Heated anemometer works in freezing weather
May 26, 2010 by Paul Dvorak
Filed under Turbine Sensors, Wind Power News
Cup anemometers can generate inaccurate wind-speed values in gusty periods, and should one freeze, its turbine may have to shut down. One solution is an ultrasonic anemometer, like the Ventus UMB 8371 with a 240W heater. This unit provides precise and maintenance-free measurements of wind velocity and direction.
Ventus belongs to Lufft’s WS family of professional intelligent sensors (in Booth 106) with digital and analog interfaces. This wind sensor has no mechanical parts as are used with traditional “cups and vanes”. The digital or analog output delivers instantaneous, average, min or max value with flexible measuring rate. The heated Ventus makes it well suited for cold climates. Outputs are available for the NMEA data, ASCII UMB, and binary UMB protocols, along with 4 to 20 mA analog, and soon, SDI12 protocol.
Windpower Engineering Editor Paul Dvorak is an experienced mechanical engineer. Paul has seven years of hands on mechanical engineering experience and 23 years of technical writing. Paul is constantly in correspondence with wind turbine manufacturers and wind power researchers. Thanks to this correspondence, he is able to write about wind engineering topics before any other editor in the wind space.
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