use of a small unpiloted aerial vehicle for remote sensing in the arctic – potential and...
Post on 15-Jan-2016
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Use of a Small Unpiloted Aerial Vehicle for Remote Sensing in the Arctic – Potential and Limitations
Jim Maslanik, [email protected]
• Rationale for UAVs
• The “Aerosonde” UAV
• Barrow Operations
• Results
• surface characterization / time-space variations
• ice-atmosphere interactions
• ocean temperatures – local/regional variations, forcings
• polar clouds and radiation
• satellite product validation
• coastal processes (erosion, productivity, currents)
• wildlife studies
• vegetation / lake studies
• search and rescue
• …
Potential Research/Application Areas
Aircraft Support Issues for Polar Research
• research-grade aircraft
• easily deployable with less long-range planning needed
• ability to stay on site for long periods
• low cost
• minimum hassle
• basic instrument suite
• long range/duration
• multiple aircraft
• …
Why UAVs?
Considerations:• safety• access• operating conditions• logistics and cost
• access
• local impacts
Why UAVs?
The Aerosondetm Unpiloted Aerial Vehicle
Design philosophy:
• fully robotic
•low cost per plane (approx. $50,000)
• low/moderate operations/logistics costs
• long range/flight duration
• small but effective payload capacity
• flexible communications/operations modes
• Relatively low cost
• Ease of deployment
• Global sat-comm operation
•Range and multi-plane capabilities
Advantages/Disadvantages of the Aerosonde
• payload restrictions
• no “see and avoid”
Manufactured and operated by Aerosonde, Ltd., Melbourne
(www.aerosonde.com)
Instrument Payloads:• air temp., RH, wind speed and direction• digital camera (800 image capacity)• infrared pyrometer (skin temps., cloud top temps.)• video (visual and thermal: long-range transmission)• icing sensor• imaging radar, profiling laser, pyranometers, cloud particle sampler•ozone sampler, profiling spectrometer, turbulent flux measurements
Multi-Plane / Long-Duration Mission Configurations
• aircraft at multiple altitudes
• two planes flying in tandem
• tag-team missions
Profiles
Lead Mission: 29 March 2003
Survey Legs
Mission Planning and Control
Barrow-Based Operating Area
Engineering accomplishments for operations in cold regions
• Oil heating• Icing sensor for avoidance• Insulate electronics• Replace carburetor with fuel injection system• Strengthened airframe to withstand icing
Limitations:
• airframe icing
• availability and maintenance of launch/landing areas
• payload/power restrictions
• availability and scheduling
• cost
• local impacts
• FAA restrictions
Research Examples (Barrow Missions)
[email protected]@colorado.edu
www.aerosonde.comwww.aerosonde.com
[email protected]@eas.gatech.edu
[email protected]@aerosonde.com
Ice-Atmosphere Processes
air temperature skin
temperature
wind direction
Lead Processes and Surface Temperature Studies
Mesoscale variability caused by open water
upwind
downwind
Sea Surface Temperature Studies
4am ADT, Tuesday, July 29
Winds: West-southwest at 38 mph, Gust of 49 mph, Temperature: 47°F
L
Improving Weather Forecasts
Shoreline/Vegetation Mapping
Surface Characterization
Potential Contribution to Other Programs
• SEARCH
• RIME
• EOS / NPOESS
• PARCA
• Int. Polar Year
• …
Links and Contacts
www.aerosonde.com
http://polarbear.colorado.edu/barrow03/
Questions?
#1. FAA flight restrictions
• FAA limits flight operations to outside 12 miles from shore
• FAA requires visual-flight-rule (VFR) conditions for take-off (Aerosondes are capable of operating under IFR conditions)
• increased FAA flexibility, clearly-defined FAA technology requirements for UAVs, new flight monitoring technology (e.g., “Capstone” program)
#2. Airframe icing
• detect and avoid icing conditions through onboard instrumentation and mission planning
• anti-icing engineering
#3. Cross-winds
• presently limited to east-west launch tracks
• launch procedure mods.
• additional launch area
Major (Barrow Area) Limiting Factors / Solution Options