An Integer Precise Point Positioning technique for sea surface observations using a GPS buoy

GPS data dedicated to sea surface observation are usually processed using differential techniques. Unfortunately, the precision of resulting kinematic positions is baseline-length dependent. So, high precision sea surface observations using differential GPS techniques are limited to coasts, lakes, and rivers. Recent improvements in GPS satellite products (orbits, clocks, and phase biases) make phase ambiguity fixing at the zero difference level achievable and opens up the observation of the sea surface without geographical constraints. This paper recalls the concept of the Integer Precise Point Positioning technique and discusses the precision of GPS buoy positioning. A sequential version of the GINS software has been implemented to achieve single epoch GPS positioning. We used 1 Hz data from a two week GPS campaign conducted in the Kerguelen Islands. A GPS buoy has been moored close to a radar gauge and 90 m away from a permanent GPS station. This infrastructure offers the opportunity to compare both kinematic Integer Precise Point Positioning and classical differential GPS positioning techniques to in situ radar gauge data. We found that Precise Point Positioning results are not significantly biased with respect to radar gauge data and that horizontal time series are consistent with differential processing at the sub-centimetre precision level. Nevertheless, standard deviations of height time series with respect to radar gauge data are typically [4–5] cm. The dominant driver for noise at this level is attributed to errors in tropospheric estimates which propagate into position solutions.     

Estimating sea level rise around Australia using a new approach to account for low frequency climate signals

Regional sea level studies help to identify the vulnerable areas to the sea level rise. This study investigates the impact of climate modes on sea level variations and trends around Australia using altimetry data, climate indices, and sea level records from tide gauge stations. Here, we show that the sea level variations are negatively correlated with climate indices to the north and west of Australia. The spectral analyses of the climate indices and tide gauge data suggest that a low frequency signal with a period of 11 years emerges during the mid 1980s. Since the 25-year length of the satellite altimetry record is yet too short to detect low frequency signals, their effect on the estimation of regional sea level trend is unknown. Therefore, we estimate the sea level trend with consideration of this signal and using a two-step method. All signals with periods shorter than 7.5 years are first removed from sea level time series and then the trend is estimated using the parametric model that includes the 11-year signal. The skill of the parametric model in explaining the variations in sea level anomaly validates the presence of the 11-year signal detected in the spectrograms of the tide gauge data and climate indices. The average sea level trend for the study area is estimated as 3.85 ± 0.15 mm/year.     

Tide variation monitoring based improved GNSS-MR by empirical mode decomposition

Global Navigation Satellite System multipath reflectometry (GNSS-MR) technology has great potential for monitoring tide level changes. GNSS-MR techniques usually extract signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) residual sequences using quadratic polynomials; however, such algorithms are affected considerably by satellite elevation angles. To improve the stability and accuracy of an SNR residual sequence, this study proposed an SNR signal decomposition method based on empirical mode decomposition (EMD). First, the SNR signal is decomposed by EMD, following which the SNR residual sequence is obtained by combining the corresponding intrinsic mode function with the frequency range of the coherent signal. Second, the Lomb–Scargle spectrum is analyzed to obtain the frequency of the SNR residual sequence. Finally, the SNR frequency is converted into the tide height. To verify the validity of the SNR residual sequence obtained by EMD, the algorithm performance was assessed using multigroup satellite elevation angle intervals with measured data from two station, SC02 in the United States and RSBY in Australia. Experimental results demonstrated that the accuracy of the improved algorithm was improved in the low-elevation range. The improved algorithm demonstrated high monitoring accuracy, and the effective number was not less than 80% of the total in SC02, which means it could effectively describe the trend of the tide with accuracy of approximately 10 cm, meanwhile, the RMS error of RSBY could be reduced by 30 cm, to the maximum extent. The EMD method effectively expands the range of available GNSS-MR elevations, avoids the loss of effective information, enhances considerably the utilization rate of GNSS data, and improves the accuracy of GNSS-MR tide level monitoring.     

Using altimetry and seafloor pressure data to estimate vertical deformation offshore: Vanuatu case study

Measuring ground deformation underwater is essential for understanding Earth processes at many scales. One important example is subduction zones, which can generate devastating earthquakes and tsunamis, and where the most important deformation signal related to plate locking is usually offshore. We present an improved method for making offshore vertical deformation measurements, that involve combining tide gauge and altimetry data. We present data from two offshore sites located on either side of the plate interface at the New Hebrides subduction zone, where the Australian plate subducts beneath the North Fiji basin. These two sites have been equipped with pressure gauges since 1999, to extend an on-land GPS network across the plate interface. The pressure series measured at both sites show that Wusi Bank, located on the over-riding plate, subsides by 11 ± 4 mm/yr with respect to Sabine Bank, which is located on the down-going plate. By combining water depths derived from the on-bottom pressure data with sea surface heights derived from altimetry data, we determine variations of seafloor heights in a global reference frame. Using altimetry data from TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, Jason-2 and Envisat missions, we find that the vertical motion at Sabine Bank is close to zero and that Wusi Bank subsides by at least 3 mm/yr and probably at most 11 mm/yr.     

方形角尺的测量及不确定度评定

介绍了方形角尺垂直度误差的测量方法、测量中的关键问题以及测量不确定度分析.     

风云一号气象卫星天线反射板表面粘贴铝箔的工艺

风云一号天线反射板采用碳纤维/铝蜂窝夹层结构表面粘贴铝箔的结构形式。由于铝箔、碳纤维的热膨胀系数相差悬殊 ,因此具有很大的工艺难度。进行了大量的工艺实验后 ,在工艺特点分析和工艺实验的基础上 ,采用了合理的工艺路线 ,确定用中温胶双面贴铝箔作为天线反射板的铝箔粘贴工艺 ,解决了碳纤维/铝峰窝夹层结构表面粘贴铝箔胶接层中不能有气泡存在的工艺难点 ,满足了卫星轨道条件下不鼓泡、不脱落的使用要求 ,并保证了天线反射板平面度、孔位精度高的要求     

箔片结构库伦摩擦效应对径向箔片轴承特性的影响

基于有限元法建立波箔型气体径向轴承箔片结构的库伦摩擦模型,通过改变平箔片与波纹箔片之间以及波纹箔片与轴承座之间的摩擦因数,对比分析了在各种载荷分布条件下波纹箔片库伦摩擦模型与文献中线性弹簧模型的刚度特性,研究了库伦摩擦效应对波纹箔片刚度特性的影响规律.在此基础上,运用有限单元法和有限差分法求解雷诺方程和气膜厚度方程,研究了在两个工作转速下气体波箔片轴承中截面处最小气膜厚度随轴承承载力的变化规律以及承载力随偏心率的变化规律.通过数值仿真对该模型、文献中线性弹簧模型和刚性表面气体轴承进行对比分析,并把气膜厚度分布与文献结果进行了对比.结果表明:箔片的库伦摩擦力在一定程度上增大了波纹箔片的刚度,并且随着摩擦因数的增大其刚度以及两端固定的波纹箔片个数也增加,使得箔片轴承表面变“刚”,因此轴承静特性更趋于刚性表面轴承,此外当轴承承载力一定时,箔片摩擦因数越大轴承的最小气膜厚度越小.      

100 mm一等量块自动测量仪测量不确定度评定

分析了100mm一等量块自动测量仪的误差来源，确定了测量量块的合成标准不确定度和扩展不确定度。     

70kN载荷应变天平校准系统研制进展

研制了70kN量级的应变天平校准系统,以满足2m量级高速风洞测力试验天平的静态校准需求。70kN载荷应变天平校准系统基于传统的单元校准方法,采用四自由度复位式体轴系自动校准方案,加载力源为标准砝码,采用砝码独立控制技术的自动加载装置实现天平校准载荷的自动加载。砝码产生的重力通过双十字铰链施力定位装置和刚性加载头准确地传递到天平上,无间隙复位传动机构可以保证天平的精确复位。建成后的校准系统可满足20~70kN量程范围的杆式天平和环式天平等不同类型天平的校准需求。     

航天器密封舱内真空测量技术改进

文章针对在空间环境模拟器水平舱进行人-船-服联合试验中出现的电容薄膜真空规测量偏差问题进行了分析,确定了真空测量系统所存在的问题是由于真空规使用方法不当,并对系统进行了针对性改造。改造后系统圆满地完成了人-船-服联合试验中的压力测量。