Ophir Receives Grant to Study Turbulence Detection

Ophir Corp. of Littleton, Colo., has received a $99,000 grant from the National Science Foundation in Washington to conduct research on detecting and measuring turbulence ahead of aircraft.

Physicists at Ophir will design a remote sensor using laser radar to “sample” the air around the aircraft that is undisturbed by the craft itself. The small-footprint incoherent radar sensor is expected to monitor airborne wind speed and detect turbulence. It also will provide an air sensing tool to produce three-dimensional wind profiles even in clear air conditions, without atmospheric aerosols.