Low-Cost Atmospheric Turbulence Measurement Platform

Current turbulence measurements are limited to pilot reports and measurements along a specific vertical or horizontal trajectory. Aside from the high cost, these methods do not provide information on turbulence patches, their size or persistence. This proposal combines emerging sensor instrumentation with new balloon technology to produce a balloon-borne, low cost Atmospheric Turbulence Measurement Platform. This system can economically facilitate data gathering in the scale of 1 ¿ 50 km, which is important to flight operations as well as numerical weather prediction models. The project objectives include definition of a feasibility study of inferring turbulence from balloon motions and evaluation of different types of balloon construction and sensor combinations. In Phase I, the feasibility study parameters and candidates for balloons and sensors will be identified. In Phase II the study would be completed and a prototype system built. Application for this ATBF would be to current FAA efforts, large disaster models, dispersion and plume studies, and Homeland Security planning efforts.