Fluxes scintillometer

US5150171A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Commerce · US

Inventors

• Reginald Hill · Chicago, US
• Gerard R. Ochs · Longmont, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 30, 1990
• Grant date: Sep 22, 1992
• Expiry date: Jul 30, 2010

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2021/4106
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A laser scintillometer measures the variance of the log intensity of diverged laser light received via a first path. A large aperture scintillometer measures the variance of the log intensity of light from an incoherently illuminated source received via a second path. The ratio of the two measured variances gives the inner scale of turbulence. The refractive-index structure parameter is derived from either measured variance and the inner scale. A processor then derives values of fluxes, such as heat flux and momentum flux, from the refractive-index structure parameter and the inner scale of turbulence using Monin-Obukhov similarity relationships.