Small startup company, established in 2006
Focused on radiometry – ground based and airborne radiometry is still in very nascent stage
Focus on radiometric technology improvements – mainly:
• User friendly products
• Improved performance
• Increased reliability
• Higher level of integration
• Minimal power consumption
• Minimal mass and volume
Boulder Environmental Sciences and Technology
BEST
Competency in all aspects of radiometry
Airborne, ground based, or buoy based instruments
Design of integrated receivers
Design and optimization of passive components, such as antennas, OMTs, transitions, filters, power dividers & combiners, hybrids, etc.
Microwave filters design
Microwave Monolithic Integrated Chip level assembly
Capabilities
Waveguide
Waveguide
MMIC chips
Feedthroughs
WG to µstrip transition
µstrip line
Bonding wires
5 mm
Capabilities: MMIC level assembly
26 mm
18
mm
Current and planned work on airborne radiometers
LUR - Lightweight Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Radiometer Development for the Korea Meteorological Administration Three radiometric bands: around 20 GHz, 37 GHz – dual polarization, and 50 GHz Very strict limits on power, weight, size Extreme operating environmental conditions Two axes of motion: elevation and azimuth
MRAS - Microwave Radiometer for Aviation Safety A Navy SBIR Phase I project Development of a small, lightweight, low power consuming remote sensor for aircraft icing hazard avoidance
UAV radiometer for cloud research Working on an application for the UAV radiometer for cloud research under the DoE SBIR 2015
Seeking funding for a Buoy based radiometer
PRACO performance characteristics
Remote sensor for atmospheric and cloud research Ideal complement for operations with clouds in situ probes Sampling in the plane perpendicular to the line of flight
Stationary Scanning Length: 294 mm (11.6”) Length: 388 mm (15.3”)
Ambient Sensors, T, P, H
Aircraft Attachment Mechanical, Electrical
GPS Antenna
183 GHz Radiometer
118 GHz Radiometer
51-59 GHz Radiometer
22-30 GHz Radiometer
Wing leading edge
Overall length: 682 mm (27.9”), diameter 102mm (4”)
PRACO performance characteristics
PRACO performance characteristics
Radiometers resolution is estimated for the integration time of 1 second
PRACO performance characteristics
PRACO overall mass Power Component Mass (g) Watt Nose cone 219 2.5
22-30 GHz radiometer 407 14
51-59 GHz radiometer 439 16 118 GHz radiometer 453 20 183 GHz radiometer 518 23 Total scanning part 2,036 75.5 Total stationary part 3,478 35
Total for the PRACO 5,514 g ~110 W
Retrievals: • Temperature and water vapor profiles • Integrated water vapor and integrated cloud liquid • Water and ice cloud particles discrimination • Mean cloud particle size estimate
Discussion of how sensor(s) can support
science objectives
Discussion of how sensor(s) can support
science objectives
• PRACO is design and build specifically for atmospheric and clouds observations from an aircraft
• The selected scanning mode is to sample atmosphere around the aircraft flight line, covering maximum volume
• PRACO’s radiometers cover all significant microwave absorption lines and windows between 20 and 200 GHz, wavelengths from 13.5 to 1.6 mm
• PRACO is modular instrument, can be easily modified for a specific mission
• Additional radiometer units, operating at different frequencies can be developed as scientific goals requires
Feasibility for routine operations on NSF aircraft, including size/weight
of sensor, complexity of integration, operational support requirements, calibration and maintenance procedures, data
processing methods
Very simple integration: The same mechanical attachment to airplane as clouds probes Requires only power (~110 Watts) to operate Ethernet connectivity available, but PRACO can operate without it Memory storage within the PRACO can easily handle over 12 hours flight Contains its own inertial navigational system and GPS Redundant ambient variables measurement: 12 x Temperature, 6x pressure, 6x humidity Modular assembly, can be altered for a specific mission
Operational support requirements Calibration and maintenance procedures Data processing methods
Estimated cost of initial acquisition; ongoing costs for maintenance
Initial acquisition cost: approximately $500k - it depends on number of units ordered Ongoing cost of maintenance – How to estimate it? (what maintenance will be required, how many missions will be flown, how many instruments, support during missions, etc.)
Saturday, February 16, 1991 All weather personal stereo AM/FM clock radio In-Ear Stereo Phones Microthin calculator Tandy 1000 TL/3, computer system, 20MB storage space! VHS Camcorder Mobile Cellular Telephone 20-Memory Speed-Dial phone Deluxe Portable CD Player - 80 minutes of music 10-Channel Desktop Scanner Easiest-to-Use Phone Answerer Handheld Cassette Tape Recorder Cost of the above: $3054.82
Microwave radiometer
Biggest reason for the technological difference is the level of investments Market size is small Operational conditions of the airborne radiometers are extremely challenging Technological challenges can be overcome