Modeling and simulation of UAV static soaring based on multi-hole probe

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can extract energy to improve their range and endurance due to thermal updrafts in the environment via static soaring. In this paper, a soaring control strategy is improved based on multi-hole probe technology. A vertical wind speed estimation method based on the multi-hole probe is proposed to design thermal updraft identification, mode switching logic, and the soaring controller. Turn logic is used to determine the correct turn direction for UAVs when a thermal updraft is detected. A simulation environment containing a six-degree-of-freedom glider model and a thermal updraft model is described. The induced roll effect caused by the asymmetric vertical velocity distribution of thermal updraft is included in the simulations. The results show an improved soaring capability from the proposed soaring strategy. Thus, the proposed method based on a multi-hole probe is more accurate and robust, and the turn logic allows a glider to enter a thermal updraft more quickly. The more energy a glider can obtain from thermal updraft enables a lower soaring speed during static soaring.