Simulation of minimal infrastructure short-range radar networks

Distributed networks of short-range radars offer the potential to observe winds and rainfall at high spatial resolution in volumes of the troposphere that are unobserved by today´s long-range weather radars. One class of potential distributed radar network designs includes Off-the-Grid (OTG) weather radar networks. These are short-range radar nodes designed to be deployed as part of an ad-hoc network and to limit their reliance on existing infrastructure. Independence of the wired infrastructure (power or communications) would allow OTG networks to be deployed in specific regions where sensing needs are greatest, such as mountain valleys prone to flash-flooding, geographic regions where the infrastructure is susceptible to failure, and underdeveloped regions lacking urban infrastructure. This paper will present a system model and simulation framework for the design of OTG networks. The model estimates the energy requirements of the three major system functions, sensing, communicating and computing, as well as power generated from the solar panel. The simulation will be used to develop an energy cost function to be used in control decisions.