191580 S-band Vertical Rain Rate (VRR) radar

Thursday, 29 September 2011
Grand Ballroom (William Penn Hotel)
Daniel R. Cheresnick, Advanced Radar Corporation, Boulder, CO; and J. Fox, R. J. Keeler, and F. Fabry

Advanced Radar Corp is currently constructing an S-band Vertical Rain Rate (VRR) radar, the ARC S50VRR, for the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau (CWB). The ARC S50VRR radar system is designed for roof-top installation with a weatherproof equipment cabinet beneath the fixed, separately installed, antenna. No pedestal is necessary for antenna pointing and no moving parts are required. The principle research applications for the VRR radar are to measure rainfall rates, variability and Drop Size Distributions.

Specifications for the VRR include:

• Antenna diameter: 2.44 meters (8 feet)

• Magnetron transmitter 50 kW

• Range resolution: 40 m (.25 us)

• Dynamic range: > 95 dB (LNA dominated)

• Maximum vertical range: 20 km

• Minimum usable range: 500 m

• Clutter suppression: > 40 dB – 4 pole IIR or Spectral with “Clutter Mitigation Decision” control

• The radar product generation for the VRR is similar to the system utilized by McGill University for VertiX, an X-band vertically pointing radar, including the following:

o Doppler spectra for Drop Size Distribution estimation

o Terminal velocity and vertical air motion velocity

o Rainfall estimation

o Time history

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