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Laser velocimeter

  • US 4,859,055 A
  • Filed: 05/17/1988
  • Issued: 08/22/1989
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1988
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method for determining velocity of an object relative to particles in a gaseous mass surrounding said object, said method comprising the steps of:

  • (a) projecting a plurality of pairs of beams of optical radiation from said object to a measurement volume that is spaced apart from said object, each pair of said plurality of pairs of beams consisting of two beams that are generally ribbon-shaped and substantially parallel to each other and that are separated from each other by a predetermined distance at the measurement volume, the two beams of each pair of said plurality of pairs of beams being nonparallel to the beams of every other pair of said plurality of pairs of beams at the measurement volume, the particles in said gaseous mass at the measurement volume scattering optical radiation from the two beams of each pair of said plurality of pairs of beams;

    (b) gathering a portion of the optical radiation scattered by said particles in said gaseous mass surrounding said object from the two beams of each pair of said plurality of pairs of beams at the measurement volume;

    (c) discriminating the gathered optical radiation scattered from each of the two beams of each pair of said plurality of pairs of beams at the measurement volume from the gathered optical radiation scattered from every other beam of said plurality of pairs of beams at the measurement volume;

    (d) generating a plurality of pairs of electrical signals, each electrical signal being related to the scattering of optical radiation from a corresponding beams of said plurality of pairs of beams at the measurement volume;

    (e) processing said plurality of pairs of electrical signals to measure time intervals required for said particles to traverse the predetermined distance between the two beams of each pair of said plurality of pairs of beams at the measurement volume, and to calculate components of velocity of said particles relative to said object; and

    (f) determining a velocity vector for said object relative to said particles from said calculated components of velocity.

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