THE DEVELOPMENT OF A VERSATILE ABSOLUTE LIQUID WATER CONTENT METER

THE LIQUID WATER CONTENT OF CLOUDS IS ONE OF THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL QUANTITIES IN THE ATMOSPHERE. YET, NO INSTRUMENT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED FOR MEASURING LIQUID WATER CONTENT IN BOTH LIQUID AND SOLID PHASE CLOUDS. THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO DEVELOP THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF AN AIRBORNE INSTRUMENT FOR MEASURING LIQUID WATER IN ALL NATURAL CLOUDS, WITH EITHER LIQUID OR ICE CLOUD PARTICLES. THE SYSTEM WILL FEATURE THE NOVEL APPROACH OF USING A COMPRESSOR TURBINE TO ACHIEVE ISOKINETIC SAMPLING AND COMPLETE EVAPORATION OF THE CLOUD SAMPLE. THE LIQUID WATER CONTENT WILL BE DETERMINED BY A DIFFERENTIAL MEASUREMENT OF THE SPECIFIC HUMIDITY OF THE EVAPORATED CLOUD SAMPLE AIR AND THE AMBIENT AIR. THE SYSTEM WILL BE DESIGNED FOR MINIMAL ELECTRICAL POWER REQUIREMENTS AND COMPATIBILITY WITH HIGH SPEED DIGITAL DATA RECORDING OR TELEMETRY SYSTEMS. THE SYSTEM WILL BE DESIGNED FOR APPLICATION TO A SPECIFIED UNMANNED METEOROLOGICAL RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT. CAREFUL CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN TO MINIMIZING SYSTEM WEIGHT, VOLUME, ELECTRICAL POWER AND WIRING REQUIREMENTS, SYSTEM MOUNTING, AND COMMONALITY OF SYSTEM/AIRCRAFT FUEL. THERE WILL BE NO RESTRICTIONS ON MOUNTING THE SYSTEM ON LIGHT CIVIL OR MILITARY MANNED AIRCRAFT.