UAVs for the detection and tracking of intense tornadoes

• US 9,804,293 B1
• Filed: 04/13/2016
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Fendell, Francis E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Jr., Howard D
• Application Number:
  US15/098,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20170299771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/06 giving a combined indication of weather conditions catathermometers for measuring "cooling value" related either to weather conditions or to comfort of other human environment G01W1/17; computers per se G06
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/08 Adaptations of balloons, missiles, or aircraft for meteorological purposes; Radiosondes transmission of measurements G01D; transmitting circuits H04B; balloons in general B64B; aeroplanes in general B64D; missiles in general F42B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof

Abstract

A method for detecting tornadogenesis in a mesocyclone, and to monitor and track intense tornadic mesocyclones. The method includes flying a UAV above the mesocyclone for an extended period of time and detecting transition to tornadic stage. This further intensification is indicated by transition in a core structure of the mesocyclone to include the presence of an eye. The UAV can be a Global Hawk aircraft and can include a number of sensors and detectors, such as an imaging camera for providing imaging data of the mesocyclone-core structure, an infrared detector for detecting changes in heat in the mesocyclone-core structure, a radar detector for detecting wind magnitudes and direction in the mesocyclone-core structure, dropsonde sensors for measuring temperature, pressure, relative humidity and wind direction in the mesocyclone-core structure, etc. The UAV can relay the storm parameter data to a satellite for subsequent downlinking to receiving stations at the Earth'"'"'s surface.

Claims

1. A method for detecting genesis of an intense tornado, said method comprising:

determining that a mesocyclone without an intense tornado has formed;

flying an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) above the mesocyclone in a flight pattern where the mesocyclone is continuously monitorable from above by the UAV; and

continuously monitoring the mesocyclone until detecting tornadic-stage-structure parameters using a plurality of sensors on the UAV that provide an indication that the mesocyclone has evolved into a more intense tornadic-stage structure that includes a central eye surrounded by an eyewall, where the tornadic-stage-structure parameters include a depression in a top surface of an upper cloud deck of the mesocyclone, and the depression is detected via downward-looking images of the mesocyclone provided by an imaging camera.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein detecting tornadic-stage-structure parameters includes using a radar detector to detect wind direction and speed in the mesocyclone.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein detecting tornadic-stage-structure parameters includes dropping one or more dropsonde sensors from the UAV that measure temperature, pressure, relative humidity and wind direction and sending measurement data back to the UAV.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein detecting tornadic-stage-structure parameters includes using an infrared detector for detecting changes in temperatures in cloud-free portions of the mesocyclone.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein detecting tornadic-stage-structure parameters includes using passive microwave sensors for detecting temperature and humidity profiles in a core of the mesocyclone.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising transmitting storm data from the UAV to a satellite.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the UAV is a Global Hawk.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein flying a UAV above the mesocyclone includes flying the UAV offset from the mesocyclone.

9. A method for detecting genesis of an intense tornado, said method comprising:

flying a Global Hawk aircraft above a mesocyclone without an intense tornado, where the Global Hawk aircraft is flown in a flight pattern where the mesocyclone is continuously monitorable from above; and

continuously monitoring the mesocyclone until detecting transition to a tornadic mesocyclone by detecting a central eye surrounded by an eyewall using a plurality of sensors on the Global Hawk aircraft, where detecting transition to a tornadic mesocyclone includes detecting a depression in a top surface of an upper cloud deck of the mesocyclone via downward-looking images of the mesocyclone provided by an imaging camera.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein detecting transition to a tornadic mesocyclone includes using a radar detector to detect wind direction and speed in the transition to a tornadic mesocyclone.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein detecting transition to a tomadic mesocyclone includes dropping one or more dropsonde sensors from the Global Hawk aircraft that measure temperature, pressure, relative humidity and wind direction and sending measurement data back to the Global Hawk aircraft.

12. The method according to claim 9 wherein detecting transition to a tornadic mesocyclone includes using an infrared detector for detecting changes in heat in the tornadic mesocyclone.

13. The method according to claim 9 wherein detecting transition to a tornadic mesocyclone includes using passive microwave sensors for detecting temperature and humidity profiles in the tornadic mesocyclone.

14. The method according to claim 9 wherein flying a Global Hawk aircraft above the mesocyclone includes flying the Global Hawk aircraft offset from the mesocyclone.

15. A method for detecting genesis of an intense tornado, said method comprising:

determining that a mesocyclone without an intense tornado has formed;

flying an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) above the mesocyclone in a flight pattern where the mesocyclone is continuously monitorable from above by the UAV; and

continuously monitoring the mesocyclone until detecting tornadic-stage-structure parameters using a plurality of sensors on the UAV that provide an indication that the mesocyclone has formed into an intense tornadic mesocyclone including a central eye surrounded by an eyewall, wherein detecting tomadic-stage-structure parameters includes using a radar detector to detect wind direction and speed in the tornadic-stage-structure, dropping one or more dropsonde sensors from the UAV that measure temperature, pressure, relative humidity and wind direction and send measurement data back to the UAV, using an imaging camera for providing downward-looking image data of the tornadic-stage-structure indicated by a depression in a top surface of an upper cloud deck of the mesocyclone, using passive microwave sensors for detecting temperature and humidity profiles in the tornadic-stage-structure, and using an infrared detector for detecting changes in heat in the tornadic-stage-structure.

16. The method according to claim 15 further comprising transmitting data from the UAV to a satellite.

17. The method according to claim 15 wherein the UAV is a Global Hawk.

18. The method according to claim 15 wherein flying a UAV above the mesocyclone includes flying the UAV offset from the mesocyclone.