E!9298 Enhanced Vision System with Airborne Volcanic Ash Detector

An Enhanced Vision System for Aircraft with Volcanic Ash Detection Capability Modern commercial aviation is increasingly turning to technology to improve safety and assist in navigation. On board advanced systems are used to assist pilots fly commercial jets and are used to monitor important parameters concerning the performance and efficiency of the aircraft. Enhanced vision systems (EVS) utilise cameras and advanced algorithms to assist the pilot during take-off and landing at airports with reduced visibility. EVS can also be used to detect and diagnose weather hazards during the cruise portion of the flight. One such hazard is volcanic ash. Volcanic ash particles consist of extremely small (about the diameter of human hair) pieces of volcanic rock, minerals and glass (silicates).The silicate glass becomes sticky at high temperatures encountered in jet engines and blocks the cooling holes in the hot part of the engine causing the engine to surge and in some cases to stop. The ash is also highly abrasive and extensive damage to windows and the fuselage can occur. During the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland in 2010, over 100,000 flights were grounded and 10 million travellers were affected. With over 1500 active volcanoes worldwide and the ever-increasing popularity of air travel, the ability to locate ash clouds with confidence is becoming critical. This project will see the development of an instrument that can be fitted on board aircraft to provide pilots with real-time information of ash clouds. The instrument features an infrared camera and is able to detect ash clouds up to 100km ahead. The system will be incorporated into an Enhanced Vision System (EVS) unit to be easily fitted into the nose cone of commercial aircraft. The additional information provided by the system, named EVS/A, will enable aircraft operators to locate ash clouds with greater certainty and in time to take corrective actions.

The project goal is to incorporate a volcanic ash detector into Elbit Systems? ClearVision Enhanced Vision System (EVS). At the end of the project, a ClearVision EVS/A with ash detection capabilities will become commercially available . The final product will support Europe's vision for Aviation (Flightpath 2050) and address EASA and IVATF recommendations. Aircraft equipped with EVS/A will perform en-route volcanic ash (VA) surveillance and will allow an efficient response at all levels: 1) Pilots: flight re-routing/altitude change to avoid VA; 2) Airlines: fleet/flight re-planning for optimized travel time for all aircraft (equipped/non-equipped) and support information to crews, airports and passengers. VA detection capability integrated into the Enhanced Vision System (EVS) gives the benefit of landing credit in poor weather conditions as well as VA detection, all packaged in a single line replacement unit (LRU), thus improving aircraft service life, economics, situation awareness and safety. This way the EVS lending credit is leveraged in taxi, takeoff and approach flight segments, while the VA capability is effective in cruise.