Local-Rapid Evaluation of Atmospheric Conditions (L-REAC) System: Design and Development-Volume 6 (Original vs LR-x System Comparison)
Abstract
Protecting civilian and military personnel caught in airborne hazard scenarios is the underlying purpose of the two systems examined in this report: the Local-Rapid Evaluation of Atmospheric Conditions (L-REAC) System, invented by the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory, and the LR-x, the evolving Diamond B Technology Solutions (DBTS) equivalent. The systems' provision of timely and relevant wind and plume fields was key to this L-REAC vs LR-x Systems Comparison Study. Calibrating the DBTS product against the original technology was the objective of this study. Two neutral reviewers were introduced to the systems and asked to glean qualitative and quantitative comparison data. System subject matter experts were available for guidance and clarification. The final qualitative comparison showed that the evaluated present-day systems have a slightly higher percentage of features that are the same or equivalent than different. The quantitative comparison focused on the meteorological data used as wind and plume model input, which in turn produces end user displays for first responders. The presumption was that a model is only as good as the data ingested. The quantitative comparison found good agreement between all but two variables. The LR-x pressure variable consistently reported a sea-level magnitude. An analysis suggested that the mismatch may be a function of the test sites security-required location-identification function blockage. The second irregularity was the diametrically different wind directions acquired by the systems during locally severe weather conditions. After review, it was determined that were the LR-x incident-specific measured weather capabilities included in the test (vs model only), this latter anomaly would not have been observed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1096145
Entities
People
- Gail Tirrell Vaucher
- Marcus Mitchell
- Whitney Hicklin
Organizations
- United States Army Research Laboratory