Lightning triggering system, flying body, lightning triggering method, and program

Abstract

A lightning triggering system (100) comprises a flying body (2) and a control device (1) that controls the flying body (2), wherein: the flying body (2) comprises an electron gun (24) that emits charged particles, and a control unit (22) that controls the flight of the flying body (2) and the emission of the charged particles by the electron gun (24) in accordance with commands from the control device (1); and the control device (1) comprises a setting unit (13) that sets a flight zone of the flying body (2), and an operating unit (12) that accepts input of flight commands for the flying body (2) and commands for the emission of charged particles by the electron gun (24).

Description

Lightning induction system, aircraft, lightning induction method, and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a lightning induction system, an aircraft, a lightning induction method, and a program.

[0002] When thunderclouds are generated due to weather conditions and lightning strikes occur, it can cause significant damage. Lightning strikes are a phenomenon that occurs when a conductive path is formed between the electric charges accumulated in the air and the ground and electricity is instantaneously conducted. When thunderclouds are generated, in order to induce lightning strikes to a safe location, the methods disclosed in Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2 have been proposed.

[0003] Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a method of launching a rocket with a conductor connected to the upper air and connecting the space between the thundercloud and the ground with an electric wire to induce lightning strikes. Non-Patent Document 2 discloses inducing lightning strikes by irradiating a laser from the ground to plasmaize the air near the thundercloud.

[0004] JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 110, D19106,doi:10.1029 / 2005JD005924, 2005Laser-guided lightning「https: / / doi.org / 10.1038 / s41566-022-01139-z」

[0005] However, in the method of launching a rocket described in Non-Patent Document 1, when using gunpowder as a propellant for rocket launching, there is a risk of affecting surrounding facilities and people, making it difficult to put into practical use. Also, when using a non-gunpowder shaped body obtained by mixing, for example, an oxidant component and a fuel component instead of gunpowder, attention needs to be paid to the handling of organic peroxides and the like. Furthermore, when using a metal wire as a conductor connected to the rocket, there is a problem that it takes time to process the metal vapor when the metal wire evaporates due to lightning induction.

[0006] In the method of inducing lightning strikes using a laser disclosed in Non-Patent Document 2, there are problems such as a large-scale device, high cost, and an increase in the installation space. Also, in Non-Patent Document 2, since lightning strikes are finally induced to a lightning rod, there are problems such as a narrow degree of freedom in the use position and difficulty in inducing lightning strikes over a long distance.

[0007] This disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a lightning induction system, an aircraft, a lightning induction method, and a program that can induce lightning discharge when a thundercloud occurs with a simple configuration.

[0008] A lightning attraction system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a lightning attraction system comprising a flying body and a control device for controlling the flying body, wherein the flying body comprises a discharger for emitting charged particles and a control unit for controlling the flight of the flying body and the emission of charged particles by the discharger in accordance with commands from the control device, and the control device comprises a setting unit for setting a flight area for the flying body and an operation unit for receiving input of a flight command for the flying body and a command for the emission of charged particles by the discharger.

[0009] An aircraft according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an aircraft that flies in the air and comprises a emitter that emits charged particles and a control unit that controls the flight of the aircraft and the emission of charged particles by the emitter in accordance with commands from a control device.

[0010] A method for inducing lightning according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a method for inducing a lightning discharge using an aircraft and a control device that controls the flight of the aircraft, wherein the control device controls the flight of the aircraft, the control device outputs a command to release charged particles, and a emitter provided on the aircraft receives the release command and releases charged particles while the aircraft is in flight.

[0011] One aspect of this disclosure is a program for causing a computer to function as the aforementioned flying object.

[0012] According to this disclosure, it becomes possible to induce lightning discharges when thunderclouds form using a simple configuration.

[0013] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a lightning strike system according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the lightning strike system according to an embodiment. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of this embodiment.

[0014] The embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a lightning induced system according to an embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the lightning induced system 100 according to an embodiment includes a control device 1 and an aircraft 2.

[0015] The control device 1 is installed on the ground. The control device 1 comprises a second communication unit 11, an operation unit 12, and a setting unit 13. The control device 1 is connected to the lightning radar 3. The lightning radar 3 searches for the formation of thunderclouds in the upper atmosphere.

[0016] The second communication unit 11 communicates wirelessly with the first communication unit 21 mounted on the aircraft 2. The second communication unit 11 transmits flight commands for the aircraft 2 and commands for the emission of charged particles (electron beams) by the electron gun 24 (details will be described later) to the aircraft 2.

[0017] The control unit 12 receives input commands from the operator. The control unit 12 receives input commands from the operator, such as a flight command to fly the aircraft 2 and a command to emit charged particles to emit electron beam charged particles from the electron gun 24. When the operator inputs the flight command for the aircraft 2 and the command to emit charged particles, the control unit 12 outputs these commands to the second communication unit 11. These commands are transmitted from the second communication unit 11 to the aircraft 2.

[0018] The setting unit 13 is connected to the lightning radar 3 and acquires location information of thunderclouds detected by the lightning radar 3. The setting unit 13 may acquire information on the occurrence of thunderclouds for each desired area from a network, for example, instead of the lightning radar 3. Based on the location information of the thunderclouds, the setting unit 13 sets the flight area of ​​the aircraft 2. Specifically, the setting unit 13 sets the area where thunderclouds are expected to occur as the flight area of ​​the aircraft 2. That is, the setting unit 13 refers to the prediction information of the lightning radar 3, which predicts the area where lightning will occur, and sets the flight area so that the aircraft 2 flies to the area where lightning is expected to occur. The flight area information set by the setting unit 13 is transmitted to the aircraft 2 from the second communication unit 11. Furthermore, the setting unit 13 monitors the flight position of the aircraft 2 and determines whether or not the aircraft 2 has entered the above flight area.

[0019] The aircraft 2 comprises a first communication unit 21, a control unit 22, a drive unit 23, and an electron gun 24. The aircraft 2 flies unmanned through the air. For example, a drone can be used as the aircraft 2.

[0020] The first communication unit 21 communicates wirelessly with the second communication unit 11 mounted on the control device 1. When the first communication unit 21 receives flight commands for the aircraft 2 and commands for the emission of charged particles by the electron gun 24 through communication with the second communication unit 11, it outputs these commands to the control unit 22.

[0021] When the control unit 1 transmits a flight command for the aircraft 2, the control unit 22 outputs a flight control signal to the drive unit 23 to control the aircraft 2 to fly within the thundercloud area, based on the position information of the thundercloud detected by the lightning radar 3. When the first communication unit 21 gives a command for the electron gun 24 to emit charged particles, the control unit 22 outputs a drive signal to the electron gun 24. In other words, the control unit 22 controls the flight of the aircraft 2 and the emission of charged particles by the electron gun 24 (emitter).

[0022] The drive unit 23 is equipped with multiple propellers and motors that rotate each propeller. The drive unit 23 rotates the propellers in accordance with the flight control signals output from the control unit 22 so that the aircraft 2 reaches the area where thunderclouds are occurring.

[0023] When the electron gun 24 receives a drive signal from the control unit 22, it emits charged particles (electron beams) in a predetermined direction. That is, by flying the aircraft 2 into a thundercloud generation area and activating the electron gun 24 at this point during flight, charged particles can be emitted into the thundercloud, and by emitting charged particles, lightning discharges can be induced. A charged particle generator other than the electron gun 24 may be used as the emitter for emitting charged particles. The electron gun 24 is just one example of an emitter for emitting charged particles.

[0024] The aircraft 2 is surrounded by a Faraday cage 50. By surrounding the aircraft 2 with the Faraday cage 50, even if a lightning discharge occurs around the aircraft 2, it is possible to prevent electric field lines (electric fields) from entering the interior of the aircraft 2, thereby preventing damage to the electronic equipment mounted on the aircraft 2. The Faraday cage 50 may also be arranged to surround at least one of the control unit 22 and the electron gun 24.

[0025] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 2. First, in step S11 of Figure 2, the operation unit 12 determines whether or not a flight command for the aircraft 2 has been input by the operator.

[0026] If a flight command is input (S11; YES), in step S12, the setting unit 13 refers to the position information of the thundercloud output from the lightning radar 3 and sets the flight area of ​​the aircraft 2 to the thundercloud generation area. Information on the flight area of ​​the aircraft 2 is transmitted to the aircraft 2 from the second communication unit 11. The control unit 22 outputs a flight control signal to the drive unit 23 so that the aircraft 2 reaches the flight area set by the setting unit 13. As a result, the aircraft 2 flies towards the thundercloud generation area.

[0027] In step S13, the setting unit 13 monitors the flight position of the aircraft 2 and determines whether the aircraft 2 has reached the thundercloud area, which is the destination. If the aircraft 2 has reached the thundercloud area (S13; YES), the process proceeds to step S14.

[0028] In step S14, the control unit 12 determines whether or not a command to release charged particles has been input by the operator. If a release command has been input (S14; YES), the control unit 12 outputs a command to release charged particles, and this release command is transmitted to the aircraft 2 by the second communication unit 11.

[0029] In step S15, the control unit 22 outputs a drive signal to the electron gun 24. Upon receiving the drive signal, the electron gun 24 emits charged particles (electron beams) in a predetermined direction around the flying object 2. By emitting charged particles (e.g., electrons) into the thundercloud generation area, an electron avalanche can be generated within the thundercloud generation area. As a result, it becomes possible to induce lightning discharges from the thundercloud toward the ground.

[0030] Lightning discharges cannot be explained solely by the bias in electric fields between the ground and the upper atmosphere; cosmic rays from space are highly likely to be the trigger for lightning discharges. When charged particles such as cosmic rays travel through the air, they ionize electrons from oxygen and nitrogen in the air. When these electrons are accelerated by an electric field and collide with other gas molecules, it triggers an electron avalanche, which generates even more electrons. It has been found that this phenomenon is highly likely to be the trigger for lightning discharges. In this embodiment, by releasing charged particles into a thundercloud using the electron gun 24, it becomes possible to artificially generate an electron avalanche with a simple configuration, and thereby induce a lightning discharge.

[0031] As described above, the lightning attraction system 100 according to this embodiment is a lightning attraction system 100 comprising a flying body 2 and a control device 1 for controlling the flying body 2, wherein the flying body 2 comprises an electron gun 24 (emitter emitter) that emits charged particles and a control unit 22 that controls the flight of the flying body 2 and the emission of charged particles by the electron gun 24 according to commands from the control device 1, and the control device 1 comprises a setting unit 13 for setting the flight area of ​​the flying body 2 and an operation unit 12 that receives input of flight commands for the flying body 2 and commands for the emission of charged particles by the electron gun 24.

[0032] In this embodiment, charged particles (e.g., electrons) are emitted using the electron gun 24 within the thundercloud generation area, thereby inducing lightning discharges from the thundercloud. That is, lightning discharges can be induced at the time and location intended by the operator. Therefore, it is possible to prevent lightning strikes from occurring at unexpected times and locations, and to suppress damage caused by lightning strikes.

[0033] Furthermore, by using a simple configuration in which an aircraft 2 equipped with an electron gun 24 is flown in the air, lightning discharges can be induced at the desired time and location, thus avoiding the need for a large-scale device and reducing costs.

[0034] In this embodiment, a Faraday cage 50 is provided to surround at least one of the control unit 22 and the electron gun 24 (emitter) mounted on the aircraft 2. This prevents electric field lines (electric fields) from entering the aircraft 2, thus avoiding the problem of electronic equipment mounted on the aircraft 2 being damaged by lightning strikes.

[0035] In this embodiment, the setting unit 13 sets the flight area of ​​the aircraft 2 by referring to prediction information from a lightning radar that predicts the area where thunderclouds are likely to occur, making it possible to reach the thundercloud area with high accuracy.

[0036] In this embodiment, since an electron gun 24 is used as a emitter for releasing charged particles, it becomes possible to release charged particles in the thundercloud generation area with a simple configuration.

[0037] As shown in Figure 3, the control unit 22 of this embodiment described above can be a general-purpose computer system comprising, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit, processor) 901, memory 902, storage 903 (HDD: Hard Disk Drive, SSD: Solid State Drive), communication device 904, input device 905, and output device 906. The memory 902 and storage 903 are storage devices. In this computer system, the functions of the control unit 22 are realized when the CPU 901 executes a predetermined program loaded onto the memory 902.

[0038] The control unit 22 may be implemented on one computer or on multiple computers. Furthermore, the control unit 22 may be a virtual machine implemented on a computer.

[0039] The program for the control unit 22 can be stored on a computer-readable recording medium such as an HDD, SSD, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, CD (Compact Disc), or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or it can be distributed via a network. A computer-readable recording medium is, for example, a non-transitory recording medium.

[0040] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and numerous modifications are possible within the scope of its essence.

[0041] 1 Control device 2 Aircraft 3 Lightning radar 11 Second communication unit 12 Operation unit 13 Setting unit 21 First communication unit 22 Control unit 23 Drive unit 24 Electron gun (emitter) 50 Faraday cage 100 Lightning induced system

Claims

1. A lightning induced system comprising a flying object and a control device for controlling the flying object, wherein the flying object comprises a discharger for emitting charged particles and a control unit that controls the flight of the flying object and the emission of charged particles by the discharger according to a command from the control device, and the control device comprises a setting unit for setting the flight area of ​​the flying object and an operation unit for receiving input of a flight command for the flying object and a command for the emission of charged particles by the discharger.

2. The lightning system according to claim 1, wherein the flying object further comprises a Faraday cage surrounding at least one of the ejector and the control unit.

3. The lightning induced system according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit refers to prediction information from a lightning radar that predicts the area where lightning is expected to occur, and sets the flight area so that the aircraft flies over the area where lightning is expected to occur.

4. The lightning induced system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the emitter includes an electron gun.

5. An aircraft that flies in the air, comprising: a emitter that emits charged particles; and a control unit that controls the flight of the aircraft and the emission of charged particles by the emitter in accordance with commands from a control device.

6. The aircraft according to claim 5, further comprising a Faraday cage surrounding at least one of the emitter and the control unit.

7. A method for inducing a lightning discharge using an aircraft and a control device that controls the flight of the aircraft, wherein the control device controls the flight of the aircraft, the control device outputs a command to release charged particles, and a discharger provided on the aircraft receives the release command and releases charged particles while the aircraft is in flight.

8. A program that causes a computer to function as the control unit of the aircraft described in claim 5.

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