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Preliminary Design of a Lightning Optical Camera and ThundEr (LOCATE) SensorThe preliminary design of an optical/acoustical instrument is described for making highly accurate real-time determinations of the location of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning. The instrument, named the Lightning Optical Camera And ThundEr (LOCATE) sensor, will also image the clear and cloud-obscured lightning channel produced from CGs and cloud flashes, and will record the transient optical waveforms produced from these discharges. The LOCATE sensor will consist of a full (360 degrees) field-of-view optical camera for obtaining CG channel image and azimuth, a sensitive thunder microphone for obtaining CG range, and a fast photodiode system for time-resolving the lightning optical waveform. The optical waveform data will be used to discriminate CGs from cloud flashes. Together, the optical azimuth and thunder range is used to locate CGs and it is anticipated that a network of LOCATE sensors would determine CG source location to well within 100 meters. All of this would be accomplished for a relatively inexpensive cost compared to present RF lightning location technologies, but of course the range detection is limited and will be quantified in the future. The LOCATE sensor technology would have practical applications for electric power utility companies, government (e.g. NASA Kennedy Space Center lightning safety and warning), golf resort lightning safety, telecommunications, and other industries.
Document ID
20020022489
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Phanord, Dieudonne D.
(Wisconsin Univ. Whitewater, WI United States)
Koshak, William J.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Rybski, Paul M.
(Wisconsin Univ. Whitewater, WI United States)
Arnold, James E.
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2001
Subject Category
Instrumentation And Photography
Meeting Information
Meeting: AGU Meeting
Location: San Francisco, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: December 10, 2001
End Date: December 14, 2001
Sponsors: American Geophysical Union
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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