By Isabelle Robinson, M.Sc.Oct 26 2018.jpg)
Image Credits: Jaromir Chalabala/shutterstock.com
In 2013, researchers at the German Aerospace Center developed a laser-based light detection and ranging device which can be installed on an aircraft to detect unsteady airflow that could cause turbulence.
Fast forward 5 years and the device has now been installed on a Boeing 777. The plane took off from an airfield outside of Seattle to test the new lidar instrument attached to the nose of the craft. The laser has been developed to identify clear-air turbulence[1], which is invisible to the naked eye, allowing the crew enough time to warn passengers and seat themselves safely before the cabin experiences turbulence. In addition to this, the device is also hoped to help reduce bird strikes.
Turbulence is known to jostle the cabin, and therefore anyone inside, and can cause injuries and damage the craft. It is known that modern aircraft are designed to be able to resist the effects of turbulence but is unable to reduce severe shaking for those inside the cabin. According to FAA, there were 44 cases of severe injuries due to turbulence in 2016 alone. Spilled drinks, falling and whiplash are amongst the list of ways that you could be injured during a turbulent flight.
It is believed that the lidar system would be able to give the crew more chance to warn and prepare travelers before the plane begins to shake.
We expect to be able to spot clear-air turbulence more than 60 seconds ahead of the aircraft, or about 17.5 kilometers, giving the crew enough time to secure the cabin and minimize the risk of injuries.
Stefan Bieniawski, Lead Project Investigator, Boeing
The lidar device has been incorporated into a new system which was created by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The system works by shooting the laser from the nose of the aircraft. The light reflects off dust particles in the air and the information is read by an optical sensor. After this, a specialized software analyzes the velocity of the plane relative to the dust particles. When there are significant changes to the relative velocity differentials, it means that turbulence is ahead. This is because pockets of air are moving faster than other dust particles, meaning that there is clear-air turbulence.
When this happens, the crew is alerted through audio and visual cues, allowing more time to alert and prepare passengers before the turbulence hits. The downside to this system is that it only allows a 60-second warning which is not enough time for the pilots to maneuver around the threat but does allow time for passengers to get seated and buckle up before the air gets too rough.
In addition to this, it is a better system than previous methods, which rely on word of mouth from other planes flying on the same route and alerts from weather systems. Both of which are inaccurate and do not provide real-time alerts.
There have been similar systems used for detecting turbulence and wind-shear around airports, however, these are ground-based and are much larger than the system available on the Boeing. The new system only weighs around 185 pounds and consumes 3.3 watts of power, meaning that they do not add too much weight to the aircraft and do not require too much extra power. This is also being tested through Boeing’s ecoDemonstrator program.
The idea behind the program is to test new technologies by installing them only a Boeing 777 (a plane that FedEx leases to the company) every 18 months. This year, the program included the installation of around 30 systems which the plane will test by flying twice a day for six weeks.
This is all about accelerating technologies. We want to see if they work and how they integrate into the airplanes.
Doug Christensen, Manager, ecoDemonstrator Program
This year’s tech roster includes a lightweight and compact thrust reverser for the newest generation of massive jet engines, 3-D printed components, cockpit noise reduction systems, and a new biofuel.
If successful, the lidar system is hoped to be able to be incorporated into Boeing’s commercial airplanes over the next few years.
Bibliography
[1] Clear-air turbulence is dangerous because there are no visible warnings, like moving clouds, before it hits.
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