Apparatus and method for in-flight detection of airborne water droplets and ice crystals
First Claim
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1. An airborne water droplet and ice crystal sensor, comprising:
- an illumination portion comprising;
a first optical beam emitter configured to output a light beam;
a first linear polarizer configured to receive the light beam and output a linearly polarized illuminating beam;
a first circular polarization element configured to receive the linearly polarized illuminating beam and output a circularly polarized illuminating beam; and
a detection portion comprising;
a window configured to permit circularly polarized backscattered light to pass therethrough;
a second circular polarization element configured to receive the circularly polarized backscattered light that has passed through the window and output linearly polarized backscattered light;
a first polarizing beam splitter configured to split the linearly polarized backscattered light into a first component linearly polarized backscattered light and a second component linearly polarized backscattered light;
a first light detector configured to detect the first component linearly polarized backscattered light and output a first signal in response thereto;
a second light detector configured to detect the second component linearly polarized backscattered light and output a second signal in response thereto;
aa second linear polarizer interposed between the first polarizing beam splitter and the first light detector, the second linear polarizer configured to further linearly polarize the first component linearly polarized backscattered light, prior to detection by the first detector; and
a processor configured to receive the first and second signals output by respective first and second light detectors, and calculate at least one parameter reflective of an ice condition, based on said first and second signals.
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Abstract
A device for optically detecting and distinguishing airborne liquid water droplets and ice crystals includes an illumination portion and a detection portion. The illumination portion outputs a circularly polarized illuminating beam. The detection portion receives circularly polarized backscattered light from moisture in the cloud, in response to the illuminating beam. The circularly polarized backscattered light is passed through a circular polarizer to convert it into linearly polarized backscattered light, which is split into two components. Each of the two components is optionally subject to further linear polarization to filter out any leakage-type orthogonal polarization. The two components are then optically detected and the resulting detection signals are used to calculate one or more parameters reflective of the presence or absence of airborne ice crystals and/or water droplets.
47 Citations
13 Claims
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1. An airborne water droplet and ice crystal sensor, comprising:
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an illumination portion comprising; a first optical beam emitter configured to output a light beam; a first linear polarizer configured to receive the light beam and output a linearly polarized illuminating beam; a first circular polarization element configured to receive the linearly polarized illuminating beam and output a circularly polarized illuminating beam; and a detection portion comprising; a window configured to permit circularly polarized backscattered light to pass therethrough; a second circular polarization element configured to receive the circularly polarized backscattered light that has passed through the window and output linearly polarized backscattered light; a first polarizing beam splitter configured to split the linearly polarized backscattered light into a first component linearly polarized backscattered light and a second component linearly polarized backscattered light; a first light detector configured to detect the first component linearly polarized backscattered light and output a first signal in response thereto; a second light detector configured to detect the second component linearly polarized backscattered light and output a second signal in response thereto;
aa second linear polarizer interposed between the first polarizing beam splitter and the first light detector, the second linear polarizer configured to further linearly polarize the first component linearly polarized backscattered light, prior to detection by the first detector; and a processor configured to receive the first and second signals output by respective first and second light detectors, and calculate at least one parameter reflective of an ice condition, based on said first and second signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of detecting ice crystals in a cloud from an aircraft, the method comprising:
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emitting a circularly polarized illuminating beam within a cloud; receiving circularly polarized backscattered light from moisture within the cloud, in response to the illuminating beam; passing said circularly polarized backscattered light through a circular polarizer to form linearly polarized backscattered light; splitting said linearly polarized backscattered light into first component linearly polarized backscattered light and second component linearly polarized backscattered light; optically detecting said first component linearly polarized backscattered light and outputting a first detection signal in response thereto, and optically detecting said second component linearly polarized backscattered light and outputting a second detection signal in response thereto, and calculating at least one parameter reflective of the presence of ice in the cloud, based on said first and second detection signals;
wherein;the first component linearly polarized backscattered light is subject to additional linear polarization prior to optical detection.
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Specification
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Current AssigneeRosemount Aerospace, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
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Original AssigneeRosemount Aerospace, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
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InventorsSocha, David M., Ray, Mark D., Nesnidal, Michael P.
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Primary Examiner(s)Toatley; Gregory J
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Assistant Examiner(s)Valentin; Juan D
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Application NumberUS12/264,956Publication NumberTime in Patent Office993 DaysField of SearchNoneUS Class Current356/369CPC Class CodesB64D 15/20 Means for detecting icing o...
