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Biral's involvement with wind measurement
For Biral, wind instrumentation is a speciality and we provide the world's most comprehensive range of solutions.

Every available measurement technique can be supplied from simple cup and vane systems to sophisticated ultrasonic anemometers. Also available are leading-edge solutions such as acoustic wind profilers or laser based systems for studies involving path averaged wind measurements.

Biral works closely with leading ultrasonic anemometer manufacturers to develop both national and international markets.

Associated with the scientific community, Biral has been involved in projects bringing new instruments to the market, eg three-dimensional RADAR wind profilers and improved software tools for evaluation data.

How the wind affects the weather
Wind is perhaps the most important factor in weather and there is certainly truth in the saying "where there is wind there is weather". Simply put, the wind is caused by the differences in temperature that occur both horizontally and vertically. This wind then moves air masses around and they become modified which produces much of the weather we experience. For example effects caused by land features such as forcing the air to rise and become saturated and possibly produce clouds and precipitation which in turn can have other impacts such as on the visibility or incoming solar radiation.

Why make wind measurements
There are many situations where a knowledge of the wind conditions helps in decision making such as pollution control, safety of tall structures, control of wind turbines, studies on the effects of wind on arable crops and verification of the speed of athletes on athletics tracks to name but a few.

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What is an anemometer
The word anemometer comes from the Greek anemos meaning wind, plus meter and is an instrument used to measure the force of the wind. Anemometers measure the wind speed and direction at the exact point at which they are sited.

The type of wind measurement systems available
Wind speed and direction are the two elements that are considered most important and for many years mechanical style cup and vane anemometers have been the mainstay. They are generally simple but effective tools with the cup measuring the speed and the vane the direction. Mechanical style systems can record wind speeds up to about 75 m/s (167 miles/hr) and are generally inexpensive.

More recently, ultrasonic anemometers have come onto the market. These have the advantage of having no moving parts and therefore do not suffer from icing damage like the above mechanical style systems, they do not require maintenance and have no initial friction to overcome before providing data, again all traits of the mechanical designs.Ultrasonics are available as 2 axis models for measuring the horizontal speed and direction and 3 axis models for full three dimensional real time turbulence profiles. Like their cup and vane cousins the results can be sent to a wide range of recording mediums such as dataloggers, digital displays, chart recorders or directly to a PC for viewing and archiving. With a starting price equal to medium quality cup and vane varieties they can provide excellent value for money and as the quality of the instrument increases so does the price, however the research models providing 100 data samples per second still offer better value for money than other more sophisticated laser based systems and less hassle.

Selecting the right wind measurement system for your application
There are many different models on the market today so it is important to match the right instrument to the application. For instance a wind system for use within Arctic conditions would need to be able to operate in harsh conditions, at very low temperatures and, as with all instruments sited at remote locations, would need to be reliable and maintenance free. Furthermore, as the instruments are exposed to the environment they are measuring in, it is not just the weather conditions they have to withstand as was the case with a high specification datalogger which was found intact and useable even after it had been attacked by polar bears! For advice on which anemometer is the best for you please email Biral.

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Anemometers are not always used for meteorological applications
Not all anemometers are used for purely meteorological purposes but can be utilised for airflow applications such as ventilation control in road and rail tunnels. In fact any duct over 6 inches in diameter can accommodate an ultrasonic anemometer to monitor the flow of air. Perhaps one of the more bizarre uses was for a study to find the best location for sutures when repairing a horse's larynx. The larynx of a recently deceased animal was attached to a 'wind tunnel', powered by a vacuum cleaner, for a controlled and known 'sucking' force and an ultrasonic anemometer inserted into the larynx to 'see' the movement variations and small changes in volume flow.

Making wind measurements and wind profiles higher up in the atmosphere (in the boundary layer)
As useful as they are, anemometers can only measure the wind at the exact point at which they are sited, so what do you use when you need to know what the wind is doing higher up in the atmosphere or if you require a three dimensional wind profile? This is where remote sensing systems known as SODARs (SOnic Detection And Ranging) come into play. Sodars provide three-dimensional profiling of the atmosphere in real-time directly above the unit to heights of several hundred meters for boundary layer studies, local climate and pollution studies, agrometeorology and on airfields. In Spain the renewable energy market is now completely moving over to Sodars for site evaluation for met masts and turbine locations.

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Links to previous pages
+ USA / Canada met index      

Wind Section
  + wind FIND
     + wind general
        - YOU ARE HERE               

FIND
by application

email: wwwusamet@biral.com

top of page