Use of Small-Size UAVs for Turbulence Measurements in the Atmosphere
The paper demonstrates the possibility of using telemetry of small-size unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to monitor the state of atmospheric turbulence. The turbulence spectrum was determined from the data on the roll, pitch, and yaw angles of the DJI Mavic Mini quadcopter and then compared with measurements of AMK-03 autonomous sonic weather station. The measurements were carried out at the Basic Experimental Observatory (BEK) of the V.E. Zuev Institute of Atmospheric Optics SB RAS (Tomsk, Russia), whose territory has nearly smooth and uniform surface, on July 24 and August 12 of 2020. It has been found that the turbulence spectra obtained with АМК-03 and DJI Mavic Mini are generally identical with minor discrepancies in the high-frequency spectral range from $f\~1{\text{\;}}$ Hz. For the data obtained in July, the turbulence spectra in the inertial range obey the “5/3” law, and the relation of measured turbulence spectra of the longitudinal and transverse velocity components corresponds to the Kolmogorov—Obukhov isotropic turbulence. As to the data obtained in August, slight deviation from the “5/3” law was observed in both AMK-03 and DJI Mavic Mini measurements. The longitudinal and transverse turbulence scales were estimated by the least-square fit method with the von Karman model as a regression curve. The turbulence scales calculated from the July and August data of АМК-03 and DJI Mavic Mini coincide, and the condition describing the relation between the longitudinal and transverse scales in the isotropic atmosphere keeps true to a good accuracy.