RCLASS
Radiosonde Cloud Assessment System

Innovative Dynamics Inc., under a NASA sponsored program, is developing a Radiosonde Cloud Assessment System (RCLASS) which measures the liquid water content, drop size, and phase of clouds. The innovation is a new capability for measuring cloud properties consisting of an optical probe flown on a weather balloon.

RCLASS is the first system of its kind. It is small, low weight, low cost, and because it is able to penetrate the surface of clouds, will provide essential information to forecasters previously not available from balloon launched or ground based systems.

This system will provide the atmospheric science community with real time data about the characteristics of clouds. In addition to enhanced weather forecasting, this data could be provided to the aircraft industry for the purpose of icing avoidance and general aviation safety. There currently exists a significant need for this type of data, but no effective or low-cost means to provide it. RCLASS will fill this void.

Download the RCLASS spec sheet

Applications

  • Enhanced Weather Forecasting
  • Aircraft Icing Avoidance
  • Meteorological Research
Also the RCLASS product would be ideal for use by Airports to get cloud level height and cloud liquid/ice content information for arriving and departing aircraft.
RCLASS

Features

  • In-Situ Measurement of:
    • Liquid Water Content
    • Particle Size
    • Particle Density
    • Ice Content
  • Balloon deployable
  • Low weight
  • Small Size
  • Low Cost
  • Low Power
  • "All-Weather" Design
  • Integrates with existing Radiosonde systems
  • MATLAB Based data analysis tool
  • Weather reporting for areas not accessible to most Helicopters