Controlled sampling volume of clouds for measuring cloud parameters
US10031059B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 20, 2017 |
| Grant date | Jul 24, 2018 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 20, 2037 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02A90/10
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Apparatus and associated methods relate to determining a size and/or density of Super-cooled Large Droplets (SLDs) in a cloud atmosphere by comparing detected optical signals reflected from small and large sampling volumes of a cloud atmosphere. In some embodiments, an optical pulse is generated and divergently projected from a first optical fiber. A collimating lens is aligned within the divergently projected optical pulse collimating a portion thereof. The collimated and uncollimated portions of the optical pulse are projected into the small and large sampling volumes of the cloud atmosphere, respectively. The ratio of the collimated to the uncollimated portions can be optically controlled. Signals corresponding to optical pulses having different collimated/uncollimated ratios are backscattered by the cloud atmosphere, detected and compared to one another. A processor is configured to calculate, based on scintillation spike differences between the optical pulses of different collimated/uncollimated ratios, a size and/or density of SLDs.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.