System for measuring turbulence remotely

• US 8,174,431 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2011
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Tillotson, Brian J., Spinelli, Charles B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barker, Matthew M
• Application Number:
  US13/014,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20110140955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 342/26.A, 342/26.B
• US Class Current: 342/26.B
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 5/001 Full-field flow measurement, e.g. determining flow velocity and direction in a whole region at the same time, flow visualisation
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 5/26 by measuring the direct influence of the streaming fluid on the properties of a detecting optical wave
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/955 mounted on satellite
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/16 Measuring atmospheric potential differences, e.g. due to electrical charges in clouds measuring potentiels in general G01R
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 2001/003 Clear air turbulence detection or forecasting, e.g. for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• 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 method of predicting turbulence that may involve receiving electromagnetic energy that has traveled along a path subject to the turbulence, with the turbulence altering the electromagnetic energy. A determination may be made as to the alteration caused by the turbulence by filtering the electromagnetic energy as it was received with a velocity of one of a transmitter of the electromagnetic energy or a receiver that received the electromagnetic energy.

Claims

1. A method of predicting turbulence comprising:

receiving electromagnetic energy that has traveled along a path subject to the turbulence, the turbulence altering the electromagnetic energy;

determining a first alteration of the electromagnetic energy caused by the turbulence by filtering the electromagnetic energy as it was received along a first path of travel by a first mobile platform carrying a first receiver, at a first location, by using a velocity of one of a transmitter of the electromagnetic energy or the first receiver that received the electromagnetic energy;

determining a second alteration of the electromagnetic energy caused by the turbulence by filtering the electromagnetic energy as it was received along a second path, non-parallel to the first path, by a second mobile platform carrying a second receiver, and operating at a second location, by using the velocity of one of the transmitter of the electromagnetic energy or the second receiver that received the electromagnetic energy; and

using the determined first and second alterations to determine a zone where the turbulence is present and to create a three dimensional model of the turbulence in said zone.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a direction between the first receiver and the transmitter.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the velocity between one of the first receiver and the transmitter includes at least one of a linear velocity or an angular velocity.

4. The method according to claim 1, the turbulence including an ionospheric turbulence and a tropospheric turbulence, the method further comprising using at least one of the first and second receivers to determine a portion of the alteration of the electromagnetic energy caused by the tropospheric turbulence.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein using the first and second alterations to determine a zone where the turbulence is present comprises correlating the first alteration of the electromagnetic energy and the second alteration of the electromagnetic energy.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the correlating including accounting for a time difference between the receiving of the electromagnetic energy at the first location and the receiving of the electromagnetic energy at the second location, the time difference being defined by the velocity and a distance between the first location and the second location.

7. The method according to claim 1, the receiving the electromagnetic energy by the first and second receivers further comprising being from a satellite.

8. The method according to claim 1, the determining the alteration of the electromagnetic energy by at least one of the receivers further comprising detecting at least one of a phase difference, an intensity difference, or a frequency difference.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising distributing the three dimensional model via a network.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising at least one of subscribing to or publishing the three dimensional model.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a statistical confidence interval associated with the three dimensional model.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising augmenting the three dimensional model with a meteorological prediction.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising collecting turbulence data with a sensor in the turbulence and augmenting the three dimensional model with the data.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the turbulence is associated with an airport.

15. A method of predicting turbulence comprising:

receiving electromagnetic energy that has traveled along a path subject to the turbulence, the turbulence altering the electromagnetic energy;

determining the alteration caused by the turbulence by filtering the electromagnetic energy as it was received with a velocity of one of a transmitter of the electromagnetic energy or a receiver that received the electromagnetic energy; and

creating a three dimensional model of the turbulence.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the three dimensional model is a tomographic model.

17. A method of predicting turbulence comprising:

receiving electromagnetic energy that has traveled along a path subject to the turbulence, the turbulence altering the electromagnetic energy;

determining the alteration caused by the turbulence by filtering the electromagnetic energy as it was received with a velocity of one of a transmitter of the electromagnetic energy or a receiver that received the electromagnetic energy;

the velocity including at least one of a linear velocity or an angular velocity;

determining a direction between the receiver and the transmitter; and

creating a three dimensional model of the turbulence.