CW LIDAR wind velocity sensor for operation on a stratospheric vehicle

• Main Authors: Limketkai, Brian N, Schaffner, James H, Keefe, Andrew C, Efimov, Oleg M, Herrera, Guillermo A, Daniel, Erik S, Sayyah, Keyvan R, Sarkissian, Raymond, Patterson, Pamela R, Kremer, Richard M
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 23.02.2021
• Subjects: ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MEASURING; MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION,OR SHOCK; PHYSICS; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; TESTING

A continuous wave (CW) heterodyne light detection and ranging (LIDAR) air velocity sensor system that comprises a first light emitting structure arranged to send a signal light in a first direction in space; a second light emitting structure arranged to produce a local oscillator light having a wavelength different from the wavelength of the signal light by a predetermined wavelength; a receiver arranged to receive light from said first direction in space; and a first optical mixer for mixing the received light with said local oscillator light.