Geomagnetic Disturbance Detection Using Quiet Day Model

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods struggle to accurately determine local geomagnetic disturbances at middle latitudes due to the variability of the 'Quiet Sun' component and the inability to distinguish between global and local magnetic disturbances, leading to potential misinterpretations and hazards in space weather prediction.

Innovation Solution

A method that uses a quiet day model to determine the daily variation curve of the geomagnetic field, allowing for the separation of the 'Quiet Sun' component from the geomagnetic disturbance component, enabling the estimation of local geomagnetic disturbances caused by sporadic solar activity, independent of external data and models.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If global indices are used to measure geomagnetic disturbances, then coverage area is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to inability to distinguish local disturbances

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoverage areaVSAvoidmeasurement precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the geomagnetic field measurement into distinct components: the quiet day variation curve (representing global/quiet sun effects) and the local disturbance component. By separating these components mathematically, the method enables precise local measurement while maintaining awareness of global conditions, thus resolving the contradiction between coverage area and measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If quiet day model is used to separate Quiet Sun component, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement precisionVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex physical measurement systems with a mathematical modeling approach. Instead of using multiple sensors or complex hardware to separate the quiet sun component from local disturbances, the invention uses a quiet day model that fits observed data to extract the variation curve, substituting mechanical/physical complexity with computational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If quiet day model fitting is performed, then reliability is improved, but loss of time increases due to data processing

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovereliabilityVSAvoidloss of time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by establishing the quiet day model and fitting the variation curve during quiet periods before disturbances occur. This pre-established model can then be applied to quickly identify and characterize disturbances when they occur, reducing the processing time needed during actual space weather events while maintaining high reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3441794B1Device and method for obtaining local geomagnetic disturbances at mid-latitudes
Publication Date: 2021.07.28 UNIV DE ALCALA
  • EP3441794B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP3441794B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3441794B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a device and method for determining a local geomagnetic disturbance at mid-latitudes, by eliminating the different undisturbed geomagnetic field components, which solves the existing problems in the known prior art. For this, the invention describes a model of a day of mid-latitude geomagnetic quiet for the horizontal geomagnetic field component (H). The method involves a quiet day or disturbed day characterisation using an evaluation of the goodness-of-fit of the invented model to the data measured for the local horizontal magnetic field component, once an auxiliary trend curve of the night values has been subtracted. The method can be carried out in the device in order to determine a local geomagnetic disturbance in real time.