Low-signature ice detection sensors for high-risk Arctic environments

Fatemeh Niknahad, PhD candidate in electrical engineering at UBC’s OMEGA Lab, working with the ice formation and data collection experimental setup including cooling stage, microwave sensor, X band antennas, and Field Fox Vector Network Analyzer (VNA).

UBC Applied Science is pioneering Arctic Research and Development activities in Western Canada, leveraging its multidisciplinary expertise, Pacific gateway location and established Indigenous partnerships.

The Arctic’s environmental conditions make it difficult to monitor infrastructure using conventional sensing technologies. Extreme cold, limited accessibility and prolonged periods of low visibility reduce the reliability of optical, thermal and contact-based sensors. This is a growing concern, as ice accumulation on aircraft, wind turbines, marine structures and remote installations can pose significant operational challenges and safety risks.

It’s a security issue as well. Active heating systems or changes to operational profiles often generate infrared signatures that are detectable by thermal surveillance systems, creating potential security vulnerabilities in sensitive or high-risk environments.

Dr. Mohammad Zarifi is developing low-cost, compact and portable, microwave-based sensors designed to operate in extreme temperatures with limited servicing requirements – making them ideal for a range of applications in Canada’s north. By relying on microwave sensing rather than thermal or optical methods, these sensors enable continuous ice detection while minimizing detectable emissions, making them well suited for deployment in remote Arctic regions.

We talked to Dr. Zarifi about his work on microwave sensors and how his research is shaping the future of ice detection. Dr. Zarifi is an Associated Professor and Tier II Principal’s Research Chair in Sensors and Microelectronics at the School of Engineering at UBC Okanagan, Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and is the Director of the Okanagan Microelectronics and Gigahertz Applications Lab (OMEGA Lab).

Okanagan Microelectronics and Gigahertz Applications Lab

Tell us about the main areas of your research.

My team designs electromagnetic sensors to detect, communicate and monitor environmental conditions across a range of applications. For more than five years, our work has focused on ice detection, with particular emphasis on differentiating between ice and water based on their distinct electromagnetic signatures.

Ice formation is a fact of life in the Arctic, and indeed throughout most of Canada in the winter months.

It poses risks to the safety and operation of aircraft, helicopters, wind turbines and other forms of critical infrastructure. While both active and passive de-icing methods are widely used, they come with technical, operational and energy-related limitations.

Several years ago, we developed state-of-the-art sensors capable of detecting ice at very early stages of formation. This work attracted interest from both Canadian and international partners, as well as Canada’s Department of National Defence. Since then, my lab has collaborated with a range of organizations on diverse applications, from Tekmar, which explored solutions for reducing ice accumulation on pavements, to COWI, a global engineering firm, and the Department of Defence, which is pursuing broader northern modernization initiatives.

Department of National Defence Tekmar

northern modernization initiatives COWI

What’s an example of your work with the Department of Defence?

One initiative I am working on with Kevin Golovin, a colleague at the University of Toronto, focuses on designing modular wind turbines for Arctic deployment. Energy generation in northern regions currently relies heavily on diesel fuel. Wind turbines offer a renewable alternative that can support military operations, industrial sites, remote communities and other applications.

Kevin Golovin

A key challenge, however, is icing. When a turbine continues operating with even a thin layer of ice on the blades, ice accumulation can accelerate rapidly. This leads to a cascading effect that results in a significant drop in power output. Under current operating practices, ice formation is often only detected after this loss in performance becomes apparent.

We are approaching this challenge in two ways. First, we are developing electromagnetic sensors that can detect the onset of ice formation in real time. This information allows operators to adjust turbine operation by reducing rotational speed, changing blade pitch or temporarily curtailing operations to prevent or slow further ice buildup. Second, we are developing surface treatments that can delay ice formation or promote ice shedding once it occurs.

We are working with Borrum Energy Solutions, a company based in Waterloo, that is developing smart turbine blades integrating both surface coatings and strategically placed sensors.

We plan to demonstrate this technology in a field setting later in 2026.

How does your research connect to security considerations?

Ice mitigation strategies can introduce operational and security challenges in defence and surveillance environments. A common approach is to embed heaters into equipment so that, when ice is detected, the system can actively remove it. While effective, these systems generate infrared emissions that increase thermal visibility and may be detectable by airborne or ground-based surveillance assets. They also require continuous power, which is not feasible for many defence platforms.

These constraints are particularly important for uncrewed aerial systems. Drones operating in cold and northern environments cannot afford continuous or active de-icing due to strict power and weight limitations. Our work on early ice detection using electromagnetic sensors enables a different approach: detecting the onset of ice formation and adjusting flight or mission parameters to delay or prevent accumulation. This can extend operational time, improve mission reliability, and reduce the need for energy-intensive mitigation methods.

Radar considerations add another layer of complexity. Wind turbines and other large structures interact strongly with military radar systems used for air surveillance, early warning and situational awareness. From a detection perspective, rotating turbine blades produce strong radar returns and characteristic Doppler signatures that can reveal the location and operational state of installations. From an interference perspective, they can introduce clutter or false targets that degrade radar performance and complicate the detection and tracking of aircraft or uncrewed systems operating nearby.

Our research examines how materials, surface treatments, and structural design can be engineered to manage these electromagnetic interactions.

By controlling electromagnetic scattering and reflectivity, the goal is to reduce radar cross-section where possible and to mitigate interference effects, while also supporting reliable sensing and monitoring. Together, these efforts aim to enable sensing, energy, and surveillance technologies that can operate effectively in cold, defence-sensitive environments without introducing unnecessary electromagnetic or thermal signatures.

What makes microwave-based sensors particularly useful in the Arctic?

Microwave sensors offer several advantages over traditional sensors.

First, they detect and communicate using the same mechanism, whereby the resonator itself is both the sensing element and the antenna. This integrated design reduces system size and lowers power requirements, important considerations for deployment in Arctic and remote environments.

Second, microwave sensors are highly sensitive and capable of detecting small changes in real time. They can identify ice formation at very early stages, often before it can be detected using conventional methods. In addition to presence detection, these sensors can provide information such as ice thickness and rate of deposition. This allows operators, whether managing wind turbines, aircraft or other infrastructure, to make timely operational adjustments that may prevent or slow further ice accumulation.

Finally, microwave sensors are well suited to Arctic conditions. They can operate reliably in extremely low temperatures and withstand rapid temperature fluctuations. Many conventional devices and sensing technologies are not designed to tolerate these conditions, limiting their effectiveness in a northern Canadian environment.

Anything else you’d like to share?

This research has been shaped by the contributions of many talented graduate students, including master’s and PhD researchers who have gone on to careers in industry and continue to contribute to Canada’s innovation ecosystem. Alongside advancing the technology itself, the work also focuses on training highly qualified personnel who understand the broader technical and operational challenges and know how to design practical solutions to address them.