System and method for detection of microbursts by measuring various weather condition parameters at both spaced time and location intervals
First Claim
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1. A weather hazard detection apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of SENSTRANS units positioned at spaced intervals in an area in which weather hazards are to be detected, each SENSTRANS unit including;
a humidity sensor,a wind speed sensor,a wind direction sensor,a barometric pressure sensor,a temperature sensor, andmeans for transmitting measurement values from said sensors via RF transmission at predetermined intervals,a data processing and display unit (DAPAD), said DAPAD comprising,means for receiving said measurement values transmitted by said SENSTRANS units,means for storing said values along with an identification of the particular SENSTRANS unit from which it originated and the time period in which it was measured,a data processing unit for manipulating said stored measurement values to calculate parameters indicative of the presence or absence of weather hazards, said manipulations including, at least, calculation of the time differential of the equivalent potential temperature for at least one point in said area,said DAPAD further including means for generating a warning signal responsive to one or more of said calculated parameters falling within corresponding predefined ranges indicative of the likely presence of a weather hazard, anddisplay means responsive to said warning signal for producing a display indicating the presence of a weather hazard.
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Abstract
The invention comprises a microburst detection and measurement system having a plurality of SENSTRANS units positioned at spaced intervals, each SENSTRANS unit monitoring humidity, wind speed, wind direction, barometric pressure, and temperature. The sensors transmit the observed weather conditions to a central data processing and display unit via RF, FM transmission. The data processing and display unit collects and assimilates the data to determine if the measured parameters indicate the likely presence of microburst or other weather hazards. If so, it issues a weather hazard warning both visually and audibly.
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29 Claims
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1. A weather hazard detection apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of SENSTRANS units positioned at spaced intervals in an area in which weather hazards are to be detected, each SENSTRANS unit including; a humidity sensor, a wind speed sensor, a wind direction sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and means for transmitting measurement values from said sensors via RF transmission at predetermined intervals, a data processing and display unit (DAPAD), said DAPAD comprising, means for receiving said measurement values transmitted by said SENSTRANS units, means for storing said values along with an identification of the particular SENSTRANS unit from which it originated and the time period in which it was measured, a data processing unit for manipulating said stored measurement values to calculate parameters indicative of the presence or absence of weather hazards, said manipulations including, at least, calculation of the time differential of the equivalent potential temperature for at least one point in said area, said DAPAD further including means for generating a warning signal responsive to one or more of said calculated parameters falling within corresponding predefined ranges indicative of the likely presence of a weather hazard, and display means responsive to said warning signal for producing a display indicating the presence of a weather hazard. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A microburst detection apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of SENSTRANS units positioned about an area in which weather hazards are to be detected, each SENSTRANS unit comprising; a solar insolation sensor, a humidity sensor, a wind speed sensor, a wind direction sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, an analog-to-digital converter having inputs coupled to receive measurement values from said sensors and an output, said analog-to-digital converter converting said measurement values into a digital measurement word, ( a microprocessor for combining said digital measurement word with parity check bits, SENSTRANS unit identification bits and transmission protocol bits to produce a digital transmission word, a transmitter for transmitting said transmission word via RF transmission to specified intervals, said apparatus further comprising a data processing and display unit (DAPAD), said DAPAD comprising, a receiver for receiving said transmission words from said SENSTRANS units, a processing unit including means for disassembling said transmission words into data packets, each packet disclosing the measured value, the weather condition represented by the measured value, the time the measurement was made, and the SENSTRANS unit from which the measurement was received, a memory storage device for storing said data packets, said processing unit further comprising means for calculating the total pressure at each SENSTRANS unit, the time differential of the equivalent potential temperature at one or more of the SENSTRANS units, and the relative wind speeds and directions at the SENSTRANS units, and means for determining the likely presence and location of a microburst based on said calculations, means for generating a microburst warning signal in said processing unit when said calculations indicate the likely presence of a microburst, visual display means responsive to said microburst warning signal for producing a display indicating the location and magnitude of the microburst, and audio means for generating an audible warning signal responsive to said microburst warning signal. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification