Air turbulence detection system for aircraft

Quang Thinh

US scientists have just released a system for detecting air turbulence during flight, helping to improve air safety, creating comfort for passengers and limiting flight delays. As a new technology product from the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the system provides pilots with information about air turbulence when the aircraft is passing through the clouds.

NCAR scientist John Williams said: 'We hope that this warning system will help the airline industry significantly improve the areas of aviation safety, passenger service and cost savings.'

Provide real-time information

This system will analyze data provided from the Doppler weather radar network (NEXRAD) by a mathematical method called NEXRAD turbulence detection algorithm (NTDA).

Air turbulence detection system helps aviation industry improve flight safety, enhance passenger service quality and save costs.(Photo: siliconeer.com)

The NTDA algorithm will detect air turbulence when the plane passes through the cloud blocks and analyze the wind distribution in the cloud blocks. The system will re-process radar data to eliminate confounders, such as sunshine, thunderstorms or even flying insects near the radar pan.

Collected in real time, the air turbulence data will be transferred immediately to the pilot in the cockpit and at the same time provide air and air meteorologists without saving over a screen on the network. Internet.

A group of United Airlines pilots is testing the NTDA system from now until October 2007 in the eastern airspace of the Rocky Mountains in Western North America, where air turbulence is common.

Captain Rocky Stone, head of United Airlines' technical pilot, said he liked the system very much. He said: 'Information sent to the cockpit helps me to know exactly the location and intensity of air turbulence. This detection system is a tool to help realize situations that are very valuable and unprecedented for pilots. '

Just postpone flying when really necessary

If upcoming tests still yield good results, the NTDA system will be applied to United Airlines aircraft as well as other airlines.

According to Mr. Williams, 'current FAA guidelines require pilots to avoid bad weather areas over a wide range of spaces. Now, with more specific information about the location and intensity of air turbulence, the pilots will be able to carefully consider the situation to just postpone the flight when really needed. '

From 1992 to 2001, air turbulence caused 509 air accidents in the United States, killing 251 people.(Photo: NASA)

Mr. Williams said: 'When the cloud air turbulence warning system is used, we hope to reduce flight redirects or flight delays, while improving safety and comfort levels for passenger'.

Mr. Williams expects that by 2011, NTDA will be used throughout the US airspace to provide information about air turbulence every 15 minutes.

Increase aviation safety

With NTDA, when the pilot opens the 'fasten seat belt' sign , the crew and passengers know that air turbulence is really about to happen. (Photo: photobucket.com)

Air turbulence is a major problem in the aviation industry. According to data from 1992 to 2001 of the US National Air Safety Data Analysis Center, air turbulence caused 509 civil aviation accidents in the country, killing 251 people.

In addition, the FAA estimates there are more than 1,000 cases of minor injuries due to air turbulence in annual civil flights. ."We believe that this cloud turbulence detection system will help reduce at least part of the above-mentioned loss of life and contribute to a significant social benefit, " Williams said .

Moreover, NTDA also helps passengers avoid the trouble of having to constantly fasten and then open seat belts, but in many cases is not necessary. With NTDA's warning, when the pilot turns on the ' fasten seat belt ' switch, the crew and passengers will know that air turbulence is indeed imminent. '

This study is funded by FAA and the US National Science Institute.