US 12,259,490 B1
Multi-antenna single-station stereoscopic-arrangement ultra-short baseline lightning location method and related device
Xiangpeng Fan, Lanzhou (CN); Yijun Zhang, Lanzhou (CN); Yajun Li, Zhangye (CN); Yuhui Zhang, Lanzhou (CN); Guo Zhao, Lanzhou (CN); and Tong Zhang, Lanzhou (CN)
Assigned to Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou (CN); and Hexi University, Zhangye (CN)
Filed by Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou (CN); and Hexi University, Zhangye (CN)
Filed on Jul. 18, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/776,507.
Claims priority of application No. 202410208701.8 (CN), filed on Feb. 26, 2024.
Int. Cl. G01S 5/14 (2006.01); G01S 5/02 (2010.01); H01Q 21/28 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 5/14 (2013.01) [G01S 5/021 (2013.01); G01S 5/02213 (2020.05); H01Q 21/28 (2013.01); G01S 2205/01 (2020.05)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A multi-antenna single-station stereoscopic-arrangement ultra-short baseline lightning location method, wherein the multi-antenna single-station stereoscopic arrangement comprises an interferometer array formed by combinations of different numbers of very high frequency (VHF) antennas, wherein the interferometer array comprises an equilateral pentagon interferometer array without angular error and multiple equilateral triangle interferometer arrays with angular error, wherein seven VHF antennas are provided, comprising antenna A to antenna G, respectively; the antenna A is a central VHF antenna and is positioned directly above an origin of coordinates; the antenna B to the antenna F are arranged around the origin of coordinates and are equidistant from the origin of coordinates; the antenna B to the antenna F form a highly symmetrical equilateral pentagon, and the antenna A to the antenna F form a set of the equilateral pentagon interferometer array; the antenna A, together with two neighboring antennas from the antenna B to the antenna F, forms an equilateral triangle; the antenna G is located directly above the antenna A; and a height of the antenna G from the origin of coordinates enables that the antenna G, together with two antennas spaced apart in the antenna B to the antenna F, forms five sets of equilateral triangle interferometer arrays; and the method comprises:
collecting very high frequency radiation signals received by each VHF antenna, and determining a time difference of a same pulse signal between different VHF antennas based on the very high frequency radiation signals;
using, based on the time difference of the same pulse signal between different VHF antennas, the equilateral pentagon interferometer array and the equilateral triangle interferometer arrays to perform positioning, respectively, and obtaining a set of first azimuth angle and first elevation angle and multiple sets of second azimuth angles and second elevation angles of a radiation source emitting the very high frequency radiation signals, wherein the first azimuth angle and first elevation angle are free of systematic error, and the multiple second azimuth angles and second elevation angles have systematic error;
correcting the multiple sets of second azimuth angles and second elevation angles to obtain multiple sets of target azimuth angles and target elevation angles;
using a direction in which the first azimuth angle and first elevation angle are located as a reference direction, determining one target position point on the reference direction such that a central distance, between a ray passing through the target position point in the reference direction and rays in a reference direction determined by the multiple sets of target azimuth angles and target elevation angles, is minimized, and determining a three-dimensional coordinate of the radiation source based on the target position point, the first azimuth angle, and the second azimuth angles; and
determining an occurrence time of the very high frequency radiation signals based on the three-dimensional coordinate and a time that the very high frequency radiation signals are transmitted at a speed of light to a central VHF antenna.