Max Planck Cloud Kite
Two Max Planck CloudKites (
MPCKs) will be flown during EUREC4A. The MPCKs are tethered aerostats capable of carrying (battery-powered) scientific payloads up to a height of 2km above launch level. The main goals of MPCKs are to probe atmospheric boundary layer, clouds and cloud-turbulence interactions. The MPCK aerostats are hybrids of helium balloon and kite, commercially known as Helikite, which are capable of operating in no-wind as well as windy (<100km/h) conditions. One large 250 m3 CloudKite, i.e. the MPCK+ an enhanced version of the MPCK successfully flown during MSM82-2 campaign, with the capacity for a large payload will be flown from the back deck of the 
R/V Maria S. Merian. The MPCK+ will focus on measurement of cloud microphysical and turbulence properties in parking and profiling modes. The second CloudKite, i.e. the mini-MPCK, a smaller 75 m3 Helikite with a smaller payload capacity will be flown from the deck of R/V Meteor. The mini-MPCK will focus on cloud and sub-cloud layer profiling.
Cloud Kite on the R/V Maria S Merian:
| Aerostat | 250 m3 Allsopp HeliKite with 100 kg total payload and 3 km tether. Net buoyancy lift at 1km above MSL ~70kg |
| In-line Holography | MPIDS Holographic system; 3D particle position and size distribution, 75Hz |
| Particle Image Velocimetry | 2D PIV; 15Hz 2D particle position and velocity field |
| Anemometer | 1D static tube with PT100; temperature: 100Hz, 3...20 m/s with accuracy of <5%, temperature -35...55ºC with accuracy of <0.3K |
| Anemometer (extra) | 5-hole static tube; 100Hz, 4...15 m/s and wind-speed accuracy of 1º directional accuracy |
| Anemometer (extra) | 1D Laser Doppler Velocimetry unit; up to 20kHz, -10...100 m/s |
| Anemometer (extra) | FT Technologies FT205 2D sonic; 10Hz, 0...75 m/s and direction accuracy of 4º |
| Liquid Water Content | LWC-300; 30Hz liquid water content from 0 to 3 g/m3 |
| Cloud droplet population density | Fast CDP for measuring droplet size and number concentration with diameter between 2μm-50μm, with range of 0 - 2,000 particles/cm3 |
| Inertial Navigation | SBG Ellipse2-D; 200Hz, 0.1° Roll and Pitch over 360°, 0.2° Heading (GNSS aided), 2 cm RTK GNSS Position |
| State Parameters | Meteolabor radio-sonde equipped with Snowhite chilled mirror; Relative humidity (>1Hz @1000hPa & 20oC and 1% error) and temperature (10Hz, nominal accuracy of 0.1K) |
| State Parameters (extra) | Vaisala Radiosonde RS41-SGP |
| State Parameters (backup) | Aosong relative humidity and temperature sensor; response time ~5s and accuracy of 2% for RH and 0.1-1K for T. Inexpensive and durable sensor that can be read easily with a simple micro controller |
| Hot Wire | Dantec mini-hotwire, probably another one made at the MPIDS with the Nanoscribe 3d printer and Ultra Fast Thermometer made by Prof. Malinowski group in Warsaw; all sampled at 10kHz |
| CCN | Nanoscan SMPS Model 3910; 10...420 nm, 13 channel. In collaboration with Mira Pöhlker from MPI-Chemistry (Mainz) |
| CCN (optional) | Sensirion CCN sensor Compact aerosol sensor; mass and number concentration for PM0.5, PM1.0, PM2.5, PM4 and PM10 |
Cloud Kite on the R/V Meteor:
| Aerostat | 75 m3 Allsopp HeliKite with 35 kg total payload and 3 km tether. Net buoyancy lift at 1km above MSL ~20kg |
| Anemometer | Metek multipath 3D sonic; 30Hz, 0...40m/s with minimal flow shadowing from of the arms and direction accuracy of 1º |
| Anemometer (extra) | 1D static tube with PT100 temperature; 100Hz, 3...20 m/s with accuracy of <5%, temperature -35...55 ºC with accuracy of <0.3K |
| Cloud droplet population density | CDP-2 UAV for measuring droplet size and number concentration with diameter between 2μm-50μm, with range of 0 - 2,000 cm-3 |
| Liquid water content | DMT LWC-300; 30Hz liquid water content from 0 to 3 g m-3 |
| Intertial Navigation | Inertial navigation unit, SBG Ellipse N, 100Hz, 0.1° Roll and Pitch over 360°, 0.5° Heading (GNSS aided) |
| State Parameters | Meteolabor radio-sonde equipped with Snowhite chilled mirror; Relative humidity (>1Hz @1000hPa & 20oC and 1% error) and temperature (10Hz, nominal accuracy of 0.1K) |
| State parameters (extra) | Vaisala Radiosonde RS41-SGP |
| State Parameters (backup) | Aosong relative humidity and temperature sensor response time ~5s and accuracy of 2% for RH and 0.1-1K for T. Not really a research-grade sensor but inexpensive and durable sensor that can be read easily with a simple micro controller. |
| Hot Wire | Dantec mini-hotwire, probably another one made at the MPIDS with the Nanoscribe 3d printer and Ultra Fast Thermometer made by Prof. Malinowski group in Warsaw; all sampled at 10kHz |
| CCN Counter (optional) | Sensirion CCN sensor Compact aerosol sensor; mass and number concentration for PM0.5, PM1.0, PM2.5, PM4 and PM10 |
PI/Contact:
Mohsen Bagheri, Eberhard Bodenschatz (MPI-DS in Göttingen)