What’s up with SAMURAI?
Location
Mori Hosseini Student Union & Events Center (Rooms - TBD)
Keywords
multirotor drone; sonic anemometry; field campaigns
Presenter Abstract
The SAMURAI (Sonic Anemometer on aMUlti-Rotor drone for Atmospheric turbulence Investigations) system in sling-load configuration (SAMURAI-S) has proven its capability to measure atmospheric turbulence parameters as accurate as mast-based sonic anemometry. During two field campaigns it has shown its unique potential to perform atmospheric turbulence measurements with unprecedented flexibility with respect to sensor positioning. The MOSAI campaign was dedicated to the investigation of the effects of local-scale surface heterogeneity on the atmospheric boundary layer over a grass-maize-forest transition. SAMURAI-S operations were mainly applying two mission strategies: a) transects at different altitudes across the forest edge and b) stationary deployments as vertical extension of a 40-m mast inside the forest. During the ROVER campaign, SAMURAI-S was operated from the helicopter deck of the Norwegian Research Icebreaker R/V Kronprins Haakon with the main focus on the measurement of sensible heat and momentum fluxes in the marginal ice zone along the Eastern coast of Greenland. In the first part of the presentation selected results, in particular from the MOSAI campaign, will be presented.
The sling-load configuration 20 m under the drone places the scientific payload for the wind measurements well outside any distortion by the propeller induced flow (PIF). For certain planned applications of the system, in particular for measurements in the vicinity of wind turbines, as, e.g., for the in-situ characterization of wind speed reduction in the induction zone or the near-wake of a turbine, the sling-load configuration will pose operational challenges. As a consequence, we developed a new design with the sonic anemometer on a boom in front of the drone (SAMURAI-B), to be operated in wind vane mode for minimizing flow distortion. The second part of our presentation will start with the description of the development of the SAMURAI-B system that can be equipped with extension arms of different lengths. It will also include the the in-flight validation of SAMURAI-B wind measurements against a sonic anemometer on a 10 m high mast. The results indicate that we experience moderate flow distortion by the PIF of the drone for low wind conditions and using the shorter version of the extension arm. For wind speeds above 5 m/s the flow distortion is negligible, in particular when using the longer extension arm.
Presentations
Presented in Session 8: New Observations III
What’s up with SAMURAI?
Mori Hosseini Student Union & Events Center (Rooms - TBD)
The SAMURAI (Sonic Anemometer on aMUlti-Rotor drone for Atmospheric turbulence Investigations) system in sling-load configuration (SAMURAI-S) has proven its capability to measure atmospheric turbulence parameters as accurate as mast-based sonic anemometry. During two field campaigns it has shown its unique potential to perform atmospheric turbulence measurements with unprecedented flexibility with respect to sensor positioning. The MOSAI campaign was dedicated to the investigation of the effects of local-scale surface heterogeneity on the atmospheric boundary layer over a grass-maize-forest transition. SAMURAI-S operations were mainly applying two mission strategies: a) transects at different altitudes across the forest edge and b) stationary deployments as vertical extension of a 40-m mast inside the forest. During the ROVER campaign, SAMURAI-S was operated from the helicopter deck of the Norwegian Research Icebreaker R/V Kronprins Haakon with the main focus on the measurement of sensible heat and momentum fluxes in the marginal ice zone along the Eastern coast of Greenland. In the first part of the presentation selected results, in particular from the MOSAI campaign, will be presented.
The sling-load configuration 20 m under the drone places the scientific payload for the wind measurements well outside any distortion by the propeller induced flow (PIF). For certain planned applications of the system, in particular for measurements in the vicinity of wind turbines, as, e.g., for the in-situ characterization of wind speed reduction in the induction zone or the near-wake of a turbine, the sling-load configuration will pose operational challenges. As a consequence, we developed a new design with the sonic anemometer on a boom in front of the drone (SAMURAI-B), to be operated in wind vane mode for minimizing flow distortion. The second part of our presentation will start with the description of the development of the SAMURAI-B system that can be equipped with extension arms of different lengths. It will also include the the in-flight validation of SAMURAI-B wind measurements against a sonic anemometer on a 10 m high mast. The results indicate that we experience moderate flow distortion by the PIF of the drone for low wind conditions and using the shorter version of the extension arm. For wind speeds above 5 m/s the flow distortion is negligible, in particular when using the longer extension arm.