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

• US 6,563,452 B1
• Filed: 07/21/2000
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alliedsignal Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Horak, Dan T., Zheng, L. Lucy, Burne, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US09/621,170
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 342/26, 342/175, 342/195, 342/52-58
• US Class Current: 342/26.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2203/00 Application of thermometers in cryogenics
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/951 ground based
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/953 mounted on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/955 mounted on satellite
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/95 for meteorological use
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/06 Cathode-ray tube displays or other two dimensional or three-dimensional displays
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 2001/003 Clear air turbulence detection or forecasting, e.g. for aircrafts
• 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

A clear air turbulence (CAT) detection system performs a nowcast algorithm to detect CAT along the flight path of an aircraft. The aircraft stores computer simulation information of key storm features and utilizes the information in combination with returns from an on-board weather detection and ranging sensor and limited additional meteorological data to predict CAT properties, such as intensity, location, time and probability of occurrence. The additional meteorological data is provided by on-board sensors and/or data link from ground sources. A nowcast predicting turbulence along the flight path in the near future alerts the pilot to the likelihood of encountering clear air turbulence.

Claims

1. A clear air turbulence nowcast system comprising:

a memory having clear air turbulence information stored therein as a function of predetermined storm features; and

a processor coupled to said memory, said processor receiving each of a signal representative of a return of an airborne weather detection and ranging sensor and signal representative of one or more additional meteorological data, wherein said process;

a) compensates said weather detection and ranging sensor return signal using said meteorological data;

b) determines a correlation between said compensated weather detection and ranging sensor return signal and one or more of said storm features,

c) retrieves said clear air turbulence information as a function of sad correlation, and

d) generates a nowcast of clear air turbulence as a function of said clear air turbulence information.

2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein said processor further generates an output signal representative of said nowcast.

3. The system recited in claim 2, wherein said processor is further:

extracts key features from said weather detection and ranging sensor return signal, and

correlates said key features with said one or more storm features.

4. The system recited in claim 3, wherein said meteorological data further comprise one or more data generated by an alternate weather detection and ranging source.

5. The system recited in claim 3, wherein said processor further employs a short-term prediction algorithm for generating said nowcast.

6. The system recited in claim 5, wherein said nowcast of clear air turbulence further comprises one or more of an intensity, a location, a time, and a probability of occurrence of clear air turbulence.

7. The system recited in claim 3, wherein said processor further generates an output alert signal as a function of said nowcast.

8. A clear air turbulence nowcast system comprising:

a memory having stored therein;

a) storm data bank of one or more storm templates, and

b) clear air turbulence information stored therein as a function of said storm templates;

a processor coupled to said memory, said processor receiving each of a signal representative of returns of a weather detection and ranging sensor and a signal representative of one or more additional meteorological data, wherein said processor executes so are that;

a) compensates said weather detection and ranging sensor return signal as a function of said meteorological data,

b) extracts key features from said compensated weather detection and ranging sensor return signal,

c) correlates said compensated key features with storm features stored in one or more of said storm templates;

d) retrieves said clear air turbulence information from said memo as a function of said correlation, and

e) generates a nowcast of clear air turbulence as a function of a short-term prediction algorithm.

9. The system recited in claim 8, wherein said clear air turbulence information stored in said memory further comprise information stored therein as a function of returns of simulations applied to typical storm scenarios generated through meteorological modeling.

10. The system recited in claim 9, wherein said nowcast of clear air turbulence further comprises one or more of an intensity, a location, a time, and a probability of occurrence of clear air turbulence.

11. The system recited in claim 10, wherein said processor further executes software which generates an output alert signal as a function of said nowcast.

12. An electronic circuit generating a clear air turbulence nowcast using on-board weather detection and ranging sensor data and minimal additional meteorological data, the electronic circuit comprising:

a) a memory for storing;

i) a plurality of machine instructions,

ii) weather detection and ranging sensor data,

iii) additional current meteorological data, and

iv) clear air turbulence information as a function of predetermined storm features; and

b) a processor coupled to said memory, said processor executing said plurality of machine instructions to implement a plurality of functions, said functions comprising;

i) modifying key features of said weather detection and ranging sensor data as a function of said additional current meteorological data,

ii) extracting said modified key features from said weather detection and ranging sensor data,

iii) comparing said modified key features to said predetermined storm features;

iv) retrieving said clear air turbulence information as a function of said correlation; and

v) generating a nowcast of clear air turbulence as a function of said clear air turbulence information.

13. The electronic circuit recited in claim 12, wherein said predetermined storm features further comprise storm features retrieved from a bank of storm features stored in said memory.

14. The electronic circuit recited in claim 13, wherein said meteorological data further comprise one or more of weather detection and ranging sensor data obtained from an alternate source and non-radar meteorological data.

15. The electronic circuit recited in claim 14, wherein said nowcast generating function further comprises operating a short-term weather prediction algorithm.

16. The electronic circuit recited in claim 14, wherein said nowcast of clear air turbulence further comprises a nowcast of one or more of an intensity, a location, a time, and a probability of occurrence of clear air turbulence.

17. The electronic circuit recited in claim 16, further comprising the function of generating an output alert signal as a function of said nowcast.

18. A method for using an electronic circuit to generate a clear air turbulence nowcast using meteorological data conveyed as a power return signal from an on-board weather detection and ranging sensor system and minimal additional meteorological data, the method comprising:

a) processing the signal as a weather detection and ranging sensor signal;

b) with the electronic circuit, extracting key features from said weather detection and ranging sensor signal;

c) with the electronic circuit, compensating said key features as a function of current meteorological data;

d) with the electronic circuit, correlating said compensated key features with predetermined storm features;

e) with the electronic circuit, retrieving clear air turbulence information as a function of said correlation; and

f) with the electronic circuit, generating a nowcast of clear air turbulence as a function of said clear air turbulence information.

19. The method recited in claim 18, wherein said predetermined storm features further comprise storm features retrieved from a stored bank of storm features.

20. The method recited in claim 19, wherein said meteorological data further comprise one or more of data from a ground-based radar system and a ground-based lidar system.

21. The method recited in claim 20, wherein said generating a nowcast further comprises operating a short-term weather prediction algorithm for generating said nowcast.

22. The method recited in claim 21, wherein said nowcast of clear air turbulence further comprises one or more of an intensity, a location, a time, and a probability of occurrence of clear air turbulence.

23. The method recited in claim 22, further comprising generating with the electronic circuit an output alert signal as a function of said nowcast.

24. A clear air turbulence nowcast system comprising:

a memory having clear air turbulence information stored therein as a function of predetermined storm features; and

a processor coupled to said memory, said processor receiving each of a signal representative of a return from an airborne weather detection and ranging sensor and signal representative of one or more additional meteorological data, wherein said processor;

a) extracts key features from said airborne weather detection and ranging sensor signal,

b) determines a correlation between said extracted features and one or more of said storm features,

c) retrieves said clear air turbulence information as a function of said correlation,

d) generates a nowcast of clear air turbulence as a function of said clear air turbulence information and said additional meteorological data.

25. The system recited in claim 24, wherein said processor further generates an output signal representative of said nowcast.

26. The system recited in claim 25, wherein said meteorological data further comprise one or more of data generated by one or more alternate on-board sensors and data uplinked from one or more alternate sources.

27. The system recited in claim 26, wherein said processor further employs a short-term prediction algorithm for generating said nowcast.

28. The system recited in claim 27, wherein said nowcast of clear air turbulence further comprises one or more of an intensity, a location, a time, and a probability of occurrence of clear air turbulence.

29. The system recited in claim 28, wherein said processor generates an output alert signal as a function of said nowcast.

30. A clear air turbulence nowcast system comprising:

a memory having stored therein;

a) storm data bank of predetermined storm features, and

b) clear air turbulence information stored therein as a function of said predetermined storm features;

a processor coupled to said memory, said processor receiving each of a signal representative of returns of an airborne weather detection and ranging sensor and a signal representative of one or more additional current meteorological data, wherein said processor executes software that;

a) determines key features from said airborne weather detection an ranging sensor signal,

b) correlates said key features with said predetermined storm features;

c) retrieves said clear air turbulence information from said memory as a function of said correlation, and

d) generates a nowcast of clear air turbulence as a function of a short-term prediction algorithm.

31. The system recited in claim 30, wherein said clear air turbulence information stored in said memory further comprise information stored therein as a function of returns of simulations applied to typical storm scenarios generated through meteorological modeling.

32. The system recited in claim 31, wherein said nowcast of clear air turbulence further comprises one or more of an intensity, a location, a time, and a probability of occurrence of clear air turbulence.

33. The system recited in claim 32, wherein said processor further executes software which generates an output alert signal as a function of said nowcast.

34. An electronic circuit generating a clear air turbulence nowcast using on-board weather detection and ranging sensor data and minimal additional meteorological data, the electronic circuit comprising:

a) a memory for storing;

i) a plurality of machine instructions,

ii) weather detection and ranging sensor data,

iii) additional current meteorological data, and

iv) clear air turbulence information as a function of predetermined storm features; and

b) a processor coupled to said memory, said processor executing said plurality of machine instructions to implement a plurality of functions, said functions comprising;

i) extract key features from said on-board weather detection and ranging sensor corresponding to said predetermined storm features,

ii) extracting said key features from said on-board weather detection and ranging sensor data,

iii) correlating said key features to said predetermined storm features;

iv) retrieving said clear air turbulence information as a function of said correlation;

v) retrieving said additional current meteorological data, and

vi) generating a nowcast of clear air turbulence as a function of said clear air turbulence information and said additional current meteorological data.

35. The electronic circuit recited in claim 34, wherein said predetermined storm features further comprise storm features retrieved from a bank of storm features stored in said memory.

36. The electronic circuit recited in claim 35, wherein said meteorological data further comprise one or more of a temperature, a pressure, and a wind speed.

37. The electronic circuit recited in claim 36, wherein said nowcast generating function further comprises operating a short-term weather prediction algorithm.

38. The electronic circuit recited in claim 37, wherein said nowcast of clear air turbulence further comprises a nowcast of one or more of an intensity, a location, a time, and a probability of occurrence of clear air turbulence.

39. The electronic circuit recited in claim 38, further comprising the function of generating an output alert signal as a function of said nowcast.

40. A method for using an electronic circuit to generate a clear air turbulence nowcast using meteorological data conveyed as a power return signal from an on-board weather detection and ranging sensor system and minimal additional meteorological data, the method comprising:

a) processing the signal as a weather detection and ranging sensor signal;

b) with the electronic circuit, extracting key features from said weather detection and ranging sensor signal;

c) with the electronic circuit, correlating said key features to predetermined storm features;

d) with the electronic circuit, retrieving clear air turbulence information as a function of said correlation;

e) with the electronic circuit, retrieving additional meteorological data, and

f) with the electronic circuit, generating a nowcast of clear air turbulence as a function of said clear air turbulence information and said additional meteorological data.

41. The method recited in claim 40, wherein said predetermined storm feature further comprise storm features retrieved from a stored bank of storm features.

42. The method recited in claim 41, wherein said meteorological data further comprise one or more of an age a weather condition and an extent of a weather condition of interest.

43. The method recited in claim 42, wherein said generating a nowcast further comprises operating a short-term weather prediction algorithm for generating said nowcast.

44. The method recited in claim 43, wherein said nowcast of clear air turbulence further comprises one or more of an intensity, a location, a time, and a probability of occurrence of clear air turbulence.

45. The method recited in claim 44, further comprising generating with the electronic circuit an output alert signal as a function of said nowcast.