초록 ▼

An apparatus and method for measuring the liquid water content of a cloud or fog utilizes an environmentally controlled test chamber having a plurality of oppositely disposed windows selected to be optically transparent at a chosen wavelength of radiation. The windows of the chamber are positioned i

An apparatus and method for measuring the liquid water content of a cloud or fog utilizes an environmentally controlled test chamber having a plurality of oppositely disposed windows selected to be optically transparent at a chosen wavelength of radiation. The windows of the chamber are positioned intermediate an infrared source and a wavelength scanning radiometer. An optical band pass filter is selected to pass radiation of a specific wavelength making the instrumentation substantially independent of cloud droplet size distribution enabling the measurement of only liquid water rather than water vapor.

대표청구항 ▼

An apparatus for measuring liquid water content of a cloud or fog which comprises: environmental chamber means for holding a sample of said cloud under condition of saturation humidity; window means oppositely disposed and axially aligned in said environmental chamber adapted for optical transparenc

An apparatus for measuring liquid water content of a cloud or fog which comprises: environmental chamber means for holding a sample of said cloud under condition of saturation humidity; window means oppositely disposed and axially aligned in said environmental chamber adapted for optical transparency at a critical center wavelength of infrared radiation; fan means operatively disposed in said environmental chamber for maintaining uniformity of droplet concentration therein; valved pipe means for introducing a sample of said cloud into said environmental chamber and permitting a portion of said sample to be withdrawn therefrom for gravimetric measurement; temperature-humidity control means operatively disposed in said environmental chamber for sustaining said sample under saturation humidity; variable optical filter means, operatively disposed exterior to said chamber in axial alignment with said window means, said variable optical filter means providing for an optical bandwidth of approximately 2% of said critical wavelength of infrared radiation; radiation means for generating infrared radiations at said critical wavelength; and scanning radiometer means in axial optical alignment with said variable optical filter means for detecting the refraction and absorption properties of said cloud to said critical wavelength infrared illumination and generating an output signal in response thereto, said output signal being calibrated in grams per cubic meter of liquid water contained in said sample.