System and method for ice detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9244166-B1
Application number	US-201313841893-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 7, 2008
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

A hazard warning or weather radar system or method can be utilized to determine a location of ice. The system and method can be used in an aircraft. The aircraft weather radar system can include a radar antenna and a processor. The radar antenna receives radar returns. The processor can: 1. identify on a display a region of potential ice associated with a blow off region in response to the radar returns, temperature data, and wind data; 2. identify on a display a region of potential ice associated with a stratiform region in response to radar returns, temperature data, and a history of convective cells in the stratiform region; or 3. perform both 1 and 2.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft hazard warning system, comprising:
an electronic processing system for determining a presence of ice crystals, the processing system being configured to receive radar reflectivity data and temperature data, the processing system being configured to determine an ice crystal warning by:
1. determining a size of a convective cell using the radar reflectivity data and temperature data and determining a blow off area associated with the convective cell in response to the size and a wind direction parameter, the blow off area being an area where ice crystals migrate due to wind; or
2. determining a size of a stratiform region and determining a presence of a convective cell previously in the stratiform region; and
3. wherein the radar reflectivity data comprises reflectivity data corresponding to at least two frequencies from a multi-frequency radar system, and wherein the processing system is configured to determine the ice crystal warning based at least in part on a comparison of the reflectivity data corresponding to the at least two frequencies from the multi-frequency radar; or
4. wherein the radar reflectivity data comprises at least two polarization diverse radar signals received from a polarization diversity radar system, and wherein the processing system is configured to determine the ice crystal warning based at least in part on a comparison of the at least two polarization diverse radar signals.

2. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 1 , wherein the ice crystal warning is provided as a speckled yellow or red region at least partially corresponding to the blow off area.

3. The aircraft warning system of claim 1 , wherein the ice crystal warning is provided as a speckled yellow or red region, and is provided at least partially in response to the size of the stratiform region.

4. The aircraft warning system of claim 1 , wherein the ice crystal warning is provided at least partially in response to the size of the stratiform region and a number of embedded cell cores in the stratiform region, wherein the embedded core cells are convective cells in the stratiform region detected using vertical structure analysis.

5. An aircraft hazard warning system, comprising:
an electronic processing system being configured to determine a presence of ice crystals, the processing system being configured to receive radar reflectivity data and temperature data, the processing system being configured to determine an ice crystal warning by:
1. determining a size of a convective cell using the radar reflectivity data and temperature data and determining a blow off area associated with the convective cell in response to the size and a wind direction parameter, the blow off area being an area where ice crystals migrate due to wind; or
2. determining a size of a stratiform region and determining a presence of a convective cell previously in the stratiform region, wherein the wind direction parameter is computed by using a track angle of an aircraft, a heading of the aircraft, and an airspeed of the aircraft.

6. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 1 , wherein the wind direction parameter is provided by a flight management system.

7. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is part of an avionic weather radar system.

8. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 1 , wherein the ice crystal warning is provided as an icon.

9. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 1 , wherein the radar reflectivity data comprises reflectivity data corresponding to at least two frequencies from a multi-frequency radar system, and wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine the ice crystal warning based at least in part on a comparison of the reflectivity data corresponding to the at least two frequencies from the multi-frequency radar system.

10. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 1 , wherein the radar reflectivity data comprises at least two polarization diverse radar signals received from a polarization diversity radar system, and wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine the ice crystal warning based at least in part on a comparison of the at least two polarization diverse radar signals.

11. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is configured to receive data from one or more off-aircraft sources, and wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine the ice crystal warning based at least in part on the data received from the one or more off-aircraft sources.

12. An aircraft hazard warning system, comprising:
an electronic processing system configured to determine a presence of ice crystals, the processing system styled to receive radar reflectivity data and temperature data, the processing system configured to determine an ice crystal warning by:
1. determining a size of a convective cell using the radar reflectivity data and temperature data and determining a blow off area associated with the convective cell in response to the size and a wind direction parameter, the blow off area being an area where ice crystals migrate due to wind; or
2. determining a size of a stratiform region and determining a presence of a convective cell previously in the stratiform region, wherein the processing system is configured to cause an icing assessment based on the ice crystal warning to be transmitted to an off-aircraft source, for generation of a global icing forecast based on the icing assessment and data received from a plurality of other aircraft hazard warning systems.

13. The aircraft hazard warning system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine a convective level of the convective cell based on at least one of an area and a volume of reflectivity.

14. An aircraft hazard warning system, comprising:
an electronic processing system configured to determine a presence of ice crystals, the processing system configured to receive radar reflectivity data and temperature data, the processing system configured to determine an ice crystal warning by:
1. determining a size of a convective cell using the radar reflectivity data and temperature data and determining a blow off area associated with the convective cell in response to the size and a wind direction parameter, the blow off area being an area where ice crystals migrate due to wind; or
2. determining a size of a stratiform region and determining a presence of a convective cell previously in the stratiform region, wherein the ice crystal warning comprises an indicator showing a plurality of graduated icing levels on an electronic display.

15. An aircraft hazard warning system, comprising:
an electronic processing system configured to determine a presence of ice crystals, the processing system configured to receive radar reflectivity data and temperature data, the processing system configured to determine an ice crystal warning by:
1. determining a size of a convective cell using the radar reflectivity data and temperature data and determining a blow off area associated with the convective cell in response to the size and a wind direction parameter, the blow off area being an area where ice crystals migrate due to wind; or
2. determining a size of a stratiform region and determining a presence of a convective cell previously in the stratiform region, wherein the processing system is configured to determine the ice crystal warning based at least in part on a predictive icing assessment, wherein the predictive icing assessment is based on a likelihood of icing indicated by weather data associated with a region being

Assignees

• Finley Jeffery A
• Kronfeld Kevin M
• Koenigs Gregory J
• Robertson Roy E
• Rockwell Collins Inc

Inventors

• Finley Jeffery A
• Kronfeld Kevin M
• Koenigs Gregory J
• Robertson Roy E

Classifications

• G08G5/76

  for monitoring atmospheric conditions · CPC title

• G01S13/953 Primary

  mounted on aircraft · CPC title

• G01S7/025

  involving the transmission of linearly polarised waves · CPC title

• Y02A90/10

  Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation · CPC title