This SODAR/RASS System (shown in the picture below) is virtually new having spent only four months in the field during the 2002-2003 America's Cup season.
The particular system setup being leased here is unique in its ability to operate off of either AC power or solar supply, in addition to having its own backup generator.
This means that it can be used virtually anywhere in the world.
We are looking to lease the system for a minimum of one year.
52 high compression drivers at an operating frequency of 1KHz
Electronic case with sodar transceiver
Power amplifier
IBM-compatible notebook
100m mu-metal shielded cable
Printer and antenna heater
Two 2m RASS parabolic dishes
Dedicated outdoor HF transceiver
One set of two telephone modems
Cable extension to 100m
SOFTWARE:
color display for wind vector profiles
color display for multi-level time series
6dB improvement of signal processing (four-fold incrrease in power output)
extended frequency coding (signal processing improvement of up to 10dB)
σu, σv, σw computation
More Images:
How the SODAR/RASS System Works:
The SODAR processes the echo of an acoustic pulse which is directed into the atmosphere. The frequency shift of the echo varies according to the wind speed while the echo intensity varies according to thermal turbulence and structure. The RASS radar uses both acoustic and electromagnetic technology to provide a real time temperature profile.
The PA5 SODAR antenna consists of 52 elements and is 1.8m x 1.8m in size. It is capable of reaching up to 5000m. The two RASS dishes are each 2m across and 5m apart.
The system has the capability of measuring 3-D winds for up to 300 layers. The maximum range of the system is based on 70% RH, 15ºC temp and 40dBa. The lowest layer is 50m.
SODAR/RASS Features:
SODAR is suitable for a variety of meteorological monitoring applications, several of
these are listed below:
Pollution dispersion and transport analysis
Power plant (or other industrial) siting + wind energy site assessment
Mountain valley flows, diffusion in complex terrain and coastal effects
Nocturnal inversion formation and decay
Wind shear and boundary layer research
Toxic spills
Thunderstorm outflows and clear air turbulence
The RASS component is an added enhancement feature and because it is able to
give continuous profiles of temperature it is especially useful for:
Measuring inversions responsible for trapping pollutants
Detecting inversion layers that cause acoustic ducting
Improving real-time fog forecasting capabilities
Modeling atmospheric conditions affecting radio freq. radar and microwave
Providing a better understanding of noise propagation
For questions or comments, please contact asg@trcsolutions.com.
~ Last updated: January 16, 2007 ~
