Atmospheric Distributed Temperature Sensing Measurements Using UAS and Tethered Balloons

Members of the Atmospheric Science and Robotics organizations within Sandia National Laboratories have conducted a series of joint exercises involving using UAS and tethered balloons to collect atmospheric distributed temperature sensing measurements. The JUBA (Joint-UAS Balloon Activities) Intensive Operating Period was conducted within the U.S. DOE ARM (Atmospheric Radiation Measurement) program’s R-2204 Restricted Airspace at Oliktok Point, Alaska, in August 2017. A tethered balloon system was operated in conjunction with small unmanned aircraft such as the DJI Phantom quadcopter and Cinestar 8 octocopter. Optical fiber was suspended from the UAS and tethered balloon and used with a distributed temperature sensing (DTS) system in order to collect measurements of atmospheric temperature with high spatial resolution. Temperature measurements were also collected from iMet radiosondes and XQ UAV sensors operating on the tethered balloon and UAS for comparison and calibration purposes.

The feasibility and accuracy of atmospheric distributed temperature sensing measurements using UAS are evaluated and results are presented. Instrumentation and equipment limitations and performance are discussed. Potential applications for this measurement system for atmospheric and climate measurements, aerosol plume, wave propagation, wind turbine wake modeling, and energy pipeline monitoring are addressed.