TAMDAR

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TAMDAR Sensor and System
ATReC/AIRS-II Campaign Data Review April 22,
2004
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TAMDAR overview

• Multi-function airborne sensor
• Aircraft meteorological data collection and
  reporting in the lower troposphere
• Improved spatial and temporal data collection vs.
  existing systems
• Richer atmospheric data sets than currently
  available

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The TAMDAR sensor

• Detects and determines
• Ice presence
• Median and peak turbulence
• Static pressure and pressure altitude
• Air temperature (Mach corrected)
• Relative humidity
• Indicated and true airspeed
• Winds aloft
• Built-in GPS

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TAMDAR overview

• Data communication requirements
• Complete coverage (global)
• Minimal latency
• Affordability (hardware and bandwidth)
• Reliability / stability

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TAMDAR airborne equipment
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The TAMDAR system
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Aircraft datalink capabilities

• Iridium Satellite selected (AirDat is a VAR)
• Four-way cross-linked satellites provide total
  coverage of the Earth and minimal latency
• Satellites relay messages and need not be in same
  footprint as the gateway

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Network architecture

AirDat Network Architecture
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Aircraft datalink capabilities
Message Latency
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TAMDAR installations
NOAA P3
UND Citation
NRL Twin Otter
UND Seminole
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TAMDAR probe on Saab 340
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UND Citation II

• First fully-integrated TAMDAR system
• Sensor, SPU, transceiver, etc.
• Installed early November 2003 for participation
  in THORpex

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TAMDAR data / THORpex

• Three data websites set up to support the THORpex
  experiment
• Map display
• http//thorpex.airdat.com
• Table viewer
• http//thorpex.airdat.com/viewer
• Data FTP site
• http//thorpex.airdat.com/output-files/
• These URLs were forwarded to THORpex participants
  shortly after flights began

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THORpex map viewer
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THORpex map viewer
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THORpex map viewer
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THORpex map viewer
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THORpex map viewer
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THORpex table viewer
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THORpex FTP site
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TAMDAR next steps

• Great Lakes Flight Experiment
• Late summer 2004
• 60 Saab 340 turboprops operated by Mesaba
• 412 daily flights to 75 airports
• We anticipate collecting approximately 25,000
  TAMDAR data sets daily
• This data will be made available through an open
  website