Real-time Dual-Doppler Wind Synthesis Applied to the Support of Research using Unmanned Aircraft Systems

This presentation details the development of real-time dual-Doppler analysis capability for the Texas Tech Ka-band radars. This functionality will most immediately benefit ongoing collaborative research between Texas Tech University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Colorado using unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

The dual-Doppler analyses are obtained through a chain of programs called and managed by widgets in an IPython notebook. The widgets have text boxes that allow for user input of the location and heading of each radar, desired center point and spacing of the grid, and buttons that call functions to carry out the objective analysis and dual-Doppler synthesis.

File format conversion (SIGMET to DORADE), pre-processing (clutter mapping, thresholding and despeckling) and objective analysis of radar data occur separately aboard each radar platform. The resultant files are transferred to a common shared folder aboard TTUKa-1, where the dual-Doppler analysis is completed. This output is then transferred to a base station where the data are used in a variety of planning models.

Nominally, the described system will provide a five-vertical level dual-Doppler analysis every 3-4 minutes (counting the time to acquire the radar sweeps), in addition to VAD wind profiles and objectively analyzed reflectivity products. This information will be used for UAS path planning within the planetary boundary layer.