Pigeon - An Urban Atmospheric LiDAR

Urban atmospheres need altitude resolved information about aerosols and winds. Measurements of these parameters in urban settings is difficult due to how quickly winds and aerosols change in space in time in congested urban settings. To enable measurements of winds and aerosols in urban atmospheres Michigan Aerospace Corporation is proposing a Phase I effort to develop and test an atmospheric Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) optimized for measurements in the urban air boundary layer. The LiDAR instrument to be proposed will make range resolved measurements of horizontal and vertical winds at fine spatial and temporal resolution to capture dynamic eddy features prevalent in congested urban settings. The instrument will be designed to track aerosol motion from near the ground up to the top of the boundary layer with estimates of boundary layer height provided. The system will be designed for unattended operation in urban settings and will be comprised mainly of Commercial of the Shelf (COTS) components to improve instrument reliability in harsh urban settings and manage sensor costs. The proposed instrument will be a benefit not only to urban atmospheric science but also to the recently surging commercial opportunity of urban air mobility. Urban air traffic will need timely and local information about atmospheric conditions to ensure the safety of passengers and urban citizens which the LiDAR technology will be capable of providing. Flight planning and regulatory compliance will also benefit from the currently unavailable high resolution urban wind profile. Phase I effort will build a LiDAR system model and a breadboard level prototype for concept validation. Preliminary feasibility studies include characterizing the stability of the optical system, the accuracy of the wind measurement, and the limit of detection of aerosol measurements. Phase II effort will ruggedize the Phase I prototype, add additional aerosol parameter measurements (size, shape, distribution), and focus on long-term deployments in urban settings.