Researchers model urban airflows to help improve the design of drones, skyscrapers, and natural ventilation systems.

Scientists presented the latest findings on modeling and predicting urban airflow — in the hope of building better buildings, cities, and transportation — at the 73rd Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society’s Division of Fluid Dynamics.

The urban skies of the future could teem with autonomous aircraft: air taxis, drones, and other self-flying systems. A team from Oklahoma State University has developed techniques to model environmental hazards these vehicles might encounter so they can safely navigate cities.

«Urban environments present enormous challenges for drone and urban air mobility platforms,» said researcher Jamey Jacob, who led the team. «In addition to the challenges of traffic congestion and obstacles, critical technology gaps exist in modeling, detecting, and accommodating the dynamic urban local wind fields as well as in precision navigation through uncertain weather conditions.»

Researchers attached sensors to robotic aircraft to take more cohesive measurements of building wakes, or the disturbed airflow around buildings. They combined this data with numerical predictions to get a better picture of the complex wind patterns found in urban environments.

The work could help improve wind and weather forecasting, not only for unmanned aircraft but also for conventional airplanes.

Story Source: Materials provided by American Physical Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.