The Airflow Field Characteristics of UAV Flight in a Greenhouse

Abstract

The downwash airflow field of UAVs is insufficient under the dual influence of greenhouse structure and crop occlusion, and the distribution characteristics of the flight flow field of UAVs in greenhouses are unclear. In order to promote the application of UAVs in greenhouses, the flow field characteristics of UAVs in a greenhouse were studied herein. In a greenhouse containing tomato plants, a porous media model was used to simulate the obstacle effect of crops on the airflow. The multi-reference system model method was selected to solve the flow field of the UAV. Studies have shown that the airflow field generated by UAV flight in a greenhouse is mainly affected by the greenhouse structure. With the increase in UAV flight height, the ground effect of the downwash flow field weakened, and the flow field spread downward and around. The area affected by the flow field of the crops became larger, while the development of the crop convection field was less affected. The simulation was verified by experiments, and linear regression analysis was carried out between the experimental value and the simulation value. The experimental results were found to be in good agreement with the simulation results.

Keywords

• unmanned aerial vehicle
• downwash flow field
• greenhouse
• numerical simulation