Marine Atmospheric Radar for Boundary Layer Estimation (MARBLE)

Development of a low-cost marine atmospheric boundary layer measurement system which could serve as a core element of a buoy-based data collection network for the offshore renewable energy industry is needed.A commercially viable, buoy-based remote sensing technology for boundary layer characterization for offshore wind applications is needed.Key requirements are that measurements must support profiles of wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, and atmospheric stability up to heights of 200m, with data sampling and communication rates appropriate for advanced rapid refresh weather modeling.The sensor package size, weight and power consumption should be suitable for deployment on existing met-ocean buoy platforms and should serve as a lowercost alternative to existing measurement technologies.The objective is to complete development, test, and validation of a low cost, low power marine atmospheric boundary layer radar measurement system which can serve as a core element of a buoy-based data collection network for the offshore renewable energy industry.The heart of our proposed atmospheric measurement system is a compact wind profiling radar instrument that provides buoy-based atmospheric characterization for offshore wind applications, including profiles of wind speed and direction to heights of over 300m and communication rates appropriate for advanced rapid refresh weather modeling.The atmospheric measurement package size, weight, and power consumption are suitable for deployment on existing met-ocean buoy platforms.The work plan encompasses the following tasks: (1) Complete the development, implementation, integration, and test of the gimbal stabilization subsystem; (2) Test and verify radar performance in an on-shore marine environment; (3) Test and verify wind profiling processing algorithms using in-situ fixed platform based test facilities in a marine environment; (4) Test, and verify radar performance on a Government provided buoy; and (5) Develop a technology transfer plan.The complex interactions of the boundary layer with the Earth’s surface tend to make this layer of the atmosphere highly variable in time and spatially inhomogeneous.Diagnostic and prognostic equations conventionally used in the lower free atmosphere are difficult to apply, making the need for measurements all the more necessary.Application of the technology to be developed promises to provide a lower-cost, more complete alternative to existing measurement technologies leading to significant cost savings in the offshore wind farm industry.