US 5,544,525 A · Atmospheric remote sensing instrument system

Abstract

A system of atmospheric remote sensing instruments that utilize a common phased-array acoustic antenna so as to take temperature and wind measurements over a wide range of altitudes. One of the atmospheric remote sensing instruments in the system is a monostatic SODAR that takes wind measurements by transmitting pulses of acoustic energy into the atmosphere and then measuring received reflected acoustic energy. The acoustic pulses are both transmitted and received by the common phased-array acoustic antenna. Another of the atmospheric remote sensing instruments in the system is a wind profiling radar that takes wind measurements by transmitting pulses of electromagnetic energy into the atmosphere and then measuring received backscattered electromagnetic energy. The pulses of electromagnetic energy are both transmitted and received by a phased-array radar antenna. The final atmospheric remote sensing instrument in the system is a RASS that takes temperature measurements by first transmitting acoustic energy into the atmosphere and then transmitting pulses of electromagnetic energy into the atmosphere. The acoustic energy is used as a target for the pulses of electromagnetic energy, and the resulting backscatter is received and measured. The acoustic energy is transmitted by the common phased-array acoustic antenna, while the pulses of electromagnetic energy are both transmitted and received by the phased-array radar antenna. It is within the province of the invention to combine the acoustic antenna and the radar antenna into a single entity.

A system of atmospheric remote sensing instruments comprising:

a phased array acoustic antenna, wherein said phased array acoustic antenna is responsive to a first acoustic transmit signal for providing a first directed beam of transmitted acoustic energy, wherein said phased array acoustic antenna is responsive to a second acoustic transmit signal for providing a second directed beam of transmitted acoustic energy, and wherein said phased array acoustic antenna is responsive to a reflected portion of said first directed beam of transmitted acoustic energy for providing an acoustic receive signal, said reflected portion of said first directed beam of transmitted acoustic energy being reflected by wind in the atmosphere;
a phased array radar antenna, wherein said phased array radar antenna is responsive to a first radar transmit signal for providing a first directed beam of transmitted electromagnetic energy, wherein said phased array radar antenna is responsive to a second radar transmit signal for providing a second directed beam of transmitted electromagnetic energy, wherein said phased array radar antenna is responsive to a backscattered portion of said first directed beam of transmitted electromagnetic energy for providing a first radar receive signal, said backscattered portion of said first directed beam of transmitted electromagnetic energy being backscattered by said second directed beam of transmitted acoustic energy, and wherein said phased array radar antenna is responsive to a backscattered portion of said second directed beam of transmitted electromagnetic energy for providing a second radar receive signal, said backscattered portion of said second directed beam of transmitted electromagnetic energy being backscattered by wind in the atmosphere;
and
control and processing means for generating said acoustic transmit signals and said radar transmit signals so as to temporally coordinate the use of said phased array acoustic antenna and said phased array radar antenna, respectively, said control and processing means being responsive to said acoustic receive signal for providing an indication of wind characteristics based on the characteristics of said reflected portion of said first directed beam of transmitted acoustic energy as compared to the characteristics of said first directed beam of transmitted acoustic energy, said control and processing means being responsive to said first radar receive signal for providing an indication of temperature characteristics based on the characteristics of said reflected portion of said first directed beam of transmitted electromagnetic energy as compared to the characteristics of said first directed beam of transmitted electromagnetic energy, said control and processing means being responsive to said second radar receive signal for providing an indication of wind characteristics based on the characteristics of said reflected portion of said second directed beam of transmitted electromagnetic energy as compared to the characteristics of said second directed beam of transmitted electromagnetic energy.

1 more element

Facts

Application

08/357,723Filed 16 Dec 1994 · continuation in part

Priority

10 Aug 1994

Granted

13 Aug 1996

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G01P 5/244
By using reflection of acoustical waves, i.e. Doppler-effect: involving pulsed waves
G01S 15/885
Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications: meteorological systems
G01W 1/02
Meteorology: instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover…
G01S 15/58
Systems of measurement, based on relative movement of the target: velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination…

Atmospheric remote sensing instrument system

Life of this patent

Atmospheric remote sensing instrument system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16