What is a ceilometer?
Ceilometer is the most commonly used tool to indicate the current height of the cloud base. The optical ceilometer projects the modulated beam of light on the bottom of the cloud. Its height can then be calculated by triangulation. The laser ceilometer determines the height of the time measurement that requires the pulse of the laser light to bounce back from the cloud base. Aerosol concentrations, such as water vapor or pollutants in the atmosphere, can also be calculated from the effect of laser light dispersion. The lowest cloud layer height below 20,000 feet (6,096 m), which covers more than half of the sky, is the cloud ceiling. This status is continuously monitored by tree at the main airports and the result is reported to the flight crew. Advanced ceilings claim that their products can simultaneously measure multiple cloud layers up to 30,000 feet (9 144 m) if used in meteorological research.
The optical ceilometer consists of a projector, detector and data to record data. There are two basic configurations. In the rotating transmission, the projector sweeps the modulated beam of the light. The detector is at a known distance from the projector and vertical. When the beam of the light hits the cloud base directly above the detector, the light reflects down, detected down, and at this point the projection angle is recorded.
In the configuration of the scanning receiver, the projector is firm and the detector moves. The projector transmits a vertically modulated beam of light. The parabolic detector, placed predetermined distance, searches the beam up and down by searching for light reflected from the cloud base. When it is detected, it gives a vertical angle for the intersection of light beam and cloud. Both configurations provide datnez can be for calculating the height of the cloud base by simple triangulation.
Laser ceilometer is a special application of light and range detection system (Lidar). As such, it was one of the first laser technology applications.In meteorology, the laser ceilometer is used to study atmospheric structure and composition, concentration of aerosol and cloud formation. Back -back profiles from laser light can be analyzed for detection of precipitation, the presence of specific gases and their concentration, as well as wind speed and turbulence. The ability to detect current and changing wind conditions has led to the use of this technology in the area of renewable energy.