Investigation of Rain Attenuation in Equatorial Kuala Lumpur

This letter investigates rain attenuation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, by exploiting local drop size distribution (DSD) measurements. Coefficients for the well-established power-law model relating rain rate and specific attenuation are derived for frequencies in the Ku-, Ka-, and Q/V-bands based on three years of disdrometer data. We analyze the diurnal variation of rainfall rate for four time intervals and, moreover, we present statistics of rain attenuation for slant-path Earth-space links estimated by means of a new model (Stratiform-Convective SST) that combines the advantages of the Dual-Layer Synthetic Storm Technique (SST) and the SC EXCELL model. The predicted statistics are in good agreement with those obtained from beacon measurements (MEASAT-1 satellite at 12 GHz). Finally, the diurnal variation of the slant-path rain attenuation is presented to provide system operators and radio communication engineers with useful information on the quality of service (QoS) that can be achieved during a typical day on an Earth-space link.

[1]  Emilio Matricciani,et al.  Physical‐mathematical model of the dynamics of rain attenuation based on rain rate time series and a two‐layer vertical structure of precipitation , 1996 .

[2]  R. Gunn,et al.  THE TERMINAL VELOCITY OF FALL FOR WATER DROPLETS IN STAGNANT AIR , 1949 .

[3]  Yee Hui Lee,et al.  Truncated Gamma Drop Size Distribution Models for Rain Attenuation in Singapore , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[4]  L. Luini,et al.  Stratiform and Convective Rain Discrimination Deduced From Local $P(R)$ , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[5]  T. Oguchi.  Electromagnetic wave propagation and scattering in rain and other hydrometeors , 1983, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[6]  L. Luini,et al.  A New Prediction Model of Rain Attenuation That Separately Accounts for Stratiform and Convective Rain , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[7]  Ahmad Fadzil Ismail,et al.  Characteristics of fading and fade countermeasures on a satellite-Earth link operating in an equatorial climate, with reference to broadcast applications , 2000 .

[8]  Ccir.  Propagation Data and Prediction Methods Required for Earth-Space Telecommunication Systems , 1990 .

[9]  Carlo Capsoni,et al.  A new global prediction model of rain attenuation that separately accounts for stratiform and convective rain , 2005 .

[10]  E. Matricciani,et al.  Annual and diurnal slant path rain attenuation statistics in Athens obtained with the synthetic storm technique , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[11]  D. Short,et al.  Evidence from Tropical Raindrop Spectra of the Origin of Rain from Stratiform versus Convective Clouds , 1996 .