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Wind Study and Gps Dropsonde Applicability to Airdrop Testing

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Wind Study and Gps Dropsonde Applicability to Airdrop Testing (c)2001 American Institut Aeronauticf eo Astronautics& r Publisheso d with Permissio Author(sf no ) and/or Author(s)' Sponsoring Organization. 16th AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator A01-29297 Systems Technology Conference and Seminar AIAA 2001-2022 Ma4 2 y 1- 2001 Boston, MA WIND STUDY AND GPS DROPSONDE APPLICABILITY TO AIRDROP TESTING Katherine Kell Brooksid yan e Pena Test Directors, U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground Aviatio Airdrod nan p Systems Division, ATTN: CSTE-DTC-YP-MT-EA Yuma 85365-911Z A , 0 Abstract record of the weather at YPG, year-round. For airdrop tests determino t , e airdrop releas epostr pointfo -d an s Wind measurement accurac bees yha n demonstrateo dt processing wind-corrected data, RAWIN balloons are be a significant factor in airdrop accuracy. The U.S. launche t approximatela d y 1-hour intervals neae th r Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) has undertaken a release time in the vicinity of the Drop Zone (DZ). study to better understand the behavior of winds both Throughou histore th t f airdroyo p testing s beeha nt i , ove widra e geographic areoved aan r time additionn I . , shown that the RAWIN data, as collected, are multiple system r measurinfo s d modelinan g g winds insufficient for flight dynamic evaluations. Therefore, have been evaluated. This paper addressee th s an alternative method for estimating winds is being following three areas ) documentatio(1 : e datth a f o n implemented. This technique involves dropping a collection and processing methods currently being used calibrated system along with the test items instrumented at YPG, (2) comparison of the performance of the wind to measure winds. This study documents the current estimatio ) assessmenn t YPG(3 a system d e an ,us n i st method r winfo s d measuremen evaluated an t s eacf ho of the effectiveness of the Global Positioning System these systems. (GPS) Dropsonde technique r winfo s d estimatiod nan post-processing of airdrop data in support of airdrop System Description testing. Specifically, the paper assesses the ability of the GPS dropsonde techniques to sufficiently estimate One of the objectives of this paper is to document the true wind velocit r airdroyfo p testing evaluatioe Th . n methods currently utilized for atmospheric data of the applicability of GPS-based dropsondes has estimation at YPG. This effort has focused on two involved addressing the following issues: (1) impact of methods user winfo d d estimatio o t includn e th e e descendropsondS th GP e t th rat ef o esystee th n mo LORAN based RAWIN balloons and GPS equipped wind estimate, (2) errors involved with using the GPS dropsondes. This paper documentw typee ra th sf o s ground track velocitie winde th s ,a s estimate directly, measurements being obtained, the types of sensors used (3) difference of accuracy of the two systems and the for data acquisition, the data collection and degree of accuracy required for this technique, and (4) recording/transmission rates for each measurement, and the processing methods for each of the measurement the usefulness of the GPS dropsonde ground track data- systems. In some cases, detailed documentation was in post-processing when attemptin derivo gt actuae eth l not available for each system. Therefore, interviews of trajectory of the payload. system operators and physical system investigations Introduction have been recorded. Vaisala RS80 Radiosondes are used at weather stations The Radiosonde Wind Measuring System (RAWIN) all ove worle rth r synoptidfo c observation s wela s s a l has been the accepted standard of wind estimation used in numerous defens researcd ean h programs RS8e Th .0 throughout the test community. RAWIN balloon is the radiosonde model YPG utilizes. Radiosondes are launche done ar s e about 2500 time r yea spe t YPG a r . weather measurement instruments that measure upper RAWIN balloon launches are automatically conducted r profileai f pressureo s , temperature d humiditan , y every few hours daily at YPG, which provides a good when launched into the upper atmosphere on a weather balloon. The accuracy of the temperature sensor is to 2 degreee humidit0. th , e 3 percentC th s o t yd an , This pape s declarei r e U.Sda worth f . ko Governmen t no s i d tan pressur millibars5 0. o e radiosondt Th . s checkei e d subjec copyrigho t t t protection Unitee th n i d States. against ground conditions before being launched. Each radiosond a receive s r ha Loran-efo r C navigation 1 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (c)2001 American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics or Published with Permission of Author(s) and/or Author(s)' Sponsoring Organization. signals. Wind speed and direction are determined from The WindPack is typically packed in honeycomb to successive positional fixes by the Loran-C receiver. absorb landine somth f eo g shock honeycome Th . s bi e winTh d spee d directionan d e thear sn interpolated mounted on a plywood structure and secured with A-7A between pressure surfaces. The altitude of the pressure straps. This structur thes ei n attache WindPace th o dt k surfaces above ground level (AGL) or mean sea level parachute with a D-ring and clevis. A typical rigging (MSL s i calculate) d insid e Vaisalth e a software. configuration is shown in Figure 2. Positional fixed winan sd calculation e completar s e within this software. The observed data are transmitted to the ground equipment that processes the data into weather messages. The transmission frequencies are in the 400.15 to 406 megahertz (MHz) or 1668 to 1700 MHz Meteorological Aids Band. Externally, these data e examineb n ca t intervala d 5 second f o s s unti8 l minutes have elapsed, then at intervals of 10 seconds. balloon'e Th s progres monitores si d from ground level up to 30 kilometers (km). In order to measure winds closer in time to the airdrop, and as close as possible to the drop coordinates, YPG s developeha a dsyste m calle e WindPackth d e Th . WindPack is based upon a 12-channel GPS receiver and, in addition to the receiver, includes a small computer, a power supply, and a flash card recording device. These components are housed in an extruded aluminum container 4 inches high and approximately 6 FIGUR . ERigge2 d WindPack inches in diameter. Power for the WindPack is provide a 5-amp-hour y db , lead acid gel-cell battery Two parachute configurations are implemented with the tha containes i t brackea n di t attache bottoe th o dt f m o WindPaco ktw e e systempurposth Th f o . e the container. The container, with battery, weighs configuration achievo t s i s e bot velocitw h lo hig d yhan approximatel pounds0 1 y antennn A . a attachea o dt rates of descent. Vertigo Inc. of Lake Elsinore, small ground plane is connected to the GPS receiver in California, has developed both tri-lobe canopies. The containee th r throug h3-fooa t cable. This allowe th s 9.83-foot tri-lobe, typicall fee5 3 y t o weightet 5 1 a o dt antenn e locateb o t a d externa e riggingth e o t Th l . r seconpe d (fps) descent velocity coefficiena s ha , f o t WindPac illustrates ki Figurn di . e1 dra f e 0.560o 2.75-foog Th . t tri-lobe, typically s descenfp 0 8 t o velocityt weightea 0 6 s a ha , o t d coefficient of drag of 0.479. The smaller 2.75-foot tri- lobe parachut s i initialle y deployed t a pre d - an , designated low altitude (-2500 ft AGL) an FF-2 Automatic Activation Device (AAD) trigger Hige sth h Altitude Air Release System (HAARS) to deploy the larger tri-lobe and induce a lower rate of descent for impact of the payload. Oscillations of these parachutes are very small. An airdrop of the WindPack system in velocitw lo e yth configuratio shows ni Figurn i . e3 FIGURE 1. WindPack American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (c)2001 American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics or Published with Permission of Author(s) and/or Author(s)' Sponsoring Organization. carrier phas r eacefo h satellite tracke receivere th y db , ae sephemeri th wel s a l s from each satellite. These parameters are measured and recorded at a 10 Hz rate and each sample is time-tagged with GPS time. At the conclusion of the drop, the flash card containing these data is retrieved from the WindPack for processing. During processing, corrections are applied to the WindPack measurement o improvt s e their accuracy. These correction e derivear s d from measurements recorded fro mground-basea d receiver durin drope gth . The ground receiver tracks the same satellite constellatio WindPace th f no k throug antennn ha a that has been precisely surveyed. The difference between the range to the satellite as measured by the receiver and that computed from the known location of the FIGUR . WindPacE3 Flightn ki , Show Tri-Lobe th s ni e antenn measurement e erron th a s n ari i . Since nearll yal Parachute Buil Vertigoy tb , Inc. the error is common to both the WindPack measuremen groune th d dan t receiver measuremente th , scenarioo Tw usee sar acquir o dt wine eth d datae On . error determined by processing the ground receiver is to airdrop the WindPack as soon as the test item measurements can be removed from the measurements leave systemo aircraft.e tw sth e sTh dro p througe hth recorded by the WindPack during the drop.
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