High resolution beamforming for phased array weather radar using an adaptive signal processing

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K14997
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 21030:Measurement engineering-related
• Research Institution: The University of Electro-Communications
• Principal Investigator: KIKUCHI HIROSHI 電気通信大学, 宇宙・電磁環境研究センター, 助教 (40783105)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 降雨観測 / 気象レーダ / フェーズドアレイレーダ / 適応信号処理 / 圧縮センシング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Phased array weather radar currently in operation observes three-dimensional rainfall distribution by mechanical scanning in the azimuth direction and electronic scanning in the elevation direction. A digital beam formation (DBF) is used for electron scanning. Currently, the Fourier beamformer is used in operation, however the spatial resolution of this method is determined by the geometric antenna shape such as the aperture diameter or the number of elements. Therefore, we aim to improve the spatial resolution by developing a digital beam formation method that applies adaptive signal processing. Specifically, we propose the least squares error (MMSE) method and Capon method as methods that can adaptively suppress the antenna gain, and the beam formation method that uses compressed sensing technology as the beam formation method that achieves high resolution.

Free Research Field

計測工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

過去数年間で内閣府の激甚災害の指定を受けた多くは,気象現象による災害である．その多くは台風・豪雨など，降雨を起因とした土砂災害や洪水による被害であり,広域かつ高密度な降雨観測システムの構築が社会的背景として，早急かつ非常に重要である．所望の降雨観測システムの構築にC帯の気象レーダは観測範囲が数百kmであり,日本の国土を考慮するとその開発は重要な要素である．特に上空の高密度観測のためには，C帯気象レーダのフェーズドアレイ(PAWR)化技術の開発が早急に求められている．本研究成果は大型のPAWRに応用可能であり，開発上のボトルネックを解決する技術として応用可能であることを示した．