Demonstration of an Aircraft System for Real-Time Discrimination of Cloud Ice, Cloud Water Droplets & Dust Particles.
![Miniature Backscatter Cloud Probe with Depolarisation (BCP-PD)](../../images/photos/Projects/200pix/bcp.jpg)
This project aims to deliver a flight ready/validated second generation ultra-miniature backscatter cloud spectrometer capable of discriminating between water, ice and dust particles for use on commercial passenger and research aircraft, and a laboratory validated recording system. This project, in collaboration with US instrument manufacturer, Droplet Measurement Technologies, will develop a new version of an existing miniature cloud detector (called the backscatter cloud probe or BCP) that was built for the IAGOS (IN-SERVICE AIRCRAFT FOR A GLOBAL OBSERVING SYSTEM) project and successfully flown on commercial Airbus passenger aircraft for over a year. The prototype instrument (backscatter cloud probe with polarization, BCP-PD) will be based on novel polarisation detection technology now being used in larger research cloud spectrometers (e.g. DMT CAPS) operated by us on behalf of Manchester NCAS.
![Comparison of new miniature instrument (BCP-PD) measurements with research cloud spectrometer (Cloud Droplet Probe, CDP)](../../images/photos/Projects/200pix/bcp_data_lr.jpg)
The new instrument will be flight tested on the UK FAAM BAe 146 research aircraft. If successful future applications include, routine measurement of water/ice phase clouds on the FAAM research aircraft, replacement of current BCP in the IAGOS Airbus fleet and on UAV/UAS platforms. The prototype instrument has since successfully completed its first series of ice cloud tunnel tests in the Ottawa Icing Tunnel, Canada.