SBIR Phase I: The Marine Profiling Radiometer

这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将开发一种仪器，能够连续自主监测关键气象参数，即温度、湿度剖面、云液态水路径和综合水蒸气。海洋剖面辐射计（MPR）设计用于浮标，船舶或陆地应用。尽管过去几十年来天气预报的效用有所增加，但随着天气特征尺度的缩小和预报时间范围的增加，准确性迅速下降。预报较小尺度的、短暂的、通常是强烈的天气现象的演变和运动，如龙卷风、冰雹风暴和山洪暴发，不如预报更大尺度的天气系统成熟。这在一定程度上是由于观测不足造成的。所提出的技术将填补数据上的空白。第一阶段将开发一个简化的MPR原型，以实验验证环境校准的新概念，以及保护光学元件的自清洁机制。这种新颖的校准方法即使在恶劣的海洋环境中遇到的极端天气条件下也可以独立操作。这种全天候技术的主要创新之处在于，它能够以一种及时且经济有效的方式提供其他方式无法获得的数据。该项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力在于展示一种新的辐射计校准方法，这种方法可以促进辐射计的使用，并大大改善对大气，特别是边界层热力学状态的了解。由于50%的美国人口居住在距离海岸50英里的范围内，因此更好地了解近海状况可以产生重大的经济影响。改进的预报将有利于水库/沿海地区的水管理，可用于商业/军用船只，以提高安全性和提高导弹制导系统的准确性。MPR数据将改善沿海气象，改善保护机制，降低恶劣天气事件的疏散成本；提高我们对海洋-大气相互作用的认识，并提供有关区域气候变化的信息；降低海上风电场和石油平台运营的相关成本，同时提高整体安全性；促进电网优化，提高能源效率；加强天气/弥散模型组合，以供国土安全应用；并提供最新天气资料，以确保商业及娱乐船只在海上及港口的运作有效及环保。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop an instrument that enables continuous, autonomous surveillance of key meteorological parameters, i.e., temperature, humidity profiles, cloud liquid water path, and integrated water vapor. The Marine Profiling Radiometer (MPR) is designed for operation on a buoy, ship, or for land-based applications. Despite the increased utility of weather forecasts over the past decades, accuracy decreases rapidly as the scale of the weather features decreases and the time range of the forecasts increases. Forecasting the evolution and movement of smaller-scale, short-lived, often intense weather phenomena such as tornadoes, hail storms, and flash floods is less mature than prediction of larger-scale weather systems. This is caused, in part, by inadequate observations. The proposed technology will fill the missing gap in data. Phase I will develop a simplified prototype of MPR to experimentally validate new concepts of ambient calibration, as well as, a self-cleaning mechanism for protection of optical components. The novel calibration approach will enable standalone operation even under extreme weather conditions that can be encountered in harsh marine environments. The major innovation of this all-weather technology is its ability to provide otherwise un-obtainable data in a timely and cost effective manner.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is in demonstrating a novel approach to radiometer calibration that could lead to advancement in its use and dramatic improvement in the understanding of the thermodynamic state of the atmosphere, especially in the boundary layer. As 50% of the US population lives within 50 miles of the coast, better information about offshore conditions can have significant economical impact. Improved forecasts will benefit water management of reservoirs/coastal regions, can be used by commercial/military vessels to improve safety and enhance missile guidance system accuracy. MPR data will improve coastal meteorology, improve protection mechanisms and reducing evacuation costs for severe weather events; enhance our understanding of ocean-atmosphere interaction and provide information about regional climate change; reduce the cost associated with offshore wind farm and oil platform operation while improving overall safety; facilitate optimization of the electrical grid improving energy efficiency; enhance weather/dispersion model ensembles for homeland security applications; and provide current weather information to help ensure efficient and environmentally sound sea and port operations for commercial and recreational vessels.