High-Performance Atmospheric Measurement System Using Kites and Blimps

The study of atmospheric turbulence and wind structure presents unique demands not currently met by commercially available atmospheric measurement systems. Remote sensors suffer from poor spatial resolution and often imprecise calibrations. In-situsensors are either mounted on towers, which do not reach altitudes of interest, or on aircraft, which introduce a variety of artifacts into the data. Kites and blimps fill a niche between these existing platforms by providing a quiet platform from whichto make measurements from the surface up to the free troposphere. The development of kites and blimps for atmospheric research requires the development of the profiling system itself and sensors suited to making measurements from these unique platforms. QEI Technologies proposes to develop a portable,profiling system that will use a combination of high-performance kites and blimps to carry sensors through the boundary layer and into the free troposphere. An associated measurement package will be developed that provides three-dimensional wind data andinterfaces to additional sensors. Phase I work will focus on the measurement package. Phase II work will see final refinement of the measurement package, the integration of this package with the profiling system, and extensive field tests of the combined system.The kite/blimp profiling system and associated wind measurement system will be useful to numerous government agencies and universities engaged in studies of fundamental wind and turbulence behavior, flux measurements, and transport and diffusion phenomena.