Wind Pressure Orthogonal Decomposition Anemometer: A Wind Measurement Device for Multi-Rotor UAVs

Hou, Tianhao; Xing, Hongyan; Gu, W; Liang, Xiaofang; Li, Haoqi; Zhang, Huaizhou

doi:10.3390/drones7060366

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Alternative mounting strategies were explored, such as the side-mounted mast approach suggested in [ 7 ], akin to the designs in refs. [ 11 , 29 ]. However, the top-mounted mast design, as in refs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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UAV Atmosphere Sounding for Rocket Launch Support

Bęben,

Noga,

Cieśliński

et al. 2023

Sensors

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One of the crucial branches of activity at the Łukasiewicz Research Network—Institute of Aviation is developing a suborbital rocket vehicle capable of launching small payloads beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, reaching over 100 km in altitude. Ensuring safety is a primary concern, particularly given the finite flight zone and impact area. Crucial to safety analysis is the wind profile, especially in the very first seconds of a flight, when rocket velocity is of the same order as the wind speed. Traditional near-ground wind data sources, ranging from wind towers to numerical models of the atmosphere, have limitations. Wind towers are costly and unfeasible at many test ranges used for launches, while numerical modeling may not reflect the specific ground profile near the launcher due to their large cell size (2 to +10 km). Meteorological balloons are not favorable for such measurements as they aim to provide the launch operator with a wind profile at high altitudes, and are launched only 1–2 times per flight attempt. Our study sought to prototype a wind measurement system designed to acquire near-ground wind profile data. It focuses on measuring wind direction and speed at near-ground altitudes with higher flight frequency, offering data on demand shortly before launch to help ensure safety. This atmosphere sounding system consists of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with an onboard ultrasonic wind sensor. Some reports in the literature have discussed the possibility of using UAV-borne anemometers, but the topic of measurement errors introduced by placing the anemometer onboard an UAV remains under studied. Limited research in this area underlines the need for experimental validation of design choices–for specific types of UAVs, anemometers, and mounting. This paper presents a literature review, a detailed overview of the prototyped system, and flight test results in both natural (outdoor) and controlled (indoor, no wind) conditions. Data from the UAV system’s anemometer was benchmarked against a stationary reference weather station, in order to examine the influence of the UAV’s rotor on the anemometer readings. Our findings show a wind speed Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 5 m/s and a directional RMSE of below 5.3° (both averaged for 1 min). The results were also compared with similar UAV-based wind measurements. The prototyped system was successfully used in a suborbital rocket launch campaign, thus demonstrating the feasibility of integrating UAVs with dedicated sensors for performing regular meteorological measurements in automatic mode.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tianhao Hou et al [ 11 ] adopted a novel approach, outfitting a quadrocopter UAV with four custom-made anemometers, one for each rotor arm. This method differed from typical off-the-shelf anemometers, yielding slightly better RMSE accuracy than reported elsewhere.…”

Section: Introduction and Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

UAV Atmosphere Sounding for Rocket Launch Support

Bęben,

Noga,

Cieśliński

et al. 2023

Sensors

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Wind Source Localization System Based on a Palm-Sized Quadcopter

Yokota,

Hosoda,

Shigaki

2024

Applied Sciences

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In this study, we implemented a compact wind direction sensor on a palm-sized quadcopter to achieve wind source localization (WSL). We designed an anemotaxis algorithm based on the sensor data and experimentally validated its efficacy. Anemotaxis refers to the strategy of moving upwind based on information on the wind direction, which is essential for tracing odors propagating through the air. Despite the limited research on quadcopter systems achieving WSL directly through environmental wind measurement sensors, debate remains regarding the relationship between sensor placement and the anemotaxis algorithm. Therefore, we experimentally investigated the placement of a wind direction sensor capable of estimating wind source direction even when propellers are rotating. Our findings demonstrated that placing the sensor 50 mm away from the enclosure of the quadcopter allowed accurate wind direction measurement without being affected by wake disturbances. Additionally, we constructed an anemotaxis algorithm based on wind direction and speed data, which we integrated into the quadcopter system. We confirmed the ability of the quadcopter to execute anemotaxis behavior and achieve WSL irrespective of environmental wind strength through wind source localization experiments.

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Wind Pressure Orthogonal Decomposition Anemometer: A Wind Measurement Device for Multi-Rotor UAVs

Cited by 2 publications

References 34 publications

UAV Atmosphere Sounding for Rocket Launch Support

UAV Atmosphere Sounding for Rocket Launch Support

Wind Source Localization System Based on a Palm-Sized Quadcopter

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