News

UAE uses drones to increase rainfall


Researchers from the University of Reading were commissioned by the UAE to explore ways to use drones to launch electrical energy into the clouds to induce rainfall in the Gulf. The UAE has paid 1.4 million U.S. dollars to the British research team to test how electric charges expand and merge water droplets to form rain.


According to the data, this is a new measure to promote "cloud broadcasting". Use airplanes to drop chemicals into the clouds, thereby increasing rainfall by 30%. About 80% of the UAE's food supply comes from imports, which has raised concerns about the sustainable development of this oil country. But the researchers hope to stop the rainfall trend by using drones to send pulses of charged ions into the atmosphere. They believe that using low-power electrical pulses on cloud drops can promote the formation of raindrops.

The country is already using cloud seeding technology and spreading salt to encourage precipitation. However, since the average rainfall in the UAE is only 100 millimeters per year, the country hopes to increase production. In 2017, the government provided US$15 million (£10.8 million) in funding for nine different rainwater improvement projects.

Alya Al-Mazroui, director of the UAE Enhanced Rainfall Science Research Project, said that the remote-controlled drone developed in the UK will be tested at the flight center in Dubai.

She said: "These drones are equipped with charge-emitting instruments and custom sensors. They will fly at low altitudes and deliver charges to air molecules, which will promote precipitation."

Dr. Keri Nicoll, an associate professor at the University of Reading, who participated in this project, said: “If you emit electric charges in the clouds, the electric charges will soon be collected by the water droplets. We The theory and modeling work of the company shows that charging these small droplets can increase the possibility that they will merge through electrostatic force, and ultimately help them become raindrops.

FlyDragon FD180P VTOL drone for rainfall


Flydragon FD180P The UAV platform is a large-scale oil-powered long-haul composite wing vertical take-off and landing drone independently developed by our company. The overall layout of the composite wing with fixed wing and four-rotor is used to solve the fixed-wing UAV vertical in a simple and reliable way. The problem of take-off and landing, combined with the characteristics of fixed-wing UAV's longitude, high speed, long distance and the vertical take-off and landing of the rotorless drone, the vertical take-off and landing mode greatly enhances the environmental adaptability of the UAV platform. The UAV platform can smoothly operate in complex terrain and densely populated areas such as mountains, hills and jungles, greatly expanding the scope of application of drones, and is an ideal choice for industrial-grade drones.

FlyDragon FD180P UAV platform is equipped with industrial-grade vertical take-off and landing fixed-wing flight control and strapdown inertial navigation system, as well as professional aerial aerial survey and inspection ground station software. It can ensure that the drone can fly autonomously and complete the autonomous takeoff without operator intervention. In the flight phase of flight state transition, autonomous cruise, and autonomous landing, it also supports automatic route planning for more than 1000 waypoints and emergency standby plan for 100 waypoints.

The drone platform has the following features and advantages:

a) Practical and efficient: it has the characteristics of fixed-wing UAV's long flight time, fast speed, long distance and large load;

b) Vertical take-off and landing: with the take-off and landing mode of the rotorless drone, greatly reducing the requirements for landing and landing and airspace;

c) low cost of use: no complicated and bulky launching and recycling equipment, no additional recycling sensors required;

d) Simple operation: integrated special flight control and navigation system, full autonomous flight, operators only need to send flight plans, no professional training and operational experience;

Performance

parameter

Body length

3.35m

Wingspan

6.5m

Maximum takeoff weight

180kg

Maximum payload

40kg

Endurance

8h~10h

Flight radius

300-500km

(depending on the amount of oil loaded)

Maximum control distance

Remote control (manual control): 1km

Ground station control (depending on the distance of the digital transmission): 30km standard

Maximum speed

130km/h

Cruising speed

100-120km/h

Maximum oil load

40L

Lift limit

5000m

Maximum wind resistance

12m/s(6 level winds)

Use environment

-10+45; anti-light rain

Vertical takeoff and landing

32*8000mAh-6S Li battery

Takeoff and landing mode

Vertical takeoff and landing