Atmospheric Boundary Layer Characterization via UAS Wind Speed Measurements

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) have become increasingly involved in weather monitoring and prediction. UAS can be outfitted with sensors to measure various atmospheric properties such as temperature, velocity, and humidity. Interference between the UAS propulsion systems and these sensors can contaminate data sets. To mitigate this issue, the sensor must be placed in a position where contamination is minimal. Previous work (Brenner, 2021) delineated methodology to determine the optimal placement for a wind velocity sensor. The current work aims to utilize this optimal sensor placement to obtain trusted velocity measurements from a UAS. These measurements, along with stationary tower velocity measurements, will be used to characterize the local atmospheric boundary layer. The characterization is done by analyzing wind velocity signals from both the tower and the UAS. Results shown will be a statistical analysis between both the stationary tower and UAS. Specifically looking at length and time scales of the atmospheric boundary layer.