AUTOMATED TOTAL PRECIPITATION GAGE

THE GAUGE DESCRIBED IN THIS PROPOSAL PROVIDES A MEANS OF AUTOMATING THE PROCESS OF COLLECTING AND MEASURING ATMOSPHERIC HYDROMETERS (PRECIPITATION IN EITHER LIQUID OR ICE PHASE WITH THE ABILITY TO OPERATE IN THE HARSH WINTER ENVIRONMENT WITH SNOWDEPTHS EXCEEDING TWENTY FEET). AUTOMATION OF THIS PROCESS INCLUDES: PLACING THE INITIAL ANTIFREEZE CHARGE IN THE CATCH CHAMBER EMPTYING THE GAUGE WHENEVER IT BECOMES FULL RECHARGING THE GAUGE WITH FRESH ANTIFREEZE SOLUTION ACCURATELY MEASURING (WEIGHING) THE GAUGE CONTENTS AND TRANSMITTING THIS MEASUREMENT TO STANDARD DATA COLLECTION PLATFORMS (DCP'S) OR REMOTE TELEMETRY UNITS (RTO'S) ACCOUNTING FOR PRECIPITATION WHICH OCCURS DURING THE DRAIN/RECHARGE CYCLE ADJUSTING THRESHOLD LEVELS TO COMPENSATE FOR EVAPORATION OF GAUGE CONTENTS PROVIDING FOR A THIN LAYER OF OIL TO REMAIN IN THE GAUGE AFTER THE MAIN CONTENTS ARE SIPHONED OUT THEREBY REDUCING EVAPORATION AUTOMATICALLY COMPENSATING FOR TEMPERATURE EFFECTS ON THE LOAD SENSOR BY MEASURING TEMPERATURE ON THE BOARD NEAR THE LOAD SENSOR THEREFORE, THE TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROPOSED RESEARCH IS TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF MODIFYING THE ETI GAUGE TO ACHIEVE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: INVESTIGATING TEMPERATURE EFFECTS ON THE GAUGE LOAD SENSOR OUTPUT AND DETERMINING THE FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING AND APPLYING TEMPERATURE CORRECTION ALGORITHMS BEFORE OUTPUTING DATA IN TBO (TIPPING BUCKET) FORMAT; INVESTIGATING WIND EFFECTS ON GAUGE MEASUREMENTS AND DETERMINING THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING AN IMPROVED SAMPLING SCHEME, PERHAPS INVOLVING A PSEUDO-RANDOM SAMPLING RATE; REDUCTION OF (DATA) PRECIPITATION LOSS DURING DRAIN.