PROPOSAL NUMBER: | 04 T4.01-9837 |
RESEARCH SUBTOPIC TITLE: | Earth Science Sensors and Instruments |
PROPOSAL TITLE: | A Revolutionary Wind and Precipitation Scanning Radar for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles |
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (SBC) | RESEARCH INSTITUTION (RI) | ||
NAME: | Remote Sensing Solutions, Inc. | NAME: | University Of Massachusetts |
ADDRESS: | P.O. Box 1092 | ADDRESS: | Knowles Eng Bldg |
CITY: | Barnstable | CITY: | Amherst |
STATE/ZIP: | MA02630-0001 | STATE/ZIP: | MA01003-0001 |
PHONE: | (508)362-9400 | PHONE: | (413)545-0779 |
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER
(Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
James Canniff
canniff@rmss.us
P.O. Box 1092
Barnstable, MA 02630-0001
(508)362-9400
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The technical objectives for the proposed Phase I study are:
1.Develop a compact, dual-wavelength antenna system capable of electronically scanning or producing multi-beams at different incidence angles, conical scanning and generating matched beams at both wavelengths.
2.Determine the optimal frequencies for the dual-wavelength operation that balances resolution, sensitivity, atmospheric attenuation, sea clutter contamination, size and weight. This will include conducting a brief literature review to select a model or develop a model for simulating the radar response to precipitation as a function of frequency and for a range of precipitation rates. Simulation will likely be based on Mie/Rayleigh scattering and attenuation models using a Gamma drop-size distribution shape.
3.Develop a compact, power efficient dual-frequency transceiver design that is based on surface mount RF components and low-noise monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) receivers. While custom MMICSs are available from several vendors, RSS and UMass will develop the low frequency RF and digital circuit board designs.
4.Investigate and develop compact, low-voltage power amplifier designs to produce high average power linear transmit signals. Design will need to operate unpressurized at the high altitudes typical of the Global Hawk UAV and similar aircraft.
5.Develop advance remote sensing algorithms to interpret the unique sampled data from the proposed instrument and retrieve high resolution maps the ABL winds, precipitation and ocean surface winds within tropical cyclones.
POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 100 WORDS)
The innovations and designs of the proposed phase I effort will enable the construction of a full prototype, a Wind and Precipitation Scanning Radar for UAV deployment, in a phase II. The designs for, and data collected on, the antenna, transceiver, amplifier and procesosr will be essential to reduce the risk and ensure the success of this phase II effort. This novel sensor network can then be used in NASA research programs aimed to support the NASA TRMM and GPM missions and other precipitation focused programs such as the NASA CAMEX efforts.
POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 100 WORDS)
None