Patent ID: 7703319
Filing Date: 2010-04-27
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
1. Bi-static sodar apparatus adapted to detect and monitor aircraft wake vortices within an aircraft flight path, the apparatus including: acoustic transmitter means adapted for location on one side of the flight path and operable to acoustically illuminate a portion of the flight path with acoustic pulses, when so located, acoustic receiver means adapted to receive and detect said acoustic pulses together with acoustic echoes generated thereby within said portion of the flight path, a plurality of acoustic sensors within said acoustic receiver means, wherein each of said acoustic sensors is adapted to be arranged at a different physical location within the receiver means so that, upon installation of the receiver means opposite the transmitter means and on an other side of said portion of the flight path, said acoustic sensors will be at respectively different distances from said transmitter means, and processor means adapted for connection to the receiver means for receiving and processing output signals generated by said acoustic sensors to enable the detection and monitoring of aircraft wake vortices in said portion of the flight path.