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Researchers have created an X Lidar lidar to help airports operate during volcanic eruptions

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2023-12-27 14:06:48
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Engineer and inventor Ezequiel Pawelko is one of the creators of X Lidar, a laser technology that can detect volcanic ash in the atmosphere, draw safe flight paths, and maintain airport operations during volcanic eruptions. Nowadays, he is engaged in other applications such as detecting space debris, monitoring natural resources and fisheries, preventing fires, and drawing radiation and wind maps for renewable energy.

Apart from fog, thunderstorms, or fire smoke, the most dangerous atmospheric phenomenon in airplanes is volcanic ash, as it has the ability to erode and damage turbines, engines, and mechanical components of the fuselage. So much so that the aviation authorities suggest suspending flights and closing airports. The problem is that volcanic ash is too small to be detected by aviation or meteorological electromagnetic radar.

In 2010, the eruption of the Eyjafjallaj ö kull volcano in Iceland affected 75% of European aviation operations, canceling over 10000 flights within a week and resulting in losses of millions of dollars. One year later, in 2011, despite the Puyehue volcanic activity in Chile, the airport in Barriloche City was still operational, and due to the installation of the country's first developed LiDAR, the volcano was less than 100 kilometers away.

The plan is led by Ezequiel Pawelko, a telecommunications engineer and researcher at the National Defense Science and Technology Research Center. In 2019, Ezequiel Pawelko and Nadia Barreiro created Aerolidar, which can identify the presence and distribution of ash, track safe routes, and allow commercial air activities within national territory. Now, Pawelko is looking for other applications of this technology, which is currently in use at different airports in the country and around the world, and will soon be used on airplanes.

Source: Laser Net

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