An innovative approach for measuring wind fields in urban building clusters using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is presented. This method captures the distribution of wind fields within clusters. The results indicate that building architecture has a significant influence on wind flow characteristics at 15 m and 25 m height levels. Particularly, areas adjacent to the buildings and the wake section exhibit notable variations in wind speed and turbulence intensity compared to the incoming flow. The regions most affected include the areas flanking the buildings on either side and the intermediate section of the wake. The flow separation and convergence of incoming wind from the windward sides of the buildings notably amplify the wind load, resulting in a significant shift in wind speed and turbulence intensity within pedestrian pathways. The use of UAVs for wind measurements enables a flexible and efficient assessment of urban wind fields. These findings pave the way for further research into wind field measurements in urban architecture and a better understanding of the interference effects of buildings.

This study introduces an efficient and precise method for gathering atmospheric wind field data in specific regions, utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with anemometers. We conducted outdoor wind field measurements over complex terrains using a six-rotor UAV equipped with an ultrasonic anemometer. The results obtained include a vertical wind field profile at the center of the measured site, along with two planar wind field profiles at 20 m and 40 m heights. The analysis reveals a remarkably high fitting accuracy for the wind profile and turbulence intensity results obtained. Furthermore, the planar wind field data partially demonstrates the impact of terrain on the upper-level wind field within the surveyed area. Lastly, we established a three-dimensional wind field visualization approach using the data gathered through the UAV wind measurement method, implementing Kriging interpolation. This study’s outcomes offer novel insights and methodologies for local wind field measurement, micro-siting in wind farms, and the creation of visualized wind fields.

In aeolian sand movement, the vertical distribution of sand particle size is intricately linked to sand flux, wind–sand flow field and dune development. In the present study, the distribution characteristics of sand grains in four particle size ranges at nine heights were investigated through sand blowing tests at five different reference wind speeds. The correlation between sand particle size and wind speed indicates that when the particle size was ≥0.35 mm, there was a linear variation of mass percentage with wind speed. When the particle size was 0.15 m, an exponential modification in mass percentage with wind velocity was observed for sand grains falling within this specific range of particle sizes. The correlation between sand particle size and height indicates that when the reference wind speed was ≥15 m/s, the mass percentage of sand particles varied linearly with height. When the reference wind speed was ≤13.5 m/s, the mass percentage of sand grains with particle size in the 0.25–0.35 mm range increases first and then decreases with increasing height. The present results can provide a reference for subsequent research on the aerodynamic characteristics of wind–sand flow fields and on the mechanism of dune formation.

Utilizing P_b(Z_rT_i)O₃-5 A piezoelectric ceramic (hereafter referred to as PZT-5 A) as sensors, we studied the movement speed of sand particles in multiphase wind-sand flows. We developed a mathematical model that effectively links the impact force of sand grains with the output voltage of PZT-5 A, incorporating factors such as the piezoelectric coefficient and sand particle characteristics. Additionally, we proposed a new method to accurately determine the elastic recovery coefficient of sand particles using PZT-5A sensor measurements and experimental setups, which is significant for the field of material science. Wind tunnel experiments revealed that at heights ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 m, sand particle speeds range from 52.8% to 91.4% of wind speeds. As wind speed increases to 15 m s⁻¹, sand particle speed nears 91.4% of wind speed. Yet, at a constant wind speed, sand speed drops as sediment discharge rises. This research offers fresh insights into sand particle dynamics in wind-sand contexts.