MAS Bulletin. French SODAR's (Sound Detection and Ranging)
Abstract
REMTECH, a French firm, is one of the world's leading manufacturers of Doppler SODAR systems. These systems measure a vertical profile of wind speed, direction, thermal stratification and turbulence parameters from 40 meters to 1000 meters or more above the ground. SODAR systems are ideally suited for airport safety (wind shear detection), for pollution control and forecast, site surveys (powerplants) and the study of telecommunication network disturbances due to atmospheric conditions. Military applications also include programs for weapons development, parachuting, carrier landings and flight tests in general. The three-dimensional monostatic Doppler SODAR system basically consists of three co-located antennas with high-power sound drivers. Two of the antennas, which are tilted 18 degrees from vertical and turned 90 degrees from each other, provide the horizontal information. The third antenna, pointed vertically, provides the vertical information. Each antenna is operated in a sequence and at a rate completely controlled by the software program of the system, which may be changed through keyboard input. The standard electronic complement of the system includes a power amplifier, a transceiver, hard-disk and floppy-disk recorders, a printer or CRT, and the terminal with keyboard-all controlled by a DEC PDP 11-53 microcomputer.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 03, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA270689
Entities
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research