Apparatus for measuring air turbulence encountered by aircraft

Claim 1

An air turbulence measuring apparatus for aircraft, for providing a measure of the intensity of the longitudinal component of air turbulence with respect to the aircraft, according to the following equation, I PT. delta PT/(PT-KPs)2 wherein, with respect to turbulent air through which an aircraft is passing, I is a measure of the intensity of the longitudinal component of the turbulence, Ps is the static air pressure, PT is the total air pressure PT is the fluctuation of the total air pressure, and K is a function of the slope of a linear approximation to a graph of actual values for Ps/PT versus V/ TT, where V is the average true airspeed and TT is the total absolute temperature, comprising air pressure to electrical signal transducing means for providing electrical signals corresponding to Ps, PT and delta PT, different amplifying and squaring means for deriving electrical signals corresponding to (PT-K.Ps)2 from said signals corresponding to Ps and PT, multiplying and dividing means for deriving electrical signals corresponding to PT. delta PT/(PT-KPs)2 from the signals corresponding to PT, delta PT and (PT-KPs)2, means for deriving an average electrical signal from said signals from said multiplying and dividing means, and means for indicating the magnitude of said average signal as an approximate measure of said turbulence in terms of wind velocity.