Simulation and Analysis of Polarimetric Phased Array Weather Radar Performance

A radar simulator capable of generating weatherlike I/Q time series data for polarimetric phased array weather radars has been designed and implemented. The received signals are derived from the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS), a high-resolution numerical weather prediction (NWP) model. Thousands of scattering centers, each with an independent random Doppler spectrum, populate the radar's field of view. The moments of the individual scattering center spectra are derived from the NWP model, and the scattering center positions are updated based on the three-dimensional wind field of the model. The simulator offers reconfigurable element patterns and positions as well as access to independent time series data for each element of the phased array, resulting in easy implementation of advanced beamforming methods. It also allows for arbitrary waveform designs and is able to model the effects of quantization on waveform performance. Simultaneous, alternating, quasi-simultaneous, and pulse-to-pulse phase coded modes of polarimetric signal transmission have been implemented and their performance evaluated in realistic weather scenarios. The simulator also models parabolic antenna radars, allowing theoretical comparisons between polarimetric phased arrays and more traditional weather radar systems. This capability is illustrated with a comparison between NEXRAD and the ten-panel phased array advanced technology mobile demonstration system (TPD) currently under development as part of the Multi-function Phased Array Radar (MPAR) program.