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Volume 9
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10.3390/drones9110730
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Towards Safer UAV Operations in Urban Air Mobility: 3D Automated Modelling for CFD-Based Microweather Systems

by
Enrique Aldao
1,*,
Gonzalo Veiga-Piñeiro
2,
Pablo Domínguez-Estévez
2,
Elena Martín
2,
Fernando Veiga-López
1,
Gabriel Fontenla-Carrera
1 and
Higinio González-Jorge
1,*
1
Aerolab, Instituto de Física e Ciencias Aeroespaciais (IFCAE), Universidade de Vigo, Campus As Lagoas, 32004 Ourense, Spain
2
Instituto de Física e Ciencias Aeroespaciais (IFCAE), Universidade de Vigo, Campus As Lagoas, 32004 Ourense, Spain
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Drones 2025, 9(11), 730; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9110730 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 24 September 2025 / Revised: 14 October 2025 / Accepted: 20 October 2025 / Published: 22 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Civil Applications of Unmanned Aircraft Systems: 2nd Edition)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Turbulence and wind gusts pose significant risks to the safety and efficiency of UAVs (uncrewed aerial vehicles) in urban environments. In these settings, wind dynamics are strongly influenced by interactions with buildings and terrain, giving rise to small-scale phenomena such as vortex shedding and gusts. These wind speed oscillations generate unsteady forces that can destabilise UAV flight, particularly for small vehicles. Additionally, predicting their formation requires high-resolution Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models, as current weather forecasting tools lack the resolution to capture these phenomena. However, such models require 3D representations of study areas with high geometric consistency and detail, which are not available for most cities. To address this issue, this work introduces an automated methodology for urban CFD mesh generation using open-source data. The proposed method generates error-free meshes compatible with OpenFOAM and includes tools for geometry modification, enhancing solver convergence and enabling adjustments to mesh complexity based on computational resources. Using this approach, CFD simulations are conducted for the city of Ourense, followed by an analysis of their impact on UAV operations and the integration of the system into a trajectory optimisation framework. The CFD model is also validated using experimental anemometer measurements.
Keywords: uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs); Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD); 3D city modelling; Urban Air Mobility (UAM) uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs); Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD); 3D city modelling; Urban Air Mobility (UAM)

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Aldao, E.; Veiga-Piñeiro, G.; Domínguez-Estévez, P.; Martín, E.; Veiga-López, F.; Fontenla-Carrera, G.; González-Jorge, H. Towards Safer UAV Operations in Urban Air Mobility: 3D Automated Modelling for CFD-Based Microweather Systems. Drones 2025, 9, 730. https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9110730

AMA Style

Aldao E, Veiga-Piñeiro G, Domínguez-Estévez P, Martín E, Veiga-López F, Fontenla-Carrera G, González-Jorge H. Towards Safer UAV Operations in Urban Air Mobility: 3D Automated Modelling for CFD-Based Microweather Systems. Drones. 2025; 9(11):730. https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9110730

Chicago/Turabian Style

Aldao, Enrique, Gonzalo Veiga-Piñeiro, Pablo Domínguez-Estévez, Elena Martín, Fernando Veiga-López, Gabriel Fontenla-Carrera, and Higinio González-Jorge. 2025. "Towards Safer UAV Operations in Urban Air Mobility: 3D Automated Modelling for CFD-Based Microweather Systems" Drones 9, no. 11: 730. https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9110730

APA Style

Aldao, E., Veiga-Piñeiro, G., Domínguez-Estévez, P., Martín, E., Veiga-López, F., Fontenla-Carrera, G., & González-Jorge, H. (2025). Towards Safer UAV Operations in Urban Air Mobility: 3D Automated Modelling for CFD-Based Microweather Systems. Drones, 9(11), 730. https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9110730

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