Government of the United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Commerce

Other

Russell B Chadwick

James R Jordan

Alexander E MacDonald

A system for wind profiling comprises sondes for being borne through the atmosphere by balloons and transmitting signals enabling identifying the sondes, and received by receivers capable of determining the angle of arrival (AOA) of the signals from the sondes, so that they can be tracked. In the preferred embodiment, the signal transmitted by each sonde is a phase-shift-keyed (PSK) signal. The carrier phase difference as measured at two spaced antennas is measured to provide an accurate but ambiguous measure of the difference in distance of the path length between the sonde and receivers, and the symbol phase difference is employed to remove the ambiguity. The difference in path length is then used to determine AOA. Atmospheric data and the sonde identification are encoded using a psuedo-random sequence (PRS) of the PSK symbols.

Atmospheric sondes and method for tracking

This invention discloses a process for generating wind profiler data which is free of fixed ground clutter contamination. The fixed ground clutter contamination is removed based upon the different decorrelation times of noise, clear air signals, and clutter. A nonlinear regression is used estimate the clutter content of the radar return which is then subtracted from the time series. This process is capable of removing broadband clutter from the desired clear air signal even though both may occupy the same Doppler frequency.

Process for generating wind profiler data free of fixed ground clutter

A method and apparatus for producing remote profiling beams pointing altetely to the north, east, west or south by ordered distribution of phase shifts to elements of a square antenna array. Elements within a given group of four array elements share a related group of four phase shift means. Elements in a group trade phase shift means intragroup but there is no intergroup trading. The arrangement permits four-beam capability without unduly increasing the cost or complexity of the radar assembly over prior art assemblies. Also disclosed is a system for 'tipping' the array either virtually or physically to obtain a vertical beam.

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Boulder, CO, United States of America

Russell B Chadwick