Ultrasonic Anemometer Thies 3D - Heating for extreme icing conditions

• Classified acc. to IEC 61400-12-1:2017
• Measurement of wind direction & speed in 3 dimensions X, Y and Z
• Real-time measurement
• Highest precision, maintenance-free and heatable
• Digital / analog outputs and inputs

The Ultrasonic Anemometer 3D is designed to measure the horizontal and vertical components of wind velocity, wind direction and acoustic virtual temperature in 3 dimensions. The Ultrasonic Anemometer 3D consists of 6 ultrasonic transformers, in pairs facing each other at a distance of 200 mm. The three resulting measurement paths are vertical in relation to each other. The transformers function both as acoustic transmitters and receivers.

In comparison to cup anemometers, the measuring principle provides for inertia-free measurement of rapidly changing variables with maximum precision and accuracy. It is particularly suitable for the measurement of gusts and peak values. The level of accuracy achieved when measuring the air temperature (acoustic virtual temperature) surpasses that of classical methods, in which the temperature sensors are used with a weather and radiation shield, following correction of the influence of damp occurring with certain weather situations.

The maintenance-free and wearless anemometer needs no re-calibration, and is equipped with a heating for winter operation even under extreme conditions.

All calculations are carried out by a high-capacity digital-signal-processor (DSP) within the propagation time of the ultrasonic signals with an accuracy basis of 32 bit. The instrument offers comprehensive statistic functions such as gliding averaging, standard deviation, co-variance etc., which can be selected via the digital interface. The gliding averaging can be set optionally in vectorial or scalar form, identically or differently for each parameter.

Heating

For a multitude of applications the continuous output of solid measuring data of the wind velocity and direction is an indispensable requirement to the measuring system, even under meteorological extreme conditions such as icing situations. The Ultrasonic is equipped with a sophisticated heating system. This system keeps all outer surfaces that might disturb the measuring value acquision in case ice formation, efficiently on a temperature above +5°C.

Also the measuring arms belong to the heated outer surfaces, as well as additionally the ultrasonic transducer and the housing – depending on the model. The Utrasonic is in a position to generate measuring data with high accuracy even in unheated state at temperatures of up to below –40 °C. There is no temperature-depending quality of the measuring data. The heating is necessary only for avoiding the ice formation on the instrument construction, thus avoiding an involved failure in the measuring value acquistion.