JAXA invents air turbulence detector that can reduce airplane accidents

The Japanese space agency has developed a method using lasers to help aircraft detect air turbulence in clear skies to help curb accidents. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said its device allows large aircraft to spot air turbulence about 70 seconds before approaching it — enough time to take safety measures before the plane enters it. Flight radars can detect air turbulence in rain clouds but rarely do it in fine weather. Of all the large-aircraft accidents in Japan from 1990 through 2012 that resulted in serious injuries to passengers and crew, about 40 percent, or 35 cases, are believed to have been caused by air turbulence, JAXA said. It is expected to take several years before JAXA will be able to commercialize the device. “We want to contribute to air transport safety by conducting tests using large planes and making the device smaller and lighter,” said JAXA project manager Shigeru Machida. The device, which weighs about 150 kg, will be attached to the nose of a plane so it can direct a laser beam in the direction of travel. The laser picks up light scattered by water droplets and dust to identify turbulence on its flight path. It notifies the pilot of the location based on light wavelengths, which change depending on air currents. After 19 test flights using a small jet over waters around Japan at altitudes of 600 to 12,000 meters from December to February, JAXA concluded the device could detect turbulence on average about 17.5 km out.<br/>