WIND SPEED SENSOR

Wind speed, or wind velocity, is a fundamental atmospheric rate. Wind speed

is caused by air moving from high pressure to low pressure. I
Many aspects can be affected by wind speed such as weather forecasting,
aircraft, mines, navigation and agriculture, so the observation of wind speed is
necessary.
An anemometer or wind meter is a device used for measuring wind speed,
and is a common weather station instrument. The term is derived from the
Greek word anemos, meaning wind, and is used to describe any air speed
measurement instrument used in meteorology or aerodynamics. The first
known description of an anemometer was given by Leon Battista Alberti
around 1450.ii

Types of Wind Speed Sensor

Nowadays the anemometers are usually divided into seven types:
1. Cup Anemometers
2. Vane Anemometers
3. Hot-wire Anemometers
4. Laser Anemometers
5. Sonic Anemometers
6. Acoustic Resonance Anemometers
7. Ping-pong Ball Anemometers
Cup Anemometers
The cup anemometer is the most widely used type which consists of several
metal cups (usually three) attached to the ends of horizontal arms mounted on
a vertical shaft. Wind catching in the cups causes them to revolve. This action
turns the shaft, which is connected to a device that can calculate the wind
speed (miles per hour, kilometers per hour, or some other ways to present
speed). Commonly, the shaft is connected to an electrical generator and the
amount of current produced by the generator varies with the speed of the
wind. This kind of anemometer was further developed to measure both
velocity and direction by adding a tag to one cup, which makes the cup wheel
speed change along with the tag moving alternately with and against the mind.
The fluctuation of cup wheel speed can be calculated to show the wind
direction.

(a)Cup Anemometer
Source and Price List:
1.http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_odkw=wind+speed+sensor&_osacat=0
&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xcup+anemometer
&_nkw=cup+anemometer&_sacat=0
2.http://www.instrumentcatalog.com.au/categories/anemometers/cup-
anemometers?gclid=CIHBvsD47r8CFUhvvAodr5oAvA
3.http://www.omega.com/pptst/WMS-20.html

Vane Anemometers
Described as a windmill or a propeller anemometer, this type of wind-speed-
measurement equipment has several vanes instead of cups. In addition,
contrary to the Cup Anemometer, where the axis of rotation is vertical, its axis
must be horizontal to parallel the direction of the wind. Similarly, the result
depends on the rotate speed of shaft, which is recorded and converted to the
wind speed by an electric chip. Under some circumstances, when the cross-
section area is known to stay the same, the outcome can be more precise and
satisfactory.

(b)Vane Anemometer

Source and Price List:

http://www.grainger.com/category/air-velocity-meters-and-anemometers/air-
movement/test-instruments/ecatalog/N-b83

Hot-wire Anemometers
Hot-wire Anemometer is also called Thermal Anemometer. It uses a very fine
wire electrically heated up to some temperature above the ambient. ii Thermal
anemometry is the most common method used to measure instantaneous
fluid velocity. The technique depends on the convective heat loss to the
surrounding fluid from an electrically heated sensing element or probe. If only
the air velocity varies, then the heat loss can be interpreted as a measure of
that variable. iii The same principle goes for air. When air flows past the wire, it
has a cooling effect on the metal. As there is a relationship between the
electrical resistance and the temperature of most metals (tungsten is widely
used for this reason) which can show in current and voltage, the flow speed
can be deduced from them.
Hot-wire devices can be further classified as CCA (constant
current anemometer), CVA (constant voltage anemometer) and CTA (constant-
temperature anemometer). Additionally, PWM (pulse-width modulation)
anemometers are also used, wherein the velocity is inferred by the time length
of a repeating pulse of current that brings the wire up to a specified resistance
and then stops until a threshold "floor" is reached, at which time the pulse is
sent again. ii
 (c)Hot-wire Anemometer

Laser Doppler Anemometersiv

The Laser Doppler Anemometer, or LDA, is a widely accepted tool for fluid
dynamic investigations in gases and liquids and has been used as such for more
than three decades. It is a well-established technique that gives information
about flow velocity.
The basic configuration of an LDA consists of:
 A continuous wave laser
 Transmitting optics, including a beam splitter and a focusing lens
 Receiving optics, comprising a focusing lens, an interference filter and a photo
detector
 A signal conditioner and a signal processor.

(d)Laser Anemometer
 The probe volume is typically a few millimeters long. The light intensity is
modulated due to interference between the laser beams. This produces
parallel planes of high light intensity, so called fringes. The fringe distance df is
defined by the wavelength of the laser light and the angle between the beams:

(e)Probe Volume
Each particle passage scatters light proportional to the local light intensity.
Flow velocity information comes from light scattered by tiny "seeding"
particles carried in the fluid as they move through the probe volume. The
scattered light contains a Doppler shift, the Doppler frequency fD, fD=
2𝑉
sin(𝜃⁄2), which is proportional to the velocity component perpendicular to
𝜆
the bisector of the two laser beams, which corresponds to the x axis shown in
the probe volume.
Since velocity equals distance divided by time, the expression for velocity thus
becomes: Velocity V = df* fD.

Sonic Anemometers
Sonic Anemometer use ultrasonic sound waves to measure wind velocity
based on the time of sonic pulses between transducers. Measurements from
pairs of transducers can be combined to yield a measurement of velocity in 1-,
2-, or 3-dimensional flow. The spatial resolution is given by the path length
between transducers, which is typically 10 to 20 cm. Sonic anemometers can
take measurements with very fine temporal resolution, 20 Hz or better, which
makes them well suited for turbulence measurements. The lack of moving
parts makes them appropriate for long-term use in exposed automated
weather stations and weather buoys where the accuracy and reliability of
traditional cup-and-vane anemometers is adversely affected by salty air or
large amounts of dust. Their main disadvantage is the distortion of the flow
itself by the structure supporting the transducers, which requires a correction
based upon wind tunnel measurements to minimize the effect. An
international standard for this process, ISO 16622Meteorology—Sonic
anemometers/thermometers—Acceptance test methods for mean wind
measurements is in general circulation. Another disadvantage is lower accuracy
due to precipitation, where rain drops may vary the speed of sound. Since the
speed of sound varies with temperature, and is virtually stable with pressure
change, sonic anemometers are also used as thermometers.
Basically, there are two kinds of Sonic Anemometer: Two-dimensional
(2D)Sonic Anemometers and Three-dimensional (3D) Sonic Anemometers. The
former one is usually used in weather stations, ship navigation, wind turbines,
aviation and weather buoys while the latter one in gas emissions and
ecosystem fluxes using the eddy covariance method when used with fast-
response infrared gas analysers or laser-based analysers. ii

(e) 2D Sonic Anemometer (f) 3D Sonic Anemometer

For 2D Sonic Anemometers, they can divided into two types as well:
1. Two ultrasound paths: with 4 arms; easier to develop compared to the
three ultrasounds paths; low accuracy when the wind comes in one ultrasound
path causing aerodynamic turbulence.
2. Three ultrasound paths: with 3 arms; one path redundancy; relatively high
accuracy and less aerodynamic turbulence.

Source and Price List:

1.http://www.instrumentchoice.com.au/search-results-
beta?q=sonic+anemometer
2.http://www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=29291
Acoustic Resonance Anemometers
An acoustic Resonance Anemometer also uses sound wave to measure air
speed. However, it creates resonating, standing wave in a small cavity, and by
observing the phase shift of the stationary wave caused by air flow, the
velocity of wind can be obtained.

(h) Acoustic Resonance Anemometer (i) Acoustic Resonance Anemometer Principles

An array of ultrasonic transducers are put into the cavity, which are used to
create the separate standing wave patterns at ultrasonic frequencies. As wind
passes through the cavity, a change in the wave’s property occurs (phase
shift).According to the variation of phase collected from transducers,
mathematic process converts the data into an accurate horizontal result of
wind speed as well as direction.
Compared to other anemometers, this kind has its advantages: with the small
cavity, it is relatively durable and small in size, which can also make it easier to
be heated and resistant to icing over if it is cold outdoors. Like Sonic
Anemometers, it may affected by dust partials or other factors, but by
readjusting itself, it can work well again. Although its measurement may be
less precise than other anemometers, the longevity can guarantee its
application in end uses.

Ping-pong Ball Anemometers ii

A common anemometer for basic use is constructed from a ping-pong ball
attached to a string. When the wind blows horizontally, it presses on and
moves the ball; because ping-pong balls are very lightweight, they move easily
in light winds. Measuring the angle between the string-ball apparatus and the
vertical gives an estimate of the wind speed.
 (g) Ping-pong Ball Anemometer

Applications
Weather Forecast
Wind speed is the symbol of many weather phenomena. The sudden change
of wind may indicate a horrible storm or hurricane. Therefore, transferring
related data to the control centre for analysis is very helpful to take action in
advance.
Marine operations
Wind speed as well as wind direction are two fatal factors for marine
operations. By detecting the wind speed, sailors can grasp the real-time
information about sea, and adjust the course of the ship in time.

(j) Marine Services

Aviation Meteorology
The same as navigation, the aircraft functions properly depending on air, so
keeping informed of wind speed is extremely important. When the velocity is
out of the range suitable for flight, the cancel of landing and take-off can avoid
plenty of trouble.
 (k) Plane taking off

Bridge Building
In bridge applications it is important to monitor both wind speed and
direction, however due to the height above ground it is often also necessary to
also monitor the vertical axis of the wind. This requires the use of a 3-axis
anemometer. In these applications the wind information is important to
determine cable vibration, wind loading on vehicle traffic or structural twisting
of the bridge itself.
Power & Energy
The efficiency of power lines is affected by wind conditions. When cold
weather generates demand for more electricity, power lines heat up and then
stretch and sag. In these circumstances wind can have two effects, it can help
to cool the line, but may also cause the line to sway and touch high trees
resulting in a short circuit discharge to ground, which can sometimes trigger a
major power outage.

(l) Power Lines

Disasters Control
When there is a fire, evacuating people and take action according to the result
of detection can yield twice the result with half the effort.
 Environment
Air pollution comes from many different sources, the faster the speed is, the
more destruction it will cause. Mounting wind speed sensors enable people to
be aware earlier, minimizing the impact of this pollution.

More Information about anemometer:

1.http://www.ammonit.com/en/products/sensors/anemometers
2.http://www.directindustry.com/tab/wind-speed-sensor.html
3.http://www.windsensor.dk/products.htm
4.https://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/IMOP/publications/IOM-82-
TECO_2005/Posters/P3(36)_USA_8_Sturgeon.pdf
5.https://ec.gc.ca/meteoaloeil-
skywatchers/default.asp?lang=En&n=FADBE18B-1
6.http://www.gillinstruments.com/products/anemometer/anemometer_appli
cations.html
7. http://www.fttech.co.uk/ft702-lt-v22-wind-sensor/
8. http://www.fonema.se/anemom/anemom.html

References:
1. Images(a) source:http://www.directindustry.com/prod/fuehlersysteme-
enet-international-gmbh/cup-anemometers-59132-486244.html
2. Images(b)
source:http://ibis.geog.ubc.ca/courses/geob204/images/lab1/Pages/5.html
3. Images(c) source:http://www-g.eng.cam.ac.uk/whittle/current-
research/hph/hot-wire/hot-wire.html
4. Images(d) source:http://www.dantecdynamics.com/measurement-
principles-of-lda
5. Images(e)
source:http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1319266
6. Images(f)
source:http://www.gillinstruments.com/products/anemometer/windmaster.ht
m
7. Images(g) source:https://ec.gc.ca/meteoaloeil-
skywatchers/default.asp?lang=En&n=FADBE18B-1
8. Images(h) source: http://www.fttech.co.uk/ft702-lt-v22-wind-sensor/
9. Images(i) source:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Acoustic_Resonance_
Anemometer.jpg
10. Images(j) source: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/marine
11. Images(k) source:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/birdlike/4868765023/?rb=1
12. Images(l) source: http://retasite.wordpress.com/2012/03/22/overhead-
transmission-lines-being-taken-down-in-the-uk/

i
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_speed
ii
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anemometer
iii
http://www-g.eng.cam.ac.uk/whittle/current-research/hph/hot-wire/hot-
wire.html
iv
http://www.dantecdynamics.com/measurement-principles-of-lda