Laser system for measuring the angle of incidence of an aircraft
US5172181A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 21, 1991 |
| Grant date | Dec 15, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 21, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S7/4818
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A system is disclosed for measuring the angle of incidence of an aircraft, comprising at least one probe with a laser generator having a monochromatic emission spectral line, an optical emission system, an optical system receiving a monochromatic radiation back-scattered by the aerosols, means for pumping the laser generator, a detection interferometer receiving a part of the emitted laser beam and the back-scattered radiation and means for determining, after beating of the emitted beam and back-scattered beam, the Doppler frequency of the back-scattered beam and deriving therefrom the air speed along the axis of the emitted laser beam, in which system the optical emission system is adapted so as to focus the emitted beam on an air slice distant from the aircraft, the laser generator is disposed in the vicinity of the skin of the aircraft, the pumping means and the interferometer are moved inside the aircraft and the frequency of the laser spectral line is adapted so that the connections between the probe, on the one hand, and the pumping means and the interferometer, on the other, are made from monomode optical fibers with polarization maintenance.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.