Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for determining wind profiles and for predicting clear air turbulence

US6070460A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
53References
57Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 28, 1997
Grant dateJun 6, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 28, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01W2001/003
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The invention provides a system for passive measurement of atmospheric temperature using a passive direction detector for detecting the energy of a narrow wavelength band emanating from a volume of atmospheric gas. The resulting signal can be associated with an effective temperature. The effective temperature can be associated with an effective range. The system generates a temperature map which can determine, at predetermined time intervals, atmospheric temperatures in an azimuth plane associated with a predefined range from the detector. The temperature map can then be used to calculate temperature gradients that in turn can be used to compute the vertical wind vector difference and to determine the presence of clear air turbulence.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.