PREDICTION OF ICE CRYSTAL PRESENCE IN A VOLUME OF AIRSPACE

• US 20160274271A1
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Lukas, Jan, Kotaba, Ondrej, Vacanti, David C., Dobes, Michal, Kilty, Brennan
• Granted Patent: US 10,935,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/953 mounted on aircraft
• 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: G01W 1/02 Instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover or wind speed G01W1/10 takes precedence
• 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

In some examples, a processor is configured to predict the presence of ice crystals (e.g., high altitude ice crystals) in a volume of airspace based on radar reflectivity values and one or more other types of information indicative of weather conditions in the volume of airspace, such as one or more of: ambient air temperature and altitude. For example, the processor may predict the ice crystals presence by at least estimating the iced water content level within a volume of airspace of interest based on radar reflectivity values for the volume of airspace (e.g., stored as in a three-dimensional buffer) and other information indicative of weather conditions of the volume of airspace. The processor may estimate the iced water content level using a model that relates the information indicative of weather conditions in and around the volume of interest to iced water content in the atmosphere.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, information indicative of weather in a volume of airspace surrounding a volume of interest, wherein the information comprises radar reflectivity values; and

determining, by the processor and based at least in part on a model and the received information, a predicted iced water content level for the volume of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting, by the processor for display at a display device, a graphical indication, wherein the graphical indication is indicative of the predicted iced water content being above a specified level or of one or more ranges of predicted iced water content values.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information indicative of weather conditions further comprises one or more of:

an aircraft altitude, an altitude of the volume of interest, or an ambient air temperature around the aircraft.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

utilizing, by the processor, the model to determine predicted iced water content level by at least preprocessing one or more of;

a freezing altitude calculation, a predicted temperature at the volume of interest, a vertically integrated reflectivity calculation, or an iced-water-content-reflectivity power law value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the model comprises a polynomial model of one or more information types and one or more weights associated with the respective information type, wherein the one or more information types are each indicative of the weather in the volume of interest.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

utilizing, by the processor, the model to determine the predicted iced water content level by at least applying a nonlinear regression technique to previously measured information indicative of known weather and corresponding previously measured iced water content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the model comprises a plurality of submodels, wherein the plurality of submodels are based on one of an input quantity or an output quantity.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, information indicative of weather in the volume of interest, wherein the information comprises radar reflectivity values; and

determining, by the processor and based at least in part on the model, the information indicative of weather in the volume of interest, and the information indicative of weather in the volume of airspace surrounding the volume of interest, the predicted iced water content level for the volume of interest.

9. A system comprising:

a memory configured to store a model and information indicative of weather in a volume of airspace surrounding a volume of interest, wherein the information comprises radar reflectivity values; and

a processor configured to determine, based at least in part on the model and the information, a predicted iced water content for the volume of interest.

10. The system of claim 9,

wherein the memory is further configured to store information indicative of weather in the volume of interest, wherein the information comprises radar reflectivity values;

and

wherein the processor is further configured to determine, based at least in part on the model, the information indicative of weather in the volume of interest, and the information indicative of weather in the volume of airspace surrounding the volume of interest, the predicted iced water content level for the volume of interest.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a core of a deep convective storm; and

determine a distance between the volume of interest and the core.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a display device configured to display a graphical indication, wherein the graphical indication is output by the processor and indicative of the predicted iced water content being above a specified level or of one or more ranges of predicted iced water content values.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the information indicative of weather conditions further comprises one or more of:

an aircraft altitude, an altitude of the volume of interest, or an ambient air temperature around the aircraft.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

the model to determine the predicted iced water content level by at least preprocessing one or more of;

a freezing altitude calculation, a predicted temperature at the volume of interest, a vertically integrated reflectivity calculation, or an iced-water-content-reflectivity power law value.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the model comprises a polynomial model of one or more information types and one or more weights associated with the respective information type, wherein the one or more information types are each indicative of the weather in the volume of interest. 16. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

utilize the model to determine predicted iced water content level by at least applying a nonlinear regression technique to previously measured information indicative of known weather and corresponding previously measured iced water content.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the model comprises a plurality of submodels.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of submodels are based on one of an input quantity or an output quantity.

18. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive information indicative of weather in a volume of airspace surrounding a volume of interest, wherein the information comprises radar reflectivity values; and

determine, based at least in part on a model and the received information, a predicted iced water content level for the volume of interest.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

output, for display at a display device, a graphical indication, wherein the graphical indication is indicative of the predicted iced water content being above a specified level or of one or more ranges of predicted iced water content values.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive information indicative of weather in the volume of interest, wherein the information comprises radar reflectivity values; and

determine, based at least in part on the model, the information indicative of weather in the volume of interest, and the information indicative of weather in the volume of airspace surrounding the volume of interest, the predicted iced water content level for the volume of interest.