National Severe Storms Laboratory

1. OKLAHOMA school of electrical and computer engineering The university of National Severe Storms Laboratory Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies Techniques for Detection and Tracking Airplanes Using WSR-88D Svetlana Bachmann, Dusan Zrnic, National Severe Storm Laboratory, NOAA, Norman, OK Victor DeBrunner, Mark Yeary, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK svetlana.bachmann@noaa.gov, vdebrunn@ou.edu, myeary@ou.edu, dusan.zrnic@noaa.gov airplane-1 spectra abstract airplane-2 spectra tracking Trajectory weighted with the Hanning window Z, dB V, m s-1 weighted with the Hanning window For the first time, weather radar echoes from point scatterers (airplanes) in a non-stormy environment are investigated in the time and frequency domains and compared to model simulations to build a background for differentiating these echoes from weather signals and to develop procedures for data censoring. 5 km 10 km Power (dB) Power (dB) 15 km 170 180 toward, 40 m s–1 Airplane-1 cut 13: away, 24 m s–1 airplane in front of behind clear-air 1° at 15 km – 262 m, at 9 km – 157 m Airplane-2 cut 13: toward, 13 m s–1 Velocity (m s–1) Velocity (m s–1) cross section motivation model The NWS network of WSR-88D covers the entire US • WSR-88D operate continuously Awareness about security • can weather radar detect and track non-cooperative targets, e.g. airplanes ? distributed scatterers point scatterers 1000..5000 rpm vd = 40..55 m s-1 A, B, C • Speed of flight • Moving parts: propeller (rpm), etc. • Turbulence • Position in the resolution volume 6 radar set up |K|2 = 0.93 t = 1.57 ms q1 = 0.95p/180 rad l = 0.1 m • Aircraft can be tracked • with weather radar • Aircraft has signature • in Doppler spectrum • Doppler spectra corresponds to the • physical characteristics of the craft: • replicated spectral characteristics of • Cessna 188 Ag Wagon. • Categories of Airplanes • could be distinguished simulation KOUN WSR-88D • RF = 2705 MHz • Pt = 750 kW • Parabolic, d = 8.5 m • Beam-width 0.95° • Short/long pulse • H, H/V polarization • 381.3 m ASL weighted with the Hanning window altitude 9 Power (dB) 363 m Time series data collected by KOUN for Homeland Defense Radar Test on March 26 2003 Velocity (m s-1) 2400 rpm, v = 41 m s –1 A = 2, B = .5, C = 248