice sensor is likely to be applied to aircraft icing forecast and detection. Through detecting the Love wave changes propagating in the guiding layer, changes in ice thickness and ice physical state can be obtained. Based on Zimmermann’s theory, according to the ice detector structure, the relations between ice thickness and Love wave velocity were computed, and the impact of ice thickness of the guiding layer on detection sensitivity was studied in a practical experimental setting in which the guiding layer was ice and the substrate was ST90°X quartz. The computed results based on Zimmermann’s theory were compared with the computed results based on N. Bari’s sensitivity theory, and the comparison indicated the Love wave ice sensor sensitivity computations were correct. This preparatory experiment was carried out to prove the Love wave ice sensor principle. The results show that Love wave ice sensor can distinguish air, water, and ice clearly, and the experimental data are in agreement with the computed results.

Key words: surface acoustic wave device, Love wave, ice, sensor, aircraft