HR: 10:50h
AN: A52C-02    [Abstracts]
TI: New Miniaturized Cloud Microphysical Instrumentation for Small UAV's
AU: O'Connor, D
EM: darren@specinc.com
AF: SPEC Inc., 3022 Sterling Circle, Boulder, CO 80301, United States
AU: * Lawson, P
EM: plawson@specinc.com
AF: SPEC Inc., 3022 Sterling Circle, Boulder, CO 80301, United States
AU: Zmarzly, P
EM: pzmarzly@specinc.com
AF: SPEC Inc., 3022 Sterling Circle, Boulder, CO 80301, United States
AU: Evans, F
EM: evans@nit.colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado, Dept. of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Boulder, CO 80309, United States
AB: A new micro-sensor and data acquisition system that measures the cloud particle size distribution from 1 to 50 microns and records high-resolution (2.3 micron pixel) digital images of cloud particles has been developed. The new sensor, called a micro-CPI (cloud particle imager) weighs less than 2 kg and consumes about 10 W of electrical power. A single-board Linux processor controls a large field programmable gate array (FPGA) and stores data on a flash disk. A forward scattering optical system that sizes particles from 1 to 50 microns is also part of the particle detection system used to pulse the high-power imaging laser diode. Test flights on an Aerosonde UAV are scheduled for the spring of 2008. A new miniaturized version of a dual-wavelength in situ lidar (ISL) is also being developed for application on small UAV's. The micro-ISL pulses two high-power laser diodes, one at a wavelength that is non-absorbing and a second at a wavelength that is slightly absorbing in water clouds. The time of flight of multiply-scattered photons is measured by off-axis photo detectors. The micro-ISL measures the volumetric extinction, liquid water content and effective drop radius of water clouds within several tens of meters around the UAV. The micro-ISL is based on a principle that has been successfully documented using a large, high-power Nd:YAG laser on a Learjet.
UR: http://www.specinc.com
DE: 0320 Cloud physics and chemistry
DE: 0360 Radiation: transmission and scattering
DE: 0394 Instruments and techniques
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting