Optical air data measurement system

Optics: measuring and testing – Velocity or velocity/height measuring – With light detector

Patent

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

2504611, 356301, 356318, 356437, G01P 336, G01J 330, G01N 2100

Patent

active

044836147

ABSTRACT:
A radiation fringe velocimeter subsystem and a subsystem for determining air density related parameters, are combined into a single optical system (20) which permits various important parameters associated with the operation of an aircraft to be measured at a sample location at a sufficient distance from the aircraft (or any physical attachment thereto) so that the measurements will not be subject to systemic errors such as those caused by air compression effects and airflow disturbances, and which does not require that any Pitot tubes, pressure ports or other similar mechanical devices protrude into the airstream where the measurements are to be made. The combined system (20) contains a laser (32) or other suitable source of radiation (14) as well as an optical arrangement (36, 38, 40) for transmitting the radiation from the laser (32) to a sample volume (12) in order both to form linearly independent sets of radiation fringes (98, 100) at the sample location as well as to focus the radiation (14) at the sample location so as to cause selected air molecules to fluoresce. The device also contains an optical receiving arrangement (40) for focusing backscattered radiation and fluorescent emissions from the sample volume onto one or more photodetectors (42). By using a radiation source (such as a Q-switched laser) that can be quickly switched between an On state (110) and Off state (112), it is possible to utilize a single photodetector (42), since the backscattered radiation (120) will cease as soon as the radiation is turned off, but the fluorescent emissions (186) will decay exponentially.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3528741 (1970-09-01), Benson et al.
patent: 3766380 (1973-10-01), Menzies
patent: 3856402 (1974-12-01), Low et al.
patent: 3915572 (1975-10-01), Orloff
patent: 4071298 (1978-01-01), Falconer
Measures et al., Laser Focus, Nov. 1978, p. 49.
Sato et al., Applied Optics, vol. 17, No. 24, Dec. 15, 1978, p. 3890.
Yanta, ICIASF '79 Record, Sep. 1979, p. 294.
Byer, Optical & Quantum Electronics 1975, p. 147.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Optical air data measurement system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Optical air data measurement system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Optical air data measurement system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2187193

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.