System and method for turbulence detection

• US 10,302,761 B1
• Filed: 07/18/2016
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Woodell, Daniel L., Finley, Jeffery A., Koenigs, Gregory J., Conkling, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E
• Application Number:
  US15/213,256
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/95 for meteorological use
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/953 mounted on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/02 of systems according to group G01S13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/04 Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/062 in which different colours are used
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/22 Producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

An aircraft hazard warning system or method can be utilized to determine a location of turbulence, hail or other hazard for an aircraft. The aircraft hazard warning system can utilize processing electronics coupled to an antenna. The processing electronics can determine an inferred presence of turbulence in response to lightning sensor data, radar reflectivity data, turbulence data, geographic location data, vertical structure analysis data, and/or temperature data. The system can include a display for showing the turbulence hazard and its location.

Claims

1. An aircraft hazard warning system using radar reflectivity data to determine a presence of hail, comprising:

an onboard electronic processing system in communication with a radar antenna and configured to receive radar returns including radar reflectivity data and temperature data from the radar antenna and to determine a presence of hail, the electronic processing system configured to determine a first altitude associated with the zero degree centigrade point, the electronic processing system configured to determine the presence of hail when the reflectivity data indicates a reflectivity at a second altitude above the first altitude is above a first threshold, and the electronic processing system configured to provide an indication based on the determination of the presence of hail.

2. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 1, wherein the radar reflectivity data includes or the electronic processing system determines one or more of:

a target range, Doppler velocity information, a Doppler derived spectral width parameter, an area reflectivity parameter, a gradient reflectivity parameter, a vertical structure, and a magnitude reflectivity parameter.

3. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 1, wherein the second altitude is 1.4 km above the first altitude.

4. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 1, wherein the atmospheric temperature data includes one or more of:

a local temperature, local temperature variations with time, local temperature variations with altitude, a remotely determined temperature, and remotely determined temperature gradients in either range or altitude.

5. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 1, wherein the electronic processing system inferentially determines a maximum hail diameter.

6. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 1, wherein the aircraft hazard warning system is for use with a display, and wherein the electronic processing system provides display data for at least one of a vertical, a horizontal, and a perspective weather depiction.

7. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 1, wherein the first threshold is 45 dBZ.

8. A method of displaying an indication of a hazard on an aircraft display using an avionics warning system, the method comprising:

receiving, by an electronic processing system, radar returns from an airborne radar antenna, the radar returns including radar reflectivity data and temperature data;

determining, by the electronic processing system, a first altitude associated with the zero degree centigrade point;

determining, by the electronic processing system, the presence of hail when the reflectivity data indicates a reflectivity at a second altitude above the first altitude is above a threshold; and

providing, by the electronic processing system, an indication to an avionics warning system based on the determination of the presence of hail.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second altitude is 1.4 km above the first altitude.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the radar reflectivity data includes or the electronic processing system determines one or more of:

a target range, Doppler velocity information, a Doppler derived spectral width parameter, an area reflectivity parameter, a gradient reflectivity parameter, a vertical structure, and a magnitude reflectivity parameter.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the atmospheric temperature data includes one or more of:

a local temperature, local temperature variations with time, local temperature variations with altitude, a remotely determined temperature, and remotely determined temperature gradients in either range or altitude.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the electronic processing system provides the indication as display data for at least one of a vertical, a horizontal, and a perspective weather depiction.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the electronic processing system inferentially determines a maximum hail diameter.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the electronic processing system inferentially determines a minimum hail diameter.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the threshold is 45 dBZ.