TITLE:
Concept of Spinsonde for Multi-Cycle Measurement of Vertical Wind Profile of Tropical Cyclones
AUTHORS:
Chung-Kiak Poh, Chung-How Poh
KEYWORDS:
Spinsonde, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Tropical Cyclone, Stall-Spin Maneuver, Vertical Wind Profile
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.5 No.4,
April
24,
2015
ABSTRACT: Tropical cyclones and cyclogenesis are active areas of research. Chute-operated dropsondes are capable of acquiring high resolution vertical wind profile of tropical cyclones. This work proposes a chute-free vertical retardation technique (termed as spinsonde) that can accurately measure vertical wind speed profile. Unlike the expendable dropsondes, the spinsonde allows multi-cycle measurement to be performed within a single flight. Proof of principle is demonstrated via simulation and results indicate that the ground speed correlates with the wind speeds to within ±5 km·h-1. This technique reduces flying weight and increases payload capacity by eliminating bulky chutes. Maximum cruising speed (VH) achieved by the spinsonde UAV is 368 km·h-1.