A low-cost ultrasonic wind speed and direction measurement system

• Published in: 2013 IEEE International Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference (I2MTC) pp. 505 - 510
• Main Authors: Bucci, G., Ciancetta, F., Fiorucci, E., Gallo, D., Landi, C., Luiso, M.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01.05.2013
• Subjects: Acoustics; Fluid flow measurement; Temperature measurement; Transducers; ultrasonic transducer; Ultrasonic variables measurement; User interfaces; wind energy; Wind speed; wind speed measurement
• ISBN: 9781467346214; 1467346217
• ISSN: 1091-5281
• DOI: 10.1109/I2MTC.2013.6555469

The paper deals with a low-cost transducer that implements an improved technique for wind speed measurement in open air. The instrument is a 2-axis ultrasonic anemometer, capable of monitoring both wind speed and direction. Its main advantage is that using the ultrasonic technique it has no moving parts, allowing for the utilization in a variety of applications requiring low maintenance and fast response to rapid wind gusts. Wind speed measurement for power turbine control can be considered as a reference application of it. The proposed instrument presents a simple design and is constructed using commercially available components, to reduce development costs. In the paper the proposed architecture is presented, discussing the algorithm applied to process the transduced ultrasonic signals. Some results obtained during the first tests are also presented and discussed, suggesting for successive improvements.