Ultrasonic Anemometer Thies 2D – Heating in Arms and Sensor Head
Ultrasonic Anemometer Thies 2D – Heating in Arms and Sensor Head
- Classified acc. to IEC 61400-12-1:2017
- Measurement of wind direction, wind velocity and virtual temperature
- Highest precision, maintenance-free, different heating options
- Digital & Analog outputs
The Ultrasonic Anemometer 2D is designed to acquire the horizontal components of wind velocity and wind direction as well as the virtual temperature in two dimensions. Due to the measuring principle the instrument is ideal for inertia-free measurement of gusts and peak values.
Wind velocity and direction
The speed of propagation of the sound in calm air is superposed by the velocity components of an air flow in the direction of the wind. A wind velocity component in the propagation direction of the sound supports the speed of propagation; i.e. it increases if while a wind velocity component against the propagation direction reduces the speed of propagation.
The propagation speed resulting from superposition leads to different propagation times of the sound at different wind velocities and directions over a fixed measurement path. As the speed of sound greatly depends on the temperature of the air, the propagation time of the sound is measured on each of the two measurement paths in both directions. This rules out the influence of temperature on the measurement result. By combining the two measuring paths which are at right angles to each other, the measurement results of the sum and the angle of the wind velocity vector are obtained in the form of rectangular components. After the rectangular velocity components have been measured, they are converted to polar coordinates by the digital-signal-processor of the anemometer and output as a sum and angle of wind velocity.
Acoustic virtual temperature
The thermodynamic interrelationship between the propagation velocity of sound and the absolute temperature of the air is defined by a root function. The physical interrelationship between sound velocity and temperature is ideal when measuring the air temperature as long as the chemical composition is known and constant.
Heating
The Ultrasonic is equipped with a sophisticated heating system, which keeps all outer surfaces that might disturb the data acquision in case of ice formation, efficiently on a temperature above +5°C. The converters carrying arms belong to the heated outer surfaces, as well as the ultrasonic converters itself and the housing – depending on the model.
The Ultrasonic is able to acquire measuring data with high accuracy even in unheated state at temperatures down -40 °C. There is no temperature-depending quality of the measuring data. The heating is necessary only for avoiding ice formation on the instrument construction and the associated blockage of the run time data acquisition.
