SFMR operations on the WC130J during the 2009 Hurricane Season

2009 SFMR system performance

• Two issues affected system performance/accuracy during the 2009 Season– Water intrusion into the radome area (major

issue)• Fixed Sep 09

– Lack of working interference rejection algorithm (minor issue)• Fixed late Nov 09


• Water intrusion– Anomaly first noticed on 0408E Felicia mission– Affected nearly 50% of missions flown during

season– Cause was retrofit of new SFMR antenna– Fix was fairly simple– Determining what was happening was not simple


Old antenna New Antenna


Drain Holes


• In heavy rain situations, water would enter the rear drain holes and flow on the inside top of the antenna


14:00:04 14:06:09 14:12:13 14:18:16 14:24:20 14:30:23 14:36:28 14:42:32 14:48:38 14:54:44 15:00:49 15:06:52 15:12:56 15:19:01 15:25:040

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Hurricane Jimena 1 Sep 09

4.74 5.31 5.57 6.02 6.69 7.09 RMS

Title

Title

Title

Water intrusion

Example of water leakage into radome area


15:30:04 15:37:19 15:44:34 15:51:49 15:59:06 16:06:21 16:13:36 16:20:51 16:28:07 16:35:22 16:42:36 16:49:51 16:57:080

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Hurricane Jimena, 1 Sep 09 US010

4.74 5.31 5.57 6.02 6.69 7.09 RMS

Title

Title

Title

Additional water intrusion

Example of water leakage into radome area


• Fix was to seal the antenna drain holes• All instruments sealed late Sep 09• Excellent results in Hurricane IDA (Nov)


4:47:364:55:585:04:215:12:435:21:075:29:305:37:525:46:165:54:386:03:016:11:236:19:476:28:096:36:316:44:540

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0311A IDA US010

Series1 Series2 Series3 Series4 Series5 Series6 RMS

Title

Title

Title

Example of no water intrusion


18:52:2919:02:3819:12:4819:23:0019:33:1019:43:2119:53:3120:03:4120:13:5220:24:0220:34:1220:44:2320:54:330

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0111A IDA US012

Series1 Series2 Series3 Series4 Series5 Series6 RMS

Title

Title

Title

Example of no water intrusion


• 70% of the missions with a large rain profile had water intrusion problems– 50% of Bill missions, Claudette, Jimena and one Rick mission

• After occurrence, calculated winds were too high– Data inconsistent, led to frustrated operators and forecasters

• Calculated winds up to first fix were nearly always correct. Calculated winds after first fix were generally good in the eye wall/high wind/rain but bad in light wind areas.

• In some cases it did not occur. (Don’t know why)• Only clue operators had was indication of higher RMS error and non

verifying visual estimates. (Sometimes impossible on night missions)

• Antenna areas sealed late Sep 09. No occurrences since that time.


• Other enhancements for 2010 season– Processor Software update V1.15

• Installed Nov 09• Includes working rejection algorithm

– Operator Software visual application enhancement Nov 09• Enhanced visual que’s to equipment operation• Enhanced data download utility

• ProSensing/AFRC/NOAA AOC working to reduce differences in Platform SFMR calculations WC-103J VS P-3

SFMR operations on the WC130J during the 2009 Hurricane Season

Documents

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