How Does phased array surveillance radar manufacturer Work?

Research Tools: Phased Array Radar

The Phased Array Radar (PAR) project was established to demonstrate the potential to simultaneously perform aircraft tracking, wind profiling, and weather surveillance with a single phased array weather radar. NOAA's National Weather Radar Testbed (NWRT) was a repurposed U.S. Navy SPY-1A phased array radar built in the 's, tested and evaluated in Norman, Oklahoma.

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Electronic Steering

Current weather radars mechanically rotate and tilt the radar dish to sample different parts of the atmosphere. A phased array radar has a unique flat panel antenna that remains stationary. The panel is made up of a grid of fixed antenna elements, and each can transmit and receive a signal. As a result, the radar beam can be steered electronically, giving users the ability to control how, when and where the radar scans. This means the radar can be controlled to direct its beam only where storms are detected. Focused observations of storms lead to faster updates since the radar does not waste time scanning clear-air regions.

Rapid Scanning

PAR can scan the sky in less than a minute, revealing critical weather thumbprints that point to the potential of severe weather. Radar scans every minute will make severe weather easier to confirm, making warnings more accurate and reducing false alarms. Forecasters will also be able to watch changes in the storm to know when it is strengthening or weakening. NSSL scientists have already learned more about thunderstorms with PAR data.

An independent study estimates implementation of a combined PAR network of radars satisfying both FAA and NWS missions will save the taxpayer $4.8B over the life-cycle of the radar.

PAR Research

PAR researchers at NSSL are endeavoring to:

• Develop and implement signal processing techniques to improve the quality, coverage, and accuracy of meteorological products from weather radars,
• Develop and demonstrate adaptive scanning and rapid update capabilities for weather observations leading to increased severe weather warning lead times,
• Demonstrate dynamic scheduling of multi-function scanning strategies,
• Develop a radar controller interface,
• Develop severe weather detection algorithms and displays to utilize the unique data provided by the PAR,
• Evaluate rapid-scanning NWRT PAR data to provide insights into the development of severe weather and the potential to increase lead times of tornado warnings. (Phased Array Radar Innovative Sensing Experiment),
• Develop specs for a dual-polarized PAR and evaluate various design issues,
• Test and evaluate any dual-pol PAR prototypes,
• Develop and implement signal processing techniques to improve the quality, coverage, and accuracy of meteorological products from weather radars,
• Develop and demonstrate adaptive scanning and rapid update capabilities for weather observations leading to increased severe weather warning lead times,
• Demonstrate dynamic scheduling of multi-function scanning strategies, and
• Develop a radar controller interface.

Benefits of PAR

History of Phased Array Radar

Navy ships originally used AEGIS phased array radar (called SPY-1) technology to protect naval battle groups from missile threats. Researchers believe the same technology has great potential for increasing lead-time for tornado warnings.

In , the U.S. Navy agreed to loan a phased array antenna to NSSL and provided the $10,000,000 in funding to help build the National Weather Radar Testbed (NWRT). The NWRT is a facility focused on developing faster and more accurate warning, analysis and forecast techniques for severe and hazardous weather using phased array and also upgraded WSR-88D radar technology. The National Weather Service provided the transmitter and the additional funding from NOAA, OU, Lockheed Martin, and Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education purchased the environmental processor. In addition, the FAA provided initial funding for research, program management and initial upgrades, and the NWS has donated equipment. The NWRT became operational in September , and the first data were collected in May, .

Collaborators and Partners

The National Weather Radar Testbed is a unique partnership among academia, industry, federal and state government agencies, and the Navy with a common goal of transforming military technology into a civilian research facility that will provide great benefit to the nation.

What is a phased array?

A phased array antenna is typically a computer-controlled array of antennas. Normally, when a signal is broadcast from multiple antennas there is a risk of an interference pattern that can cause a reduction in signal strength. For radars, this can lead to a misrepresentation of the radar target's size, as well as false positives or negatives. However, an interference pattern can be used to improve a radar's accuracy. By carefully controlling several beams of radio waves, a constructive interference pattern can be created which boosts the signal strength. By adjusting the phase relationship between the antennas, the signal can be electronically 'steered' to point in different directions without moving the antennas, this is known as beamforming.

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Beamforming can be achieved with as few as two antennas but phased array antennas number in the hundreds or thousands of individual antennas. Beamforming is especially beneficial for radar as it can reduce signal radiation in some directions while boosting the signal radiation in the desired direction. As a result, the accuracy of the radar reflection signal is substantially improved. The large number of antennas in the system also add redundancy, which can be invaluable in mission-critical applications, such as aerospace and defense.

Why use a phased array antenna for radar applications?

As mentioned above, PARs do not have moving parts, which is enormously beneficial for radar applications. First and foremost, the field of view can be changed in a few microseconds. This is significantly faster than a conventional rotating radar dish, which can take much longer to complete a revolution. The dwell time, or the time that a radar can spend sending signals to a target, is freely selectable, increasing the hits per scan on the target. More hits per scan means a richer image quality of the target. For conventional radars the dwell time is limited by the speed of rotation of the antenna.

This beam agility and increased signal quality means that PARs can be used for several applications simultaneously. However, PARs have a low frequency agility and a limited scanning range, typically only 120° in azimuth and elevation. Due to their complexity in development and construction, and the computing requirements to process the high volume of data in real-time, PARs are expensive and therefore have limited applications.

Where are Phased Array Radars used?

PARs are commonly used in the aerospace and defense industry. One example is contemporary warships, where a single PAR can track over 100 targets simultaneously. In fast paced modern naval warfare detecting and tracking enemy vessels, aircraft and missiles, and augmenting target data for missiles and close-in weapons systems (CIWS) are all vital tasks in which PARs excel. For naval applications, PARs typically operate at the S and X bands.

However, PARs are not just found attached to the side of a warship. Some ground-based PARs scan the skies for incoming projectiles like ICBMs, while others search for fast-moving objects in space. They are also found in military aircraft, performing similar tasks to their ship-based siblings: detecting enemy targets and incoming missiles.

Due to the recent rise of commercial and recreational drones, PARs are even more useful. Attaching a PAR to a drone enables it to see potential obstacles and threats such as powerlines and other aircraft, an important step on the road to autonomous drone delivery services. K-band PARs are increasingly used for detecting drones entering restricted areas, such as airports. While a drone's radar signature isn't readily distinguishable from that of a bird, when paired with a camera it can easily detect drones.

Due to the complexity and use cases of PARs, the development process can be costly and challenging. Keysight's PathWave system design software helps to overcome these challenges and reduce development costs by accurately simulating the entire system. Keysight's W Phased Array Beamforming Kit for PathWave helps radio frequency (RF) systems and system-level PHY architects validate designs for 5G and PAR applications.

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