Status of the P3DWL investigations on NOAA aircraft

Emmitt (SWA)Atlas(AOML/NOAA)

Eleuterio (ONR/USNavy)

DWL WG Meeting24 – 26 August 2010

Bar Harbor, Me

Status Summary

Waiting for installation

Outline

• Instrument/aircraft• Upgrades since TPARC• Collaborators at NOAA/AOML• 2010 season plans• Long term plans

Upgrades since TPARC• Funded by ONR• Problem: Sticky scanner rotation at high > 6km flight levels

(cold temperatures);Solution: heat strips on scanner bearings

• Problem: lost of a few dB through scanner windows; Solution: Bigger windows, re-polished windows, AR coatings.

• Problem: Overheating before takeoff; Solution: higher capacity chiller.

• Problem: Erratic and old GPS/INS; Solution: purchased new GPS/INS.

General Plan• Participate in NOAA’s HFIP 2010 including coordinated flights with

GRIP aircraft, especially the DAWN system being flown on the NASA DC-8.

• Use much of the P3DWL system flown on the NRL P3 in 2008.• ONR funded modifications include:

– Redesign of bi-axial scanner to eliminate sticking at low temperatures

– Enlarge windows and recoat to improve throughput– Replace heat exchanger with more efficient cooler– Replace borrowed GPS/INS with new unit– Build new rack required for NOAA P3 installation– Acquire new data system from LMCT

Participants

• Frank Marks• Sylvia Lorsolo• Bob Atlas• Jun Zhang• Dave Ligon• James McFadden and Terry Lynch• Robert Rogers• Dan Carre’

Organization Contribution ContactONR Funding for fabrication of rack,

scanner housing, GPS, chiller, nitrogen control system, software modifications and other aircraft accommodation elements

Ron Ferek

ARL RASP, AFE, power supply, software mods

Dave Ligon

NASA/LaRC Bi-axial scanner elements and drivers

SWA PI,Operations, GPS integration, post processing software

Dave Emmitt

NOAA Accommodations on NOAA P3, science support, mission support

Frank Marks

P3DWL for HFIP 2010

1.6 um coherent WTX (ARL/LMCT)10 cm bi-axis scanner (NASA)P3 and other parts (NRL)Analyses software (SWA/CIRPAS)

Bi-axial scanner and

instrument rack

Data Products

• Region of regard– +/- 30 degrees azimuth; +/- 120 degrees elevation– Flight level (-200m) to surface– Flight level (+200m) to 15km (aerosol and clouds

permitting)– Forward to 15km (nominal 6-10 in PBL and 1 – 3 above)

• Resolution– 50 meter overlapped range gates (Gausian pulse ~ 90 m

long)– 500 Hz rep rate (~ .5 meter along flight track)

Data Products (2)

• 3D wind profiles (u,v,w)– 12 point step-stare scan pattern with 20 -30

degree nadir cone (half angle)– .5 – 2 second dwells with 1 second transition gaps– On P3 a full profile takes ~ 30 seconds (3km)– 4 point profiles provide better than 1 km

horizontal spacing– Special processing required within 200 meters of

the surface

Data Products (3)

• Vertical and flight level stares– Nadir stares provide

• Vertical velocity only measurements• Water surface elevations, depths of LAS, wave spectra

– Zenith stares• Vertical velocity only measurements• Hydrometeor detection and fall velocities

– FL stares provide• Detection of thermals, OLEs, gravity waves ahead of

aircraft

Data Products (4)

• Backscatter (attenuated) profiles and aerosol structures– Organized Large Eddies– Mixed layer heights– Aerosol pumping by cloud convection

• Turbulence– Within the illuminated volume (~ .1m X 100m)

• Broadening of spectral features

– Between shots (~ .5m X 100m)

Summary

Waiting for installation