Rosemount Aerospace Limited

David Michael Socha

Mark Ray

Michael Paul Nesnidal

Apparatus and associated methods relate to a system for interfacing with an optically-powered sensor. The system includes an optical emitter configured to emit a beam of optical energy so as to provide operating power for the optically-powered sensor. The system includes an optical detector configured to detect a time sequence of optical pulses generated by the optically-powered sensor, the time sequence of pulses modulated between first and second optical power levels. The system includes a parameter extractor configured to determine a value of a sensed parameter based on the time sequence of optical pulses detected by the optical detector. The system also includes a power controller configured to control power level of the emitted beam of optical energy based on the first and/or second optical power levels detected by the optical detector.

System for interfacing with an optically-powered sensor

A device for optically detecting and distinguishing airborne liquid water droplets and ice crystals includes an illumination portion and a detection portion. The illumination portion outputs a circularly polarized illuminating beam. The detection portion receives circularly polarized backscattered light from moisture in the cloud, in response to the illuminating beam. The circularly polarized backscattered light is passed through a circular polarizer to convert it into linearly polarized backscattered light, which is split into two components. Each of the two components is optionally subject to further linear polarization to filter out any leakage-type orthogonal polarization. The two components are then optically detected and the resulting detection signals are used to calculate one or more parameters reflective of the presence or absence of airborne ice crystals and/or water droplets.

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Champlin, MN, United States of America

David Michael Socha