Horizontal miss distance filter system for suppressing false resolution alerts, US5566074, 10/15/1996

A horizontal miss distance filter system is provided for inhibiting resolution alert messages from an air traffic alert and collision avoidance system to a pilot's display. The horizontal miss distance filter employs a parabolic range tracker to derive a range acceleration estimate utilized to discriminate intruder aircraft having non-zero horizontal miss distances. The horizontal miss distance calculated from the range data provided by the parabolic range tracker is compared with a bearing based horizontal miss distance provided by a bearing based tracker. The smaller of the two calculated horizontal miss distances defines a projected horizontal miss distance which is compared with a threshold value. Any resolution alert for intruder aircraft whose projected horizontal miss distance is greater than the threshold will be inhibited unless it is determined that the encounter involves a maneuver of one of the aircraft. As many as five maneuver detectors may be employed to assess whether the encounter involves a maneuver. If any of the maneuver detectors establish the occurrence of a maneuver, then a resolution alert provided from the TCAS system will not be inhibited.

System and Method for Determining Volatile Constituents, Vapor Pressure and Vapor Emissions of Liquids, US5499531, 03/19/1996

A system is provided for calculating the vapor pressure for a liquid whose composition is unknown. The liquid to be tested is passed through a gas/liquid separator at a substantially constant flow rate and at a predetermined temperature and pressure. The liquid being passed through separator evolves gas which is passed through a gas meter. The liquid passing from separator passes through a flow meter. The evolved gas is also coupled to a gas chromatograph for measurement of the gas composition. The measurement data is input to a processor for converging an initial assumed inlet oil composition, with the measured gas composition, gas flow rate, and liquid flow rate using representative constituent equilibrium data to derive the composition of the inlet liquid stream. The converged liquid composition data is then utilized for calculating the vapor pressure or vapor emissions of the liquid.