Chapter 2 __________________________________________________________ Product Overview
VAISALA_______________________________________________________________________ 17
CHAPTER 2
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
This chapter introduces the features, advantages, and the product
nomenclature.
Introduction to Vaisala Ceilometer CL31
Vaisala Ceilometer CL31 measures cloud height and vertical visibility.
Ceilometer CL31 employs pulsed diode laser LIDAR technology
(LIDAR = Light Detection and Ranging), where short, powerful laser
pulses are sent out in a vertical or near-vertical direction. The reflection
of light, backscatter – caused by haze, fog, mist, virga, precipitation, and
clouds – is measured as the laser pulses traverse the sky. The resulting
backscatter profile, that is, the signal strength versus the height, is stored
and processed, and the cloud bases are detected. The time delay between
the launch of the laser pulse and the detection of the backscatter signal
indicates the cloud base height.
Ceilometer CL31 is able to detect three cloud layers simultaneously. If
the cloud base is obscured due to precipitation or ground-based fog,
CL31 reports Vertical Visibility. There is no need for adjustments in the
field. The embedded software includes several service and maintenance
functions and gives continuous status information from internal
monitoring. The software is designed to give the full backscatter profile.
CL31 includes data messages used in CT12K, CT25K, CT25KAM, and
LD40. Therefore it is easy to transfer from older ceilometer versions to
CL31.
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