Demonstration of a remotely piloted atmospheric measurement and charge release platform for geoengineering

R. Giles Harrison; Keri A. Nicoll; Douglas J. Tilley; Graeme J. Marlton; Stefan Chindea; Gavin P. Dingley; Pejman Iravani; David J. Cleaver; Jonathan L. DU BOIS; David Brus

doi:10.1175/JTECH-D-20-0092.1

Demonstration of a remotely piloted atmospheric measurement and charge release platform for geoengineering

R. Giles Harrison, Keri A. Nicoll, Douglas J. Tilley, Graeme J. Marlton, Stefan Chindea, Gavin P. Dingley, Pejman Iravani, David J. Cleaver, Jonathan L. DU BOIS, David Brus

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Abstract

Electric charge is always present in the lower atmosphere. If droplets or aerosols become charged, their behavior changes, influencing collision, evaporation, and deposition. Artificial charge release is an unexplored potential geoengineering technique for modifying fogs, clouds, and rainfall. Central to evaluating these processes experimentally in the atmosphere is establishing an effective method for charge delivery. A small charge-delivering remotely piloted aircraft has been specially developed for this, which is electrically propelled. It carries controllable bipolar charge emitters (nominal emission current ±5 μA) beneath each wing, with optical cloud and meteorological sensors integrated into the airframe. Meteorological and droplet measurements are demonstrated to 2 km altitude by comparison with a radiosonde, including within cloud, and successful charge emission aloft verified by using programmed flight paths above an upward-facing surface electric field mill. This technological approach is readily scalable to provide nonpolluting fleets of charge-releasing aircraft, identifying and targeting droplet regions with their own sensors. Beyond geoengineering, agricultural, and biological aerosol applications, safe ionic propulsion of future electric aircraft also requires detailed investigation of charge effects on natural atmospheric droplet systems.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	63-75
Number of pages	13
Journal	Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology
Volume	38
Issue number	1
Early online date	7 Jan 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-20-0092.1
Publication status	Published - 7 Jan 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Acknowledgments. This material is based on work supported by the National Center of Meteorology, Abu Dhabi, UAE, under the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP). KAN acknowledges an Independent Research Fellowship funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) (NE/L011514/1 and NE/L011514/2). Stefan Chindea’s involvement was supported by the NERC Grant NE/N012070/1. Sam Hyams, James Male, and Freddie Sherratt made valuable contributions to building and flying the aircraft. The meteorological sensor characterization was undertaken by NERC SCENARIO summer students Heather Jones and Charlie Bell. Test flights in Finland were made during the 2019 Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure (ACTRIS) project in Pallas coordinated by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, a cofunded Institute of UAEREP. (ACTRIS-2 received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement 654109; ACTRIS PPP is supported by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020–Research and Innovation Framework Programme, H2020-INFRADEV-2016-2017, Grant Agreement: 739530.) The University of Bristol provided access to Fenswood Farm for flight tests.

Funding Information:
This material is based on work supported by the National Center of Meteorology, Abu Dhabi, UAE, under the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP). KAN acknowledges an Independent Research Fellowship funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) (NE/L011514/1 and NE/L011514/2). Stefan Chindea?s involvement was supported by the NERC Grant NE/N012070/1. Sam Hyams, James Male, and Freddie Sherratt made valuable contributions to building and flying the aircraft. The meteorological sensor characterization was undertaken by NERC SCENARIO summer students Heather Jones and Charlie Bell. Test flights in Finland were made during the 2019 Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure (ACTRIS) project in Pallas coordinated by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, a cofunded Institute of UAEREP. (ACTRIS-2 received funding from the European Union?s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement 654109; ACTRIS PPP is supported by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020?Research and Innovation Framework Programme, H2020-INFRADEV-2016-2017, Grant Agreement: 739530.) The University of Bristol provided access to Fenswood Farm for flight tests.

Keywords

Atmospheric electricity
Cloud droplets
In situ atmospheric observations
Weather modification

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ocean Engineering
Atmospheric Science

Access to Document

10.1175/JTECH-D-20-0092.1Licence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{4bf908ab4ced47d3a8710aa0f1e52111,

title = "Demonstration of a remotely piloted atmospheric measurement and charge release platform for geoengineering",

abstract = "Electric charge is always present in the lower atmosphere. If droplets or aerosols become charged, their behavior changes, influencing collision, evaporation, and deposition. Artificial charge release is an unexplored potential geoengineering technique for modifying fogs, clouds, and rainfall. Central to evaluating these processes experimentally in the atmosphere is establishing an effective method for charge delivery. A small charge-delivering remotely piloted aircraft has been specially developed for this, which is electrically propelled. It carries controllable bipolar charge emitters (nominal emission current ±5 μA) beneath each wing, with optical cloud and meteorological sensors integrated into the airframe. Meteorological and droplet measurements are demonstrated to 2 km altitude by comparison with a radiosonde, including within cloud, and successful charge emission aloft verified by using programmed flight paths above an upward-facing surface electric field mill. This technological approach is readily scalable to provide nonpolluting fleets of charge-releasing aircraft, identifying and targeting droplet regions with their own sensors. Beyond geoengineering, agricultural, and biological aerosol applications, safe ionic propulsion of future electric aircraft also requires detailed investigation of charge effects on natural atmospheric droplet systems.",

keywords = "Atmospheric electricity, Cloud droplets, In situ atmospheric observations, Weather modification",

author = "Harrison, {R. Giles} and Nicoll, {Keri A.} and Tilley, {Douglas J.} and Marlton, {Graeme J.} and Stefan Chindea and Dingley, {Gavin P.} and Pejman Iravani and Cleaver, {David J.} and {DU BOIS}, {Jonathan L.} and David Brus",

note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgments. This material is based on work supported by the National Center of Meteorology, Abu Dhabi, UAE, under the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP). KAN acknowledges an Independent Research Fellowship funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) (NE/L011514/1 and NE/L011514/2). Stefan Chindea{\textquoteright}s involvement was supported by the NERC Grant NE/N012070/1. Sam Hyams, James Male, and Freddie Sherratt made valuable contributions to building and flying the aircraft. The meteorological sensor characterization was undertaken by NERC SCENARIO summer students Heather Jones and Charlie Bell. Test flights in Finland were made during the 2019 Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure (ACTRIS) project in Pallas coordinated by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, a cofunded Institute of UAEREP. (ACTRIS-2 received funding from the European Union{\textquoteright}s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement 654109; ACTRIS PPP is supported by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020–Research and Innovation Framework Programme, H2020-INFRADEV-2016-2017, Grant Agreement: 739530.) The University of Bristol provided access to Fenswood Farm for flight tests. Funding Information: This material is based on work supported by the National Center of Meteorology, Abu Dhabi, UAE, under the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP). KAN acknowledges an Independent Research Fellowship funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) (NE/L011514/1 and NE/L011514/2). Stefan Chindea?s involvement was supported by the NERC Grant NE/N012070/1. Sam Hyams, James Male, and Freddie Sherratt made valuable contributions to building and flying the aircraft. The meteorological sensor characterization was undertaken by NERC SCENARIO summer students Heather Jones and Charlie Bell. Test flights in Finland were made during the 2019 Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure (ACTRIS) project in Pallas coordinated by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, a cofunded Institute of UAEREP. (ACTRIS-2 received funding from the European Union?s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement 654109; ACTRIS PPP is supported by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020?Research and Innovation Framework Programme, H2020-INFRADEV-2016-2017, Grant Agreement: 739530.) The University of Bristol provided access to Fenswood Farm for flight tests. ",

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AU - Cleaver, David J.

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N2 - Electric charge is always present in the lower atmosphere. If droplets or aerosols become charged, their behavior changes, influencing collision, evaporation, and deposition. Artificial charge release is an unexplored potential geoengineering technique for modifying fogs, clouds, and rainfall. Central to evaluating these processes experimentally in the atmosphere is establishing an effective method for charge delivery. A small charge-delivering remotely piloted aircraft has been specially developed for this, which is electrically propelled. It carries controllable bipolar charge emitters (nominal emission current ±5 μA) beneath each wing, with optical cloud and meteorological sensors integrated into the airframe. Meteorological and droplet measurements are demonstrated to 2 km altitude by comparison with a radiosonde, including within cloud, and successful charge emission aloft verified by using programmed flight paths above an upward-facing surface electric field mill. This technological approach is readily scalable to provide nonpolluting fleets of charge-releasing aircraft, identifying and targeting droplet regions with their own sensors. Beyond geoengineering, agricultural, and biological aerosol applications, safe ionic propulsion of future electric aircraft also requires detailed investigation of charge effects on natural atmospheric droplet systems.

AB - Electric charge is always present in the lower atmosphere. If droplets or aerosols become charged, their behavior changes, influencing collision, evaporation, and deposition. Artificial charge release is an unexplored potential geoengineering technique for modifying fogs, clouds, and rainfall. Central to evaluating these processes experimentally in the atmosphere is establishing an effective method for charge delivery. A small charge-delivering remotely piloted aircraft has been specially developed for this, which is electrically propelled. It carries controllable bipolar charge emitters (nominal emission current ±5 μA) beneath each wing, with optical cloud and meteorological sensors integrated into the airframe. Meteorological and droplet measurements are demonstrated to 2 km altitude by comparison with a radiosonde, including within cloud, and successful charge emission aloft verified by using programmed flight paths above an upward-facing surface electric field mill. This technological approach is readily scalable to provide nonpolluting fleets of charge-releasing aircraft, identifying and targeting droplet regions with their own sensors. Beyond geoengineering, agricultural, and biological aerosol applications, safe ionic propulsion of future electric aircraft also requires detailed investigation of charge effects on natural atmospheric droplet systems.

KW - Atmospheric electricity

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KW - In situ atmospheric observations

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Demonstration of a remotely piloted atmospheric measurement and charge release platform for geoengineering

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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Understanding Energetic Particle Effects on Atmospheric Processes

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Demonstration of a remotely piloted atmospheric measurement and charge release platform for geoengineering

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

Understanding Energetic Particle Effects on Atmospheric Processes

Cite this