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Status of the HIWRAP and URAD Conical Scan Radars for Wind Measurements

Status of the HIWRAP and URAD Conical Scan Radars for Wind Measurements. Gerald Heymsfield NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (Gerald.Heymsfield@nasa.gov) L. Li, M. Vega / NASA/ GSFC J. Carswell / Remote Sensing Solutions, Inc. D. Schaubert, J. Creticos / Univ. Mass.

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Status of the HIWRAP and URAD Conical Scan Radars for Wind Measurements

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  1. Status of the HIWRAP and URAD Conical Scan Radars for Wind Measurements Gerald Heymsfield NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (Gerald.Heymsfield@nasa.gov) L. Li, M. Vega /NASA/ GSFC J. Carswell /Remote Sensing Solutions, Inc. D. Schaubert, J. Creticos / Univ. Mass. W. Welch / Welch Mechanical Design

  2. Current High-Altitude Capability Using X-band ER-2 Doppler Radar (EDOP) • More than a decade of high-altitude Doppler measurements from ER-2 aircraft over tropical cyclones capturing events such as hot towers • Two beams ->vertical motions, along-track winds • -> very high resolution below aircraft • -> but no horizontal wind vector

  3. Why Conical Scan Radar? ->3D Winds in precipitation /cloudy regions - emphasis on horizontal winds ->Surface winds through scatterometry (QuikScat, IWRAP, ..) Make both measurements with one radar Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (IWRAP) (Esteban, Carswell..2005)

  4. Motivation for Radar on Global Hawk • Long-duration (~30 hours) & high-altitude (>18 km) capability. -> e.g, reaches E. Atlantic genesis region • Increased time sampling storm -> capture RI events, hot towers, etc. • Fill gaps in coverage from orbiting satellites (QuikScat, TRMM, ..)

  5. NASA Conical Scan Radars in Development High-Altitude Imaging Wind and RainProfiler (HIWRAP) Ku, Ka-Band (14 and 35 GHz) NASA Instrument Incubator Program (IIP)Aircraft: WB-57, Global Hawk UAV Radar (URAD) X-Band (9.4 GHz) Goddard Space Flight Center IR&D Aircraft: ER-2, Global Hawk

  6. HIWRAP NASA technology development Low power solid-state transmitter ,high altitude, power efficient digital receiver & processor *3D winds (grid point retrieval) and reflectivity *Two frequencies and two incidence angles to increase the number independent wind measurements

  7. HIWRAP Measurement Concept Two look angles and two frequencies • Grid Point Analysis • 3D grid covering conical scan region • Radial wind measurements from fore and aft looks are used to calculate horizontal wind vector

  8. HIWRAP Scanner Scan motor Ka-band transceiver IF/LO subsystem Dual-freq feeds Digital receiver Ku-band transceiver

  9. Ka-Band Transceiver Power Amplifiers Test Frame Waveguide ports to antenna Heat pipe & heat sink for PAs

  10. HIWRAP Development Plan • Instrument Completion - Summer 2009 • Test flights on NASA WB -57 high-altitude aircraft - Fall 2009 • Reconfiguration and test flights for Global Hawk - early 2010 • Possible NASA hurricane field experiment - Summer 2010

  11. WB-57 Test Flights • WB-57 provides an excellent simulator for the Global Hawk operating environment • HIWRAP will fly on WB57 for initial instrumental and measurement concept test HIWRAP in WB57 6-foot pallet

  12. HIWRAP in Global Hawk • Integration plans and test flight plans are still evolving for 2010 Summer flights. HIWRAP & Radome

  13. URAD Measurement Concept • Earlier development than HIWRAP using conventional radar technology • Originally designed for Global Hawk but now may be used for EDOP replacement • Nadir capabilities of EDOP, plus a second conical/cross-track scanning beam • Hardware in integration stage and near completion X-Band, tube-based (TWT) transmitter, fully steerable antenna scan up to 35 degree elevation

  14. URAD Integration Concept for ER-2

  15. URAD Hardware Antenna/ positioner High peak power transmitter and the pressure enclosure (cover off) IF/LO and digital receiver enclosure

  16. Summary • Working toward completion of flight ready HIWRAP and URAD by Summer 2009. • WB-57 HIWRAP flights planned for Fall 2009 • Funding in discussion for HIWRAP Global Hawk integration, test flights, and hurricane field experiment in 2010 • URAD targeted for EDOP replacement

  17. Outline • Conical scan radar for 3D winds in cloud/precip regions & surface winds from high-altitude manned aircraft and UAS. • High-Altitude Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (HIWRAP) development status for Global Hawk • UAV Radar (URAD) development status for ER-2.

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