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Title: Coordinated Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and Ground-Based Weather Measurements to Predict Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs)

Abstract

Concentrations of airborne chemical and biological agents from a hazardous release are not spread uniformly. Instead, there are regions of higher concentration, in part due to local atmospheric flow conditions which can attract agents. We equipped a ground station and two rotary-wing unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) with ultrasonic anemometers. Flights reported here were conducted 10 to 15 m above ground level (AGL) at the Leach Airfield in the San Luis Valley, Colorado as part of the Lower Atmospheric Process Studies at Elevation—a Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Team Experiment (LAPSE-RATE) campaign in 2018. The ultrasonic anemometers were used to collect simultaneous measurements of wind speed, wind direction, and temperature in a fixed triangle pattern; each sensor was located at one apex of a triangle with ~100 to 200 m on each side, depending on the experiment. A WRF-LES model was used to determine the wind field across the sampling domain. Data from the ground-based sensors and the two UASs were used to detect attracting regions (also known as Lagrangian Coherent Structures, or LCSs), which have the potential to transport high concentrations of agents. This unique framework for detection of high concentration regions is based on estimates of the horizontal wind gradient tensor. Tomore » our knowledge, our work represents the first direct measurement of an LCS indicator in the atmosphere using a team of sensors. Our ultimate goal is to use environmental data from swarms of sensors to drive transport models of hazardous agents that can lead to real-time proper decisions regarding rapid emergency responses. The integration of real-time data from unmanned assets, advanced mathematical techniques for transport analysis, and predictive models can help assist in emergency response decisions in the future.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [4];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States)
  2. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
  3. Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States)
  4. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
  5. UAS Colorado, Monument, CO (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1613039
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0018985
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Sensors
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 18; Journal Issue: 12; Journal ID: ISSN 1424-8220
Publisher:
MDPI AG
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Chemistry; Engineering; Instruments & Instrumentation

Citation Formats

Nolan, Peter, Pinto, James, González-Rocha, Javier, Jensen, Anders, Vezzi, Christina, Bailey, Sean, de Boer, Gijs, Diehl, Constantin, Laurence, Roger, Powers, Craig, Foroutan, Hosein, Ross, Shane, and Schmale, David. Coordinated Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and Ground-Based Weather Measurements to Predict Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs). United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.3390/s18124448.
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Nolan, Peter, Pinto, James, González-Rocha, Javier, Jensen, Anders, Vezzi, Christina, Bailey, Sean, de Boer, Gijs, Diehl, Constantin, Laurence, Roger, Powers, Craig, Foroutan, Hosein, Ross, Shane, & Schmale, David. Coordinated Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and Ground-Based Weather Measurements to Predict Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs). United States. https://doi.org/10.3390/s18124448
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Nolan, Peter, Pinto, James, González-Rocha, Javier, Jensen, Anders, Vezzi, Christina, Bailey, Sean, de Boer, Gijs, Diehl, Constantin, Laurence, Roger, Powers, Craig, Foroutan, Hosein, Ross, Shane, and Schmale, David. Sat . "Coordinated Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and Ground-Based Weather Measurements to Predict Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs)". United States. https://doi.org/10.3390/s18124448. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1613039.
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@article{osti_1613039,
title = {Coordinated Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and Ground-Based Weather Measurements to Predict Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs)},
author = {Nolan, Peter and Pinto, James and González-Rocha, Javier and Jensen, Anders and Vezzi, Christina and Bailey, Sean and de Boer, Gijs and Diehl, Constantin and Laurence, Roger and Powers, Craig and Foroutan, Hosein and Ross, Shane and Schmale, David},
abstractNote = {Concentrations of airborne chemical and biological agents from a hazardous release are not spread uniformly. Instead, there are regions of higher concentration, in part due to local atmospheric flow conditions which can attract agents. We equipped a ground station and two rotary-wing unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) with ultrasonic anemometers. Flights reported here were conducted 10 to 15 m above ground level (AGL) at the Leach Airfield in the San Luis Valley, Colorado as part of the Lower Atmospheric Process Studies at Elevation—a Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Team Experiment (LAPSE-RATE) campaign in 2018. The ultrasonic anemometers were used to collect simultaneous measurements of wind speed, wind direction, and temperature in a fixed triangle pattern; each sensor was located at one apex of a triangle with ~100 to 200 m on each side, depending on the experiment. A WRF-LES model was used to determine the wind field across the sampling domain. Data from the ground-based sensors and the two UASs were used to detect attracting regions (also known as Lagrangian Coherent Structures, or LCSs), which have the potential to transport high concentrations of agents. This unique framework for detection of high concentration regions is based on estimates of the horizontal wind gradient tensor. To our knowledge, our work represents the first direct measurement of an LCS indicator in the atmosphere using a team of sensors. Our ultimate goal is to use environmental data from swarms of sensors to drive transport models of hazardous agents that can lead to real-time proper decisions regarding rapid emergency responses. The integration of real-time data from unmanned assets, advanced mathematical techniques for transport analysis, and predictive models can help assist in emergency response decisions in the future.},
doi = {10.3390/s18124448},
journal = {Sensors},
number = 12,
volume = 18,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2018},
month = {Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2018}
}
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https://doi.org/10.3390/s18124448
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    Intercomparison of Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) Measurements for Atmospheric Science during the LAPSE-RATE Campaign
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    • Barbieri, Lindsay; Kral, Stephan; Bailey, Sean
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    Design and Evaluation of Sensor Housing for Boundary Layer Profiling Using Multirotors
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    • Islam, Ashraful; Houston, Adam L.; Shankar, Ajay
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    • DOI: 10.3390/s19112481

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    A Method for Detecting Atmospheric Lagrangian Coherent Structures Using a Single Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aircraft System
    journal, April 2019

    • Nolan, Peter; McClelland, Hunter; Woolsey, Craig
    • Sensors, Vol. 19, Issue 7
    • DOI: 10.3390/s19071607

    Using a Balloon-Launched Unmanned Glider to Validate Real-Time WRF Modeling
    journal, April 2019

    • Schuyler, Travis J.; Gohari, S. M. Iman; Pundsack, Gary
    • Sensors, Vol. 19, Issue 8
    • DOI: 10.3390/s19081914

    Intercomparison of Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) Measurements for Atmospheric Science during the LAPSE-RATE Campaign
    journal, May 2019

    • Barbieri, Lindsay; Kral, Stephan; Bailey, Sean
    • Sensors, Vol. 19, Issue 9
    • DOI: 10.3390/s19092179

    Design and Evaluation of Sensor Housing for Boundary Layer Profiling Using Multirotors
    journal, May 2019

    • Islam, Ashraful; Houston, Adam L.; Shankar, Ajay
    • Sensors, Vol. 19, Issue 11
    • DOI: 10.3390/s19112481

    Wind profiling in the lower atmosphere from wind-induced perturbations to multirotor UAS
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