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Driftsonde Experiences during T-AMMA Stratospheric balloons to study African monsoon and formation of cyclones. National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) [French National Center for Space Studies]. Driftsonde Team
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DriftsondeExperiences during T-AMMAStratospheric balloons to study African monsoonand formation of cyclones National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales(CNES) [French National Center for Space Studies] Driftsonde Team Terry Hock, Dave Parsons, Jack Fox, Hal Cole, Joe VanAndel, Keith Romberg, Chip Owens, Dean Lauritsen, Charlie Martin Nov. 13, 2006 OFAP
Driftsonde Concept • Cost-effective dropsonde observations of wind, temperature, and humidity to fill critical gaps in coverage over oceanic and remote artic and continental regions over days to weeks.
AMMA Driftsonde Project Goals & Highlights Support of the THORPEX International Science and Implementation Plans for demonstration tests of new technologies for the delivery of in-situ sensing The tests were supported by CNES for the ballooning (French Space Agency) Support within the US by NCAR and NOAA/THORPEX for the driftsonde gondola and new dropsondes 8 Balloon flights 24 to 40 Miniture Dropsondes per balloon flight Launch Location Zinder, Niger Flight Operations Center Paris and Boulder Engineering team effort between CNES & NCAR Flights 10+ days CNES Developed Super Pressure Balloon and Flight Control System NCAR Developed Driftsonde Gondola System, Miniture Dropsonde and Ground Sounding Software
CNES-NCAR Team Collaboration Engineering & Science Integration • French/CNES Ballooning Group • Developing a 12 meter super- pressure Balloon specifically for Driftsonde. • Provided 10 balloons • CNES gondola for communications, tracking, safety and recovery • system, transponder • Prepared launch facility logistics & provided staff at Zinder, Niger • Control & operations center in Paris • Coordinated with Air Traffic Control • NCAR/EOL Driftsonde Group • Provided 8 Driftsonde gondolas, • Satellite Communications • Sounding system • GPS tracking info • 270 MIST Sondes • Ground support crew in Zinder, Niger • NCAR staff at at the CNES control and operations center in Paris. • Secondary Operations Center in Boulder • System control of sonde releases • Sonde data post processing
Scientific Flight Operations Center & Flight Control Paris, France Flight Control Boulder, USA Balloon Launch Facility Zinder, Niger T-AMMA Launch and Flight Operations Locations
Zinder Flight Operations Sonde Loading Final Testing Payload Balloon Inflation
CNES 12 meter Super Pressure Balloon Driftsonde Flight Train ~ 12meters Total payload weight 42 kg Pressure- Temperature Sensors & Gas Relief valve Parachute RadarReflector ~ 20meters CNESPayload AircraftTransponder/StrobeLight Driftsonde Gondola (21kg) Temperature Sensors
Miniature In-situ Sounding Technology (MIST Sonde developed at NCAR) GPS Antenna • MIST Design Criteria & Motivation • - Low cost (current aircraft dropsondes cost >$700) • - Small (credit card size) • - Lightweight (Gondola to carry 80 sondes) • - Pressure derived from GPS & hydrostatic equation (using known launch pressure) • - Operate at -70º C (20km altitude) • MIST Sonde Specification • Size: 4.62 cm diameter, length 22.86 cm • Weight: 145 grams • Fall rate ~10 m/s at surface, cone parachute • Sensors: Temperature, Humidity, Winds & Position • 50 mil Thermsitor • Humicap w/temperature sensor for substrate • 16 channel GPS receiver • Sensor sample rate 0.5 secs • Remote control Power On & Sonde Release GPS Receiver (16 channel) 2 Microprocessors Transmitter (400 MHz) Humidity Sensor (humicap w/substrate temperature) TemperatureSensor (50 mill bead thermistor)
Gondola Electronics- sonde receiver system Lower Part of Gondola Iridium Satellite Transceiver Lithium Batteries Miniature Dropsonde Upper Part of Gondola NCAR System Electronics
AMMA Driftsonde Flights • 6 successful missions from the 8 Driftsondes launched
Sonde release Driftsonde Predicted Flight Trajectories
Driftsonde dataDriftsonde 3 in the vicinity of tropical cyclone Florence Tropical cyclone Florence Sondes released from driftsonde #3
Disturbed Environment Near Florence Deepening Moist Layer African PBL
Disturbed Environment Near Florence Increasing Low-level Winds African Easterly Jet
Driftsonde dataDriftsonde 4 in the vicinity of tropical cyclone Gordon Tropical cyclone Gordon Sondes released from driftsonde #4