Development of UAV-based system for simultaneous wind and particle measurements in the atmospheric boundary layer

Abstract

This study introduces a novel UAV-based platform for simultaneous wind and particle measurements within the atmospheric boundary layer. By integrating a full-scale sonic anemometer with a multi-resolution digital in-line holography (MRDIH) system, the UAV system captures three-dimensional wind vectors and particle size distributions—ranging from micrometer-scale aerosols to millimeter-sized particles—in real time. A customized hexacopter, equipped with GNSS/RTK/IMU navigation and flight control, enables synchronized data acquisition under varying flight conditions. To ensure accuracy, both time-domain and frequency-domain correction methods are employed to compensate for rotor-induced disturbances, yielding wind measurements that align closely with those from a fixed reference anemometer. Field campaigns validate the system’s ability to resolve turbulence statistics, such as energy spectra and dissipation rates, while DIH measurements demonstrate robust particle sizing in both near-surface and elevated cloud environments. The resulting data provide new insights into wind-particle interactions, including droplet dynamics within clouds and the turbulence-driven particle dispersion. Overall, this UAV platform addresses critical gaps in atmospheric measurements and can be readily adapted for diverse applications, including wind energy site assessment, air-quality monitoring, and fundamental research in dispersed multiphase flows. Future efforts will extend its operational envelope to extreme conditions and integrate refined data-assimilation techniques to further enhance measurement fidelity.