NSF Facilities, Capabilities, and
Plans: CSU-CHILL National
Radar Facility
Prof. Steven Rutledge
Department of Atmospheric Science
Colorado State University
www.chill.colostate.edu
CSU-CHILL Team
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S. Rutledge, Scientific Director and PI
V. N. Bringi, Co-PI
V. Chandra, Co-PI
Pat Kennedy, Facility Manager
Dave Brunkow, Senior Engineer
Bob Bowie, Master Technician
Jim George, M.S. student/engineer
Overview of the CSU-CHILL Radar Facility
Supported by the NSF and CSU since 1990
CSU-CHILL Technical Characteristics
• 11 cm wavelength (S-Band)
• Dual polarization 1o beamwidth antenna with
interactive scan control
• Separate H and V Klystron transmitters
• Each transmitter has individual digital controller,
drive pulse coding, etc.
• Separate H and V digital receivers
• Flexible signal processor programming
CSU PAWNEE
40 km to north of
CHILL
Formerly the HOT at
ISWS
Dual-Doppler
Conventional,
Doppler radar
300 kW, 1.5 degree
beamwidth
Data available in
real time at CHILL
and on network
CHILL-Pawnee Project Support
• NSF funded projects at Greeley or remote
deployments (STEPS 2000), reviewed by NSF and
OFAP process (1-2 per year)
• 20-hour projects, support provided by Facility,
projects at home base (4-5 per year)
• Requests forms available at
www.chill.colostate.edu
• Significant in-house research, radar meteorology
and radar engineering activities
• Questions: Pat Kennedy 970 491 6248
(pat@lab.chill.colostate.edu)
CSU-CHILL Radar Subsystems
Remote Display
Dual Independent
Transmitters
Programmable
Transmit
Controller
Firewall
Antenna
Controller
Disk Storage
Dual
Receivers
Legend:
Existing Hardware
Updated Hardware
Digitizers
System
Controller
Time-series
Server
Signal Processor
Local Display/Monitoring
The VCHILL Concept
Klystron
Power
Amplifiers
Digital
Transmitter
Control
Signal
Processor
Classrooms
Archiver
CHILL
Network
Gateway
The
Internet
Home Users
Displays
Receiver
Front End
Digital
Receiver
Radar
Controller
Presentations
CSU-CHILL Radar Site
Schools
VCHILL Users
VCHILL Technology
• In-class tours of the radar site
– Polycom H.323 video-conferencing
– VCHILL realtime streaming data from the radar,
viewed through Java VCHILL client
– Browsing offline data through Java VCHILL
Greeley, CO
Video
Radar Servers
Video Conference
Google Earth
The
Internet
Java VCHILL
VCHILL End Users
Student Visits and Projects
NSF-sponsored visits
REU Students visit CHILL
• NSF-sponsored student visits from Junior High students
• Research Experience for Undergraduates
– 10 week projects for undergraduates, using the CHILL facilities and
data
Student Project Activities
• Student Projects are actively encouraged
• Once completed, they become part of the facility
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Digital Transmitter/Receiver (J. George)
Pulse Compression (A. Mudukutore)
Radar Calibration (K. Gojara, D. Khanjonrat)
Phase Coding (N. Bharadwaj)
Multiple Radar Realtime Analysis (B. Dolan)
Hydrometeor Classification (S. Lim)
Power Transfer System (Undergraduate Project)
Hail Detection (T. Depue)
CASA Radar System Validation
• The CASA Prototype
radar was validated
against the CHILL radar
CASA Prototype Radar
at the CSU-CHILL Site
CHILL Observation
CASA Observation
Example data:
Pulse-type
severe
thunderstorm:
29 June 2007
Data Collected in 20 December 2006 Blizzard
KDEN closed around 2137 UTC
New CSU-CHILL antenna, offset feed
Development of a
dual-wavelength
system, S- and Xband, 0.25 degree
beamwidth at X-band.
High resolution rainfall
mapping, microphysics
-35 db x-pol isolation demonstrated
Pouring
new
radome
foundation:
6 July 2007
New
foundation
elements:
Antenna
pedestal
base and
radome
attachment
ring
CSU-NCAR Multi-function
Observational Research Facility
…….early in the process
NSF-funded S-band radar facilities
CSU-CHILL; supports NSF funded projects, strong role in education; develops
advanced polarimetric measurement techniques and other algorithms; routinely
collects data at home base
NCAR S-pol, supports national/international projects, supports NEXRAD program
NSF has encouraged a new vision for these facilities
Better serve the needs of the community for the future—10 year vision
Highlights
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Create a multifunctional radar observatory along the Front Range supporting
scientific data collection, education and technology advancement---a community
asset!
Location favorable for a variety of weather phenomena
Observatory would initially consist of CSU-CHILL, CSU-PAWNEE and NCAR S-pol
radars (S-pol operational in the network when not remotely deployed)
S-pol would continue to be deployed for remote operations; maintain CHILL in a
transportable configuration
Supplemented by KCYS and KFTG NEXRAD systems
Technological advancement: Phase 1 would focus on MORF development and dualwavelength development and applications
Technological advancement: Phase 2 would include other sensors such as network
lidars, radiometers, profilers, shorter wavelength radars (e.g. CAPRIS, HIAPER CR)
Provide for target of opportunity data collection in a wide variety of weather situations
following the CSU-CHILL philosophy
Network to support high resolution numerical model simulations and data assimilation
studies
Aspects of the MORF
• Integrate engineering, technical and scientific oversight
activities, foster full exchange of engineering
developments (e.g., current CHILL antenna on S-pol)
• Move towards common engineering systems, display
systems, signal processing systems, data
stream/format/archival/analysis activities, cross-training of
staff
• MORF would serve as a magnet for various observational
and modeling (data assimilation) projects
• Broad student opportunities, including graduate and
undergraduate, engineering and science
Possible
experimental
design
Supplement
with other
instruments
and networks,
for example,
a 3-D Lightning
Mapping Array
Would be a “magnet”
for a wide variety
of field projects
Intelligent networking
following CASA ideas
S-pol operated
“remotely”