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

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Status of the HIWRAP and URAD Conical Scan Radars
for Wind Measurements
Gerald Heymsfield NASA/Goddard Space Flight
Center (Gerald.Heymsfield_at_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
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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 -gtvertical motions, along-track winds
• -gt very high resolution below aircraft
• -gt but no horizontal wind vector

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Why Conical Scan Radar?
-gt3D Winds in precipitation /cloudy regions -
emphasis on horizontal winds -gtSurface winds
through scatterometry (QuikScat, IWRAP,
..) Make both measurements with one radar
Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (IWRAP)
(Esteban, Carswell..2005)
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Motivation for Radar on Global Hawk

• Long-duration (30 hours) high-altitude (gt18
  km) capability.
• -gt e.g, reaches E. Atlantic genesis region
• Increased time sampling storm
• -gt capture RI events, hot towers, etc.
• Fill gaps in coverage from orbiting satellites
  (QuikScat, TRMM, ..)

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NASA Conical Scan Radars in Development

• High-Altitude Imaging Wind and Rain Profiler
  (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 IRD
• Aircraft ER-2, Global Hawk

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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
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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

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HIWRAP Scanner
Scan motor
Ka-band transceiver
IF/LO subsystem
Dual-freq feeds
Digital receiver
Ku-band transceiver
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Ka-Band Transceiver
Power Amplifiers
Test Frame
Waveguide ports to antenna
Heat pipe heat sink for PAs
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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

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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
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HIWRAP in Global Hawk

• Integration plans and test flight plans are still
  evolving for 2010 Summer flights.

HIWRAP Radome
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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
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URAD Integration Concept for ER-2
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URAD Hardware
Antenna/ positioner
High peak power transmitter and the pressure
enclosure (cover off)
IF/LO and digital receiver enclosure
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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

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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.