Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Date

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Electrical & Computer Engineering

Committee Chair

Eddie Jacobs

Committee Member

Christopher Dougherty

Committee Member

Daniel Foti

Committee Member

Mohammadreza Davoodi

Abstract

Small unmanned and autonomous aerial vehicles are often required to operate within the turbulent atmospheric boundary layer and other degraded environments, where local turbulent behavior can strongly influence stability, control, and navigational performance. Despite the operational importance of these degraded environments, systematic studies of the associated aerodynamic challenges remain limited. One reason is the lack of suitable laboratory settings for repeatable and robust testing of atmospheric-like wind conditions. To address this gap, this experimental and computational work characterizes baseline conditions of a modular multi-source wind generation system that can be used to simulate flight relevant atmospheric conditions. Through complimentary Large Eddy simulations and experimental measurements, the jet formation mechanisms and scaling behavior of the fan array wind generation system are quantified. The apparatus enables precise control of both mean and fluctuating velocity components within a large open air test volume, supporting static aerodynamic characterization as well as free flight testing of autonomous vehicles. Important non-dimensional scaling behaviors of fan arrays are quantified, enabling estimation of test regions. The study further investigates how array configuration and the effect of resistive elements influence downwind flow development, offering guidance for the design and optimization of future multi-source wind generation systems.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest/Clarivate.

Notes

Open Access.

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