Techniques for Detection and Tracking Airplanes using weather radar

1
OKLAHOMA

school of electrical and computer engineering
The university of

National Severe Storms Laboratory


Cooperative Institute
for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies
Techniques for Detection and Tracking Airplanes
Using WSR-88D Svetlana Bachmann, Dusan Zrnic,
National Severe Storm Laboratory, NOAA, Norman,
OK Victor DeBrunner, Mark Yeary, School of
Electrical and Computer Engineering, The
University of Oklahoma, Norman,
OK svetlana.bachmann_at_noaa.gov, vdebrunn_at_ou.edu,
myeary_at_ou.edu, dusan.zrnic_at_noaa.gov
airplane-1 spectra
abstract
airplane-2 spectra
tracking
Trajectory
weighted with the Hanning window
weighted with the Hanning window
Z, dB
V, m s-1
For the first time, weather radar echoes from
point scatterers (airplanes) in a non-stormy
environment are investigated in the time and
frequency domains and compared to model
simulations to build a background for
differentiating these echoes from weather signals
and to develop procedures for data censoring.
5 km


10 km
Power (dB)
Power (dB)
15 km
170?
180?
toward, 40 m s1
Airplane-1 cut 13 away, 24 m s1
airplane in front of behind clear-air
1 at 15 km 262 m, at 9 km 157 m
Airplane-2 cut 13 toward, 13 m s1
Velocity (m s1)
Velocity (m s1)
cross section
motivation
model

• ? The NWS network of WSR-88D covers the entire US
• WSR-88D operate continuously
• ? Awareness about security
• can weather radar detect and track
  non-cooperative targets, e.g. airplanes ?

distributed scatterers
point scatterers
1000..5000 rpm vd 40..55 m s-1 A, B, C

• Speed of flight
• Moving parts propeller (rpm), etc.
• Turbulence
• Position in the resolution volume

6
radar set up
K2 0.93 t 1.57 ms q1 0.95p/180 rad l
0.1 m
? Aircraft can be tracked with weather radar ?
Aircraft has signature in Doppler spectrum
Doppler spectra corresponds to the physical
characteristics of the craft replicated
spectral characteristics of Cessna 188 Ag
Wagon. ? Categories of Airplanes could be
distinguished
simulation

• KOUN WSR-88D
• RF 2705 MHz
• Pt 750 kW
• Parabolic, d 8.5 m
• Beam-width 0.95
• Short/long pulse
• H, H/V polarization
• 381.3 m ASL

weighted with the Hanning window
altitude
9
Power (dB)
363 m
Time series data collected by KOUN for Homeland
Defense Radar Test on March 26 2003
Velocity (m s-1)
2400 rpm, v 41 m s 1 A 2, B .5, C 248