SGER: A Portable Three-Dimensional (3-D) Mapping System for Lightning Studies and Possible New Applications

SGER：用于闪电研究和可能的新应用的便携式三维 (3-D) 测绘系统

• 批准号: 0354218
• 负责人: William Rison
• 金额: $ 7万
• 依托单位: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-11-01 至 2005-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0354218&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SGER; Portable; Three; Dimensional; Mapping

This is a Small Grant for Exploratory Research to assist in the development of a portable, lightweight version of the New Mexico Tech Lightning Mapping Array (LMA). The LMA is a network of twelve VHF receivers employing GPS timing to measure the time of arrival of signals from lightning flashes with high precision. Triangulation enables the 3-D mapping of the flashes in the vicinity of the network with extremely high resolution in space and time - information not otherwise available. LMA data, especially in combination with radar storm patterns and in-situ measurements of the electric field with airborne instruments, have greatly advanced the understanding of thunderstorm electrification in the past few years. This grant supports the development of a smaller version of the LMA that will be easily portable and quickly deployable for storm studies. The portable version is feasible because of continued improvements and miniaturization of the individual receiving stations. It will be small enough to enable lightning measurements in locations and situations that would not be possible otherwise because of logistics or other considerations. Examples of the potential uses of the system are mobile deployment ahead of storms or from moving vehicles or aircraft, using battery-operated arrays with wireless communications for real-time lightning observations at sporting events or other situations where lightning hazards are a concern, or responding to unexpected opportunities, such as studying the lightning associated with volcanic eruptions. Accurate triangulation of VHF signals, which is the operating principle of the LMA, opens the door to innovative and exploratory applications apart from lightning mapping. These include locating faults on power transmission lines by the electrical discharges they produce, locating personnel carrying small "pulser" units, tracking balloons or airplanes carrying pulsers, and locating and characterizing radio frequency noise emissions from buildings.

这是一笔用于探索性研究的小额赠款，用于协助开发便携式、轻型版的新墨西哥科技闪电测绘阵列（LMA）。LMA是一个由12个甚高频接收器组成的网络，采用GPS定时，以高精度测量闪电信号的到达时间。三角测量可以对网络附近的闪光进行三维测绘，具有极高的空间和时间分辨率，这是其他方法无法获得的信息。LMA数据，特别是结合雷达风暴模式和机载仪器的现场电场测量，在过去几年中极大地促进了对雷暴电气化的认识。这笔拨款支持LMA的小型版本的开发，该版本将易于携带并快速部署用于风暴研究。由于个别接收站的不断改进和小型化，便携式版本是可行的。它足够小，可以在由于后勤或其他考虑而无法实现的位置和情况下进行闪电测量。该系统的潜在用途包括在风暴前或移动车辆或飞机上进行移动部署，在体育赛事或其他需要关注闪电危害的情况下，使用电池供电的无线通信阵列进行实时闪电观测，或响应意外机会，例如研究与火山爆发有关的闪电。VHF信号的精确三角测量是LMA的工作原理，它为闪电测绘以外的创新和探索性应用打开了大门。这些包括通过电力传输线路产生的放电来定位故障，定位携带小型“脉冲发生器”装置的人员，跟踪携带脉冲发生器的气球或飞机，以及定位和表征建筑物发出的射频噪声。