From a Real PencilFrom a Real Pencilto a Synthetic Broom:to a Synthetic Broom:

The Past, Present and Future of HIRADThe Past, Present and Future of HIRADChris Ruf

Space Physics Research LaboratoryAOSS Dept.

University of Michigan

and a large team of collaborators at NASA Marshall, the University of Central Florida,

the University of Michigan, and the NOAA Hurricane Research Division

IGARSS 2010Honolulu, HI USA

26-30 July 2010

Univ. of Michigan

Univ. of Alabama/Huntsville

Univ. of Central Florida

NASA

NOAA

The Prehistoric PastThe Prehistoric Past

The Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR)

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 3

NOAA Hurricane Research Division NOAA Hurricane Research Division Stepped Frequency Microwave RadiometerStepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer

Horn Antenna SFMR electronics

SFMR wing pod

SFMR on NOAA WP3D Aircraft

Wide band (4.6 - 7.2 GHz) receiver

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 4

Brightness Temperature Spectra for SFMR Hurricane Katrina Overpass

Freq

Tapp

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 5

Retrieved Wind Speed & Rain Ratefor SFMR Katrina Overpass

Wind Speed

Rain Rate

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 6

Jones et al., Science, vol. 214, 1981.

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 7

Jones et al., Science, vol. 214, 1981.

The Recent PastThe Recent Past

Birth of the HIRAD Project

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 9

Timeline for the Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD)

• Phase 1 (2001) NASA Langley IRAD project “Design Study of a Synthetic Thinned Aperture Radiometer for Hurricane Impact Prediction”– NASA Project Manager: Jimmy Johnson

– Science Lead Investigator: Linwood Jones

Jones, W.L., J. Zec, J.W. Johnson, C. S. Ruf and M.C. Bailey, “A Feasibility Study for a Wide-Swath, High Resolution, Airborne Microwave Radiometer for Operational Hurricane Measurements,” Proc. of the 56th Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference, New Orleans, LA, 2002.

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 10

Timeline for the Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD)

• Phase 2 (2003) NASA Langley IRAD project develops multi-frequency stacked patch microstrip array– NASA Project Manager: Jimmy Johnson

– Science Lead Investigator: Linwood Jones

– Antenna Design Engineer: M.C. Bailey

Jones, W.L., J.W. Johnson, C. S. Ruf and M.C. Bailey, “Hurricane Imaging Microwave Radiometer for Operational Satellite Hurricane Measurements,” presented at 58th Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference, Charleston, SC, 2004.

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 11

Timeline for the Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD)

• Phase 3 (2006) NASA Marshall/UAH IRAD project begins airborne HIRAD development– NASA Project Lead: Robbie Hood

– HIRAD liaison to NASA: Linwood Jones

• Phase 4 (2008) NOAA SBIR develops multi-frequency correlating receivers for airborne HIRAD– Receiver Supplier: ProSensing, Inc.(also SFMR supplier)

– HIRAD liaison to NOAA: Linwood Jones

• Phase 5 (2010) Aircraft I&T and test flights• Phase 6 (2010 – …) Science campaigns

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 12

Interferometer as Spatial Frequency Filter

Fourier Synthesis Synthetic Aperture Fourier Synthesis Synthetic Aperture Measurement ConceptMeasurement Concept

2*

1 SS

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 13

HIRAD Instrument Design Summary

• Antenna – Multi-resonant planar microstrip patch array

• Receivers– Correlating interferometer pairs with stepped frequency LO

heritage from SFMR

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 14

HIRAD Planar Antenna Array

• 10 active rows of 16-element multi-resonant patch antennas

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 15

HIRAD Functional Block Diagram

The PresentThe Present

HIRAD System Integration and Test

and

First Engineering Test Flights

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 17

Interference Pattern Measurementsto Derive Imaging Impulse Response

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 18

April 2010 Anechoic Chamber Results

5 GHz Element and Interference Patterns

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 19

5 GHz Synthesized Antenna Patternsat -60 deg, nadir, +60 deg

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 20

Nadir Mainbeams of all 4 Synthesized Antenna Patterns

nadir HPBW4 GHz 3.2 deg5 GHz 2.6 deg6 GHz 2.4 deg6.6 GHz 2.3 deg

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 21

HIRAD Integration on WB-57 March 2010

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 22

HIRAD WB-57 flights on 9 and 11 Mar 2010

11 Mar flight

9 Mar flight

First look

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 23

9 Mar 2010 HIRAD WB-57 flightTB @ 5 GHz during coastal crossing

flight line

The FutureThe Future

HIRAD participation inGenesis and Rapid Intensification Process (GRIP)

(Fall 2010)and

Airborne Venture-class mission “Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel”, Scott Braun (PI)

(2011-2016)

27 July '10 Ruf, HIRAD Past, Present, Future; IGARSS 2010 pg 25

The moral of the story is…

“Patience, perseverance

and knowing the right people

make projects happen”

Thanks, Linwood!