Cylindrical Polarimetric Phased Array Radar Demonstrator

The University of Oklahoma's Advanced Radar Research Center (OU/ARRC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Severe Storms Laboratory (NOAA/NSSL) have developed a mobile S-band Cylindrical Polarimetric Phased Array Radar (CPPAR) Demonstrator. The CPPAR Demonstrator will be used to investigate the advantages of a cylindrical radar when compared with a planar-faced system, especially with regard to how to maintain the qualities of extremely low differential reflectivity (ZDR) errors and azimuth scan invariance inherent to dish radars without sacrificing sensitivity. Because these features are of primary importance in weather radar missions, the primary research goal is to perform measurements of the atmosphere for the first time with a cylindrical polarimetric phased array in order to demonstrate the expected advantages. This goal constrains the minimum dimensions and sensitivity of the radar far beyond what can be reasonably attained with commercial off-the-shelf components, requiring all subsystems, software, and calibration methods to be designed from the ground up. In addition to informing the development of multifunction phased arrays, the CPPAR Demonstrator will also serve as a flexible platform for general phased array research and signal processing. System capabilities and the current progress of calibration and weather measurements will be discussed.