A Cross-Facility Comparison of a Method to Evaluate the Wind-Speed Limits of Drones in Complex Airflow

Wind in the urban environment is characterized by local spatial and temporal variations in wind speed, wind direction, and turbulence levels, and can create challenging operating conditions for drones. A methodology was developed to assess the effect of turbulence levels, representative of airflow in the urban environment, on the wind-speed limits of small drones. A similar test program was conducted over four wind tunnel tests in different facilities. In each study, planes of airflow data were characterized downstream of a flat-plate turbulence generator. A drone was then flown at the prescribed planes to establish a relationship between turbulence and wind-speed limits. The cross-facility comparison conducted in this study identified similar downstream turbulence characteristics and consistent wind-speed limits for the drone that was tested.