Off the grid X-band radar node development for weather applications

The Student Led Test Bed (STB) is part of the NSF Engineering Research Center CASA and is currently focused on developing low infrastructure radar networks to fill lower atmosphere gaps not covered by current technology. A low infrastructure radar network could significantly improve the time and spatial resolution of radar data for the lower atmosphere. There is a concern among National Weather Service (NWS) officers and emergency management people regarding the need for more accurate weather radar data to improve forecasts in some regions of Puerto Rico, more specifically in the western region. The low infrastructure radar and this network is being developed to address this particular concern. The network will consist of four radars nodes in which the location of each node will be strategically selected to cover the desired area. This thesis describes the development of the first node that requires no energy from the power grid, so it is then known as Off The Grid (OTG) X-band radar. The OTG radar was developed from commercially available marine radar. In addition to modifying the hardware to serve meteorological purposes, a photovoltaic system fitted to power the radar using solar energy. The system underwent internal calibration and a cross calibration. The UPRM OTG node was taken to the Colorado State University CHILL (CSU-CHILL) National Weather Radar facility for the cross calibration with the CSU-CHILL radar. Satisfactory results were obtained demonstrating that the OTG node can measure precipitation with the resolution required to meet lower troposphere measurement needs. Afterwards the OTG node was brought back to Puerto Rico and deployed in Mayaguez, where precipitation measurements were made to complement measurements taken with the NWS NEXRAD radar. This OTG node is the first in the upcoming low infrastructure X-band weather radar network that will operate without a power grid to aid in forecasts for the western region of Puerto Rico.