Patent awarded for rapid response volcanic ash detector
February 2, 2017
Cathy Cahill, director of the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration
at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, has received a U.S. patent
for rapid response volcanic ash detector technology.
The technology is an integrated system for warning an aircraft of potentially hazardous
concentrations of volcanic ash, or other large ambient aerosols, in its surrounding
environment.
In December 1989, a KLM 747 jet headed for Anchorage with 231 passengers aboard lost two miles
of altitude after an ash cloud from Redoubt Volcano killed all four engines, according
to the U.S. Geological Survey. The pilots were able to restart the engines and land
safely in Anchorage, but the plane required $80 million in repairs.
Cahill’s technology functions on board the aircraft and warns the crew of increasing
concentrations of volcanic ash. The pilots can turn the aircraft away from the ash
cloud before it enters the heart of the plume and experiences engine failure.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Mark Billingsley, 907-474-2626
ON THE WEB: www.uaf.edu/oipc