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US 12,237,655 B2Granted
Aircraft lighting avoidance systems and methods
AssigneeTextron Innovations Inc.
InventorPhalgun Madhusudan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to one implementation of the present disclosure, a method is disclosed. The method includes: detecting, on or proximate to one or more surfaces of an aircraft, a presence of an electric-field above a predetermined threshold; and in response to the detection, activating one or more beam sources to generate an ionized column of charge away from the aircraft.
Claims9
An aircraft lightning avoidance system comprising:
- at least one processor configured to execute computer readable instructions such that the at least one processor is configured to:
- receive a signal indicative of a presence of an electric field on or proximate to one or more surfaces of an aircraft;
- and
- activate, in response to the receipt of the signal, one or more beam sources to generate an ionized column of charge away from the aircraft, wherein the one or more beam sources comprise one or more gated radioactive sources, one or more thermionic emitters, or both.
1 more element
An aircraft lightning avoidance system comprising:
- at least one processor configured to execute computer readable instructions such that the at least one processor is configured to:
- receive a signal indicative of a presence of an electric field on or proximate to one or more surfaces of an aircraft;
- activate, in response to the receipt of the signal, one or more beam sources to generate an ionized column of charge away from the aircraft;
- and
- generate, in response to the activation, charged particle beams from the one or more beam sources, wherein the charged particle beams are discontinuous, are transmitted in pulses having time intervals between 1 ms and 100 ms for each pulse of the discontinuous charged particle beams;
- and
- wherein the beam source is configured to emit energy at a length corresponding to a mean free path greater than a path threshold, and wherein the path threshold corresponds to a predetermined safe distance interval.
4 more elements
An aircraft lightning avoidance system comprising:
- at least one processor configured to execute computer readable instructions such that the at least one processor is configured to:
- receive a signal indicative of a presence of an electric field on or proximate to one or more surfaces of an aircraft;
- activate, in response to the receipt of the signal, one or more beam sources to generate an ionized column of charge away from the aircraft;
- and
- determine whether the one or more surfaces are in a lightning zone, wherein the lightning zone comprises regions of the one or more surfaces that are significantly above a predetermined leader attachment threshold.
2 more elements
An aircraft having an aircraft lightning avoidance system comprising:
- an aircraft body;
- and
- at least one processor coupled to the aircraft body configured to execute computer readable instructions such that the at least one processor is configured to:
- receive a signal indicative of a presence of an electric field on or proximate to one or more surfaces of an aircraft;
- and
- activate, in response to the receipt of the signal, one or more beam sources to generate an ionized column of charge away from the aircraft, wherein the one or more beam sources comprise one or more gated radioactive sources, one or more thermionic emitters, or both.
3 more elements
An aircraft having an aircraft lightning avoidance system comprising:
- an aircraft body;
- and
- at least one processor coupled to the aircraft body configured to execute computer readable instructions such that the at least one processor is configured to:
- receive a signal indicative of a presence of an electric field on or proximate to one or more surfaces of an aircraft;
- activate, in response to the receipt of the signal, one or more beam sources to generate an ionized column of charge away from the aircraft;
- and
- generate, in response to the activation, charged particle beams from the one or more beam sources, wherein the charged particle beams are discontinuous and are transmitted in pulses having time intervals between 1 ms and 100 ms for each pulse of the discontinuous charged particle beams.
4 more elements
An aircraft having an aircraft lightning avoidance system comprising:
- an aircraft body;
- and
- at least one processor coupled to the aircraft body configured to execute computer readable instructions such that the at least one processor is configured to:
- receive a signal indicative of a presence of an electric field on or proximate to one or more surfaces of an aircraft;
- and
- activate, in response to the receipt of the signal, one or more beam sources to generate an ionized column of charge away from the aircraft, wherein the beam source is configured to emit energy at a length corresponding to a mean free path greater than a path threshold, wherein the path threshold corresponds to a predetermined safe distance interval.
3 more elements
An aircraft having an aircraft lightning avoidance system comprising:
- an aircraft body;
- and
- at least one processor coupled to the aircraft body configured to execute computer readable instructions such that the at least one processor is configured to:
- receive a signal indicative of a presence of an electric field on or proximate to one or more surfaces of an aircraft;
- activate, in response to the receipt of the signal, one or more beam sources to generate an ionized column of charge away from the aircraft;
- and
- determine whether the one or more surfaces are in a lightning zone, wherein the lightning zone comprises regions of the one or more surfaces that are significantly above a predetermined leader attachment threshold.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.