Pulsed 1.5 μm LIDAR for axial aircraft wake vortex detection

We present the development of an axial aircraft wake vortex Lidar sensor working in Mie scattering regime and based on a pulsed 1.5μm fiber laser. An end to end Doppler heterodyne Lidar simulator is used for the Lidar design. The simulation includes the observation geometry, the wake vortex velocity image, the scanning pattern, the Lidar instrument, the wind turbulence outside the vortex, and the signal processing. A Doppler heterodyne Lidar is developed with an innovative high brightness pulsed 1.5μm laser source, based on a MOPFA architecture with a special large core fiber amplifier. The Lidar includes a real time display of the wind field. Wind dispersion is post-processed. Field tests carried out at Orly airport in April 2008 are reported. Axial aircraft wake vortex signatures have been successfully observed and acquired at a range of 1.2km with an axial resolution of 75m for the first time with a fiber laser source.