On the control of buoyancy-driven devices in stratified, uncertain flowfields

The feasibility of a buoyancy-based control approach for regulating the horizontal position of atmospheric balloons in stratified and turbulent environmental flows is investigated. Two different control rules are considered, and numerical investigations are performed for a challenging case related to tropical cyclones. The low energy requirement of the buoyancy-based control approach allows continuous, in-situ observations that extend over much longer periods, and at a significantly reduced cost, than what is achievable with current observation platforms, while maintaining a high degree of maneuverability