Experimental Validation of a Forward Looking Interferometer for Detection of Clear Air Turbulence due to Mountain Waves

The Forward-Looking Interferometer (FLI) is an airborne sensor concept for detection and estimation of potential atmospheric hazards to aircraft. The FLI concept is based on high-resolution Infrared Fourier Transform Spectrometry technologies that have been developed for satellite remote sensing. The FLI is being evaluated for its potential to address multiple hazards, during all phases of flight, including clear air turbulence, volcanic ash, wake vortices, low slant range visibility, dry wind shear, and icing. In addition, the FLI is being evaluated for its potential to detect hazardous runway conditions during landing, such as wet or icy asphalt or concrete. The validation of model-based instrument and hazard simulation results is accomplished by comparing predicted performance against empirical data. In the mountain lee wave data collected in the previous FLI project, the data showed a damped, periodic mountain wave structure. The wave data itself will be of use in forecast and nowcast turbulence products such as the Graphical Turbulence Guidance and Graphical Turbulence Guidance Nowcast products. Determining how turbulence hazard estimates can be derived from FLI measurements will require further investigation

Computer-assisted infrared imaging systems for determining vehicle occupants

Issued as final reportThis item was temporarily removed from SMARTech at the request of the Georgia Tech Research Institute on May 8, 2009

Development of prototype adverse visibility warning and control system for operational evaluation

Issued as final reportThis item was temporarily removed from SMARTech at the request of the Georgia Tech Research Institute on May 8, 2009.Georgia Department of Transportatio

Mitigation of atmospheric effects on imaging systems

Issued as final reportThis item was temporarily removed from SMARTech at the request of the Georgia Tech Research Institute on May 8, 2009.United States. Army Research Offic

Long path absorption cells for millimeter waves

Gasses tend to have low absorption coefficients in the millimeter wavelength region; absorption cells with path lengths of hundreds of meters are needed for millimeter wave gas-phase spectroscopy. Three types of long-path cell are discussed here: tuned cavities, untuned cavities, and optical multiple-pass cells. The operating principles of each type are described, along with the advantages and limitations of each type when used in the millimeter wavelength region. Several examples of each type of cell are given. An optical analysis of a three-mirror optical multiple-pass cell is performed, for the purpose of optimizing this cell for millimeter wave spectroscopy, with the result that a cell with mirrors one meter in diameter can give a path length of 500 meters while conserving the power from a presently available black body source. © 1981, SPIE

Design Requirements for the Deployable Highway Visibility Warning System

Issued as final reportThis item was temporarily removed from SMARTech at the request of the Georgia Tech Research Institute on May 8, 2009.Georgia Department of Transportatio

Pulsed Lidar Performance/Technical Maturity Assessment

This report describes the results of investigations performed by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) under a task entitled 'Pulsed Lidar Performance/Technical Maturity Assessment' funded by the Crew Systems Branch of the Airborne Systems Competency at the NASA Langley Research Center. The investigations included two tasks, 1.1(a) and 1.1(b). The Tasks discussed in this report are in support of the NASA Virtual Airspace Modeling and Simulation (VAMS) program and are designed to evaluate a pulsed lidar that will be required for active wake vortex avoidance solutions. The Coherent Technologies, Inc. (CTI) WindTracer LIDAR is an eye-safe, 2-micron, coherent, pulsed Doppler lidar with wake tracking capability. The actual performance of the WindTracer system was to be quantified. In addition, the sensor performance has been assessed and modeled, and the models have been included in simulation efforts. The WindTracer LIDAR was purchased by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for use in near-term field data collection efforts as part of a joint NASA/FAA wake vortex research program. In the joint research program, a minimum common wake and weather data collection platform will be defined. NASA Langley will use the field data to support wake model development and operational concept investigation in support of the VAMS project, where the ultimate goal is to improve airport capacity and safety. Task 1.1(a), performed by NCAR in Boulder, Colorado to analyze the lidar system to determine its performance and capabilities based on results from simulated lidar data with analytic wake vortex models provided by NASA, which were then compared to the vendor's claims for the operational specifications of the lidar. Task 1.1(a) is described in Section 3, including the vortex model, lidar parameters and simulations, and results for both detection and tracking of wake vortices generated by Boeing 737s and 747s. Task 1.1(b) was performed by GTRI in Atlanta, Georgia and is described in Section 4. Task 1.1(b) includes a description of the St. Louis Airport (STL) field test being conducted by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, and it also addresses the development of a test plan to validate simulation studies conducted as part of Task 1.1(a). Section 4.2 provides a description of the Volpe STL field tests, and Section 4.3 describes 3 possible ways to validate the WindTracer lidar simulations performed in Task 1.1(a)

Georgia automated adverse visibility warning and control system

Issued as final reportThis item was temporarily removed from SMARTech at the request of the Georgia Tech Research Institute on May 8, 2009.Georgia Department of Transportatio

Development of a Prototype Adverse Visibility Warning and Control System for Operational Evaluation

Issued as final reportThis item was temporarily removed from SMARTech at the request of the Georgia Tech Research Institute on May 8, 2009.Georgia Department of Transportatio