Optimisation of the terminal Doppler weather radar in a cluttered marine environment

Abstract

Discusses the Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) for the new airport at Chek Lap Kok (CLK) of Hong Kong. This paper discusses the radar characteristics that ensure that the TDWR is able to meet its mission requirements while working in the highly cluttered marine environment of Hong Kong. The Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) system, developed by Raytheon Company for the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), provides automatic detection of microbursts and low-level wind shear. The second major function of TDWR is to improve air traffic management through forecasts of wind shifts, precipitation and other weather hazards. The TDWR system generates meteorological base data and wind shear products and automatically prepares warning messages for the air traffic controllers, through the timely detection and reporting of hazardous wind shear. It collects low altitude meteorological data and performs reliably in the terminal area environment characterized by natural and man-made ground clutter. The TDWR design specifically addresses the extraction of weather information in the presence of radar returns from severe ground clutter. The TDWR radar utilizes the Doppler effect to measure the radial velocity of rain or airborne microparticulates. This paper addresses the characteristics of the TDWR system design, siting, and signal processing techniques that are critical to optimal performance in the Hong Kong environment, and discusses observations during the optimisation of the TDWR.