VALIDITY OF DETAILED BALLOON SOUNDINGS IN BOOSTER VEHICLE DESIGN,

Abstract

Two balloon/range radar systems capable of obtaining detailed wind profiles are evaluated from the viewpoint of structural design requirements for launch vehicles and missiles. The aerodynamic and dynamic response characteristics of Rose and Jimsphere balloons to sinusoidal and constant gradient wind fields are determined to define their limitations as wind sensors. Sources and extent of the major measurement errors due to the radar operation, including atmospheric conditions and the balloon trajectories and surface conditions, are discussed and estimated. Two previously proposed and applied techniques for reducing noisy balloon position coordinate data into wind profiles are critically reviewed and compared. Selected wind profiles, from some recent soundings analyzed by the University of Dayton Research Institute, were examined to substantiate some of the anticipated results from Rose and Jimsphere systems. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1968
Accession Number
AD0680418

Entities

People

  • Garabed Zartarian
  • John H. Thompson

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Dynamic Response
  • Launch Vehicles
  • Measurement
  • Radar
  • Surface Properties
  • Vehicle Design
  • Vehicles

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Aerospace Test and Evaluation
  • Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
  • Systems Analysis and Design