UK research group Qinetiq is seeking a commercial partner to advance testing of a runway radar system aimed at reducing the risk of foreign object damage (FOD) to aircraft.
The runway debris monitoring system, which was on display at the ATC Maastricht show in the Netherlands last week, has just completed internal development tests. Qinetiq says that the equipment now needs a full operational trial.
The 400mm (16in)-tall monitor comprises two rectangular boxes on top of each other. The upper box is able to rotate like a conventional radar, emitting and receiving a signal and feeding the resulting image to a desktop computer for analysis.
The monitor is based on millimetre-wave radar operating at a frequency of around 94GHz. Tests have shown that the system can detect objects the size of a wheel-nut at a range of 300m (1,000ft), with Qinetiq aiming to extend this to 2km (1nm)s.
FOD is responsible for millions of dollars in damage to aircraft each year and was a primary cause of the fatal Air France Aerospatiale/BAe Concorde accident in Paris in July 2000. Currently airports have to carry out staggered searches for runway debris up to four times a day - a process that takes 45min.
Qinetiq says around three or four radars could cover a large runway, with the high-resolution sensor able to perform when visual inspection is almost impossible, including at night or in fog. "We're talking to a number of manufacturers for further development," says Qinetiq.
A commercial product would take "maybe a year or two" to come onto the market. The equipment could also be used for intruder detection and to monitor animals straying onto runways.
Source: Flight International
