Evaluation of Airborne Wind Measurement System.
| Problem: | Wind speed and direction are one of the driving forces that determine where and when a droplet will deposit once the droplet has been released from a spraying system. Aerial applicators have been forced to use weather data collected away from the site of application or judge the wind from the cockpit to determine if their spray may move into an undesired location because of wind. |
| Objective: | To evaluate and, subsequently, develop an airborne meteorological system, which will indicate wind speed and direction in real-time. |
| Approach: | This work will focus on developing and/or evaluating equipment that can be added on an aircraft for measuring wind speed and direction, temperature, and humidity while in flight. This will allow applicators to know the exact weather conditions in a field they are treating without relying on weather data from a distant weather station. A system has been introduced into the marketplace by Aventech Research, Inc. that makes these measurements. Because this instrument has not been tested on agricultural aircraft, the instrument will be field tested to determine the applicability to our research goals and, ultimately, to aerial applicators. Initial efforts will focus on testing and validation of the system. |
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Significant Impact: |
The ability to monitor meteorological conditions will help aerial applicators make informed application decisions and avoid drift complaints. |