Wind data collection techniques on a multi-rotor platform

Abstract

Meteorologists require reliable methods of obtaining high-quality atmospheric data, such as temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind velocity, to better understand and predict weather phenomena. Tethered weather balloons and ground towers are the current standards for research-grade atmospheric profiling. However, weather balloons and ground towers suffer from several disadvantages including high cost, low mobility, and labor intensive setups. Due to their dynamic nature, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) do not suffer from those disadvantages. Previous efforts at the University of Virginia have demonstrated the feasibility of collecting temperature and humidity data using low-cost sensors mounted on a multirotor UAV. Those efforts also explored a variety of ways to measure wind speed and direction, both of which continue to be a challenge. This paper investigates additional methods for obtaining wind data, including the use of low cost anemometers (wind sensors) mounted on a UAV, and using the flight response of the UAV itself to determine the wind velocity. A challenge in using anemometers is that disturbances caused by the rotors affect the wind in the near-field of the UAV. Testing has verified the feasibility of using the lowcost Modern Device Wind Sensor Rev. P for accurate wind speed measurements. Additional testing identified sensor configurations that compensate for wind noise introduced by rotor downwash. To measure wind direction, testing will determine the feasibility of both using an array of sensors as well as integrating sensor data with pitch and roll information from the UAV itself.