Development of a Lightweight Kite-Balloon System for Atmospheric Observation

Captive balloon systems capable of wind measurement for atmospheric turbulence studies typically require a large volume of lifting gas to carry heavy instruments, such as sonic anemometers, increasing equipment and operational costs. The availability of newer and lightweight sensors like the TriSonica Mini and a kite-balloon as a lifting platform led to the development of a lightweight and easy-to-manufacture package described in this paper. The package is designed to observe various atmospheric variables, including wind speed, temperature, humidity, and pressure. It incorporates an Attitude and Heading Reference System and a GNSS/GPS to compute the wind from the measured airflow from the sonic anemometer by accounting for body movements. Measurements are stored in a data logger and transmitted into the ground station with a telemetry module; additionally, ground station software is developed for live monitoring and alternative backup data storage. The supporting platform or gondola is designed to be lightweight, protect the sensors from environmental factors, and reduce pitching motion during operation. The paper compares wind measurements from the developed system with those from a ground-based sonic anemometer and presents preliminary results from field tests.