CAREER: Unraveling the Spatial Structure of Turbulence in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

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PI: Bailey, SeanProposal Number: 1351411The focus of this proposal is to explore and model the structure of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) using instrumentation mounted on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The scientific goals are to directly observe the hierarchy of length and time scales in flow structures (eddies) within the ABL, develop a predictive framework for these eddies, and understand how the dynamics of these structures contribute to transport processes within the ABL.Intellectual Merit:The intellectual merit of the proposed work rests on resolving a wide range of spatial scales within one of the most challenging flows in turbulence research - the ABL. These measurements, using a combination of experimental tools and analysis techniques, will fill a void in traditional ABL research capabilities and create new understanding of the ABL organization and of the effects of the flow structures on transport processes, such as pollutant dispersion, heat and temperature fluctuations in the atmosphere. The knowledge generated by these experiments will lead to (a) the development of a framework of the hierarchy of the flow structures which form in the ABL; (b) the characterization of the effects of the terrain on the behavior of these structures; and (c) the understanding of how the dynamics of these structures contribute to transport processes within the atmospheric boundary layer.Broader Impacts:Our climate, agriculture, and commerce are affected by the turbulence within the atmospheric layer closest to the earth surface, and this proposal's goal to decipher the chaotic dynamics of this layer has both fundamental and practical importance. Better understanding in this scientific area can lead to improvements in modeling weather and climate patterns, energy recovery in wind farms or tracking pollutants in the atmosphere. Graduate, undergraduate and high school students will participate in this project. The educational and outreach plan of this proposal leverages the popular appeal of drones (UAVs) to pursue recruiting high school students into STEM programs, motivate undergraduate students to enroll in graduate programs, and retain undergraduate students within engineering programs. Specifically, the PI is a co-organizer of the Kentucky Institute for Aerospace Education (KIAE) since 2010, and he will leverage his CAREER educational activities with KIAE to expand the wing design competition to include hands-on learning exercises for the KIAE high school students at the University of Kentucky. For undergraduate students, he is planning the development of Boundary Layer UAV Experiment for the Characterization of Atmospheric Turbulence (BLUECAT) team design, in which undergraduate students will become active with his research..