Wind speed measurement

Abstract

According to an example embodiment, a wind speed measuring device is provided, the device comprising a pressure sensor (110) arranged to provide a pressure sensor signal (111), the pressure sensor signal (111) describing the instantaneous air pressure; a wind deflector (115) arranged to prevent direct airflow from the environment of the device (100, 100-k) to the pressure sensor (110); and a processing unit (112, 120, 122) for deriving one or more wind speed characteristics based on the pressure sensor signal (111), the one or more wind speed characteristics describing the wind speed at a predetermined reference measurement height.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] An exemplary and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention relates to an anemometer enabling the measurement of wind speed and / or the estimation of atmospheric pressure. Background Art

[0002] Accurate and reliable measurement of wind speed plays a role in daily life and recreational activities, as well as in many technical and commercial fields such as weather forecasting, aviation and maritime operations, construction engineering, agriculture, etc.

[0003] A conventional instrument for measuring wind speed is an anemometer, in which the horizontal speed of air (i.e., wind speed) is measured based on the rotational speed of a vertically mounted rotatable shaft provided with a plurality of blades or cups. Another known wind speed measurement technique includes the use of an ultrasonic wind sensor, which measures wind speed based on the corresponding propagation times of high-frequency sounds between a plurality of transmitter-receiver pairs. Another example of wind speed measurement known in the art includes the use of an acoustic resonance sensor, in which an air flow (i.e., wind) passes through a cavity in which a plurality of ultrasonic transducers are applied to generate corresponding standing wave patterns, and the wind passing through the cavity causes a phase shift in the standing wave pattern that describes the wind speed. Other examples of wind speed measurement techniques known in the art include remote sensing methods utilizing equipment such as lidar (light radar) or sodar (sound radar).

[0004] A recent method for measuring wind speed is disclosed in US Pat. No. 9,945,884 B2. The purpose of the method is to measure the wind speed at a measuring device based on the difference between the atmospheric pressure measured by a first pressure sensor arranged inside the housing of the measuring device and the air pressure measured by a second pressure sensor arranged at an opening in the housing. While this arrangement allows for a relatively simple method to measure wind speed in the immediate vicinity of the measuring device, the measurement depends on the shape of the housing, the shape and size of the opening in the housing, and the placement of the second pressure sensor relative to the opening and the housing. Furthermore, depending on the specific shape of the opening, the airflow through the opening to the second pressure sensor may be highly sensitive to wind direction, increasing the risk of inaccurate measurements based on wind direction. Consequently, the measured wind speed may reflect the idiosyncrasies of the measuring device design and depend on wind direction, which still results in highly localized measurements that may not adequately reflect the wind speed in the immediate surroundings further away from the measuring device, with the typical measurement of interest being the standard meteorological (surface) wind speed at an altitude of 10 meters in open terrain. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique that facilitates measuring wind speed characteristics at a desired measurement height in a reliable manner using a measurement arrangement that is simple in design and allows its installation point to be free relative to the desired measurement height.

[0006] According to an example embodiment, a wind speed measuring device is provided, the device comprising a pressure sensor (110) arranged to provide a pressure sensor signal (111), the pressure sensor signal (111) describing the instantaneous air pressure; a wind deflector (115) arranged to prevent direct airflow from the environment of the device (100, 100-k) to the pressure sensor (110); and a processing unit (112, 120, 122) for deriving one or more wind speed characteristics based on the pressure sensor signal (111), the one or more wind speed characteristics describing the wind speed at a predetermined reference measurement height.

[0007] According to another example embodiment, a wind speed measurement network is provided, comprising a plurality of devices and a control device according to the example embodiments described above, wherein each of the plurality of devices is arranged for deriving one or more respective wind speed characteristics at a respective location, and the control device is arranged for deriving a wind speed profile based on the one or more respective wind speed characteristics obtained from the plurality of devices.

[0008] According to another example embodiment, a method for measuring wind speed is provided, the method comprising: obtaining a pressure sensor signal describing an instantaneous air pressure using a pressure sensor having a wind shield arranged to prevent direct airflow from an environment of an apparatus housing the pressure sensor to the pressure sensor; and deriving one or more wind speed characteristics describing a wind speed at a predetermined reference measurement height based on the pressure sensor signal.

[0009] According to another example embodiment, a computer program for measuring wind speed is provided, the computer program comprising computer readable program code configured to cause at least the following to be performed when the program code is executed on one or more computing devices: receiving a pressure sensor signal describing an instantaneous air pressure from a pressure sensor having a wind deflector arranged to prevent direct airflow from an environment of a device housing the pressure sensor to the pressure sensor; and deriving one or more wind speed characteristics describing the wind speed at a predetermined reference measurement height based on the pressure sensor signal.

[0010] The computer program according to the above-described example embodiments may be contained on a volatile computer-readable recording medium or a non-volatile computer-readable recording medium, for example, as a computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable non-transitory medium having program code stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more computer-readable media, causes a computing device to perform at least the method according to the example embodiments described in the foregoing.

[0011] The exemplary embodiments of the invention presented in this patent application should not be interpreted as limiting the applicability of the appended claims. The verb "comprise" and its derivatives are used in this patent application as open limitations that do not exclude the presence of unlisted features. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the features described below can be freely combined with each other.

[0012] Certain features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims.The invention, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of certain exemplary embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the accompanying figures, in which

[0014] Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of some logical elements of an anemometer according to one example;

[0015] Figure 2 schematically illustrates a wind deflector according to one example;

[0016] Figure 3 schematically illustrates a wind deflector according to one example;

[0017] Figure 4 illustrates a block diagram of some logical elements of an anemometer according to one example;

[0018] Figure 5 illustrates a block diagram of some logical elements of a wind speed measurement network according to one example;

[0019] Figure 6A and Figure 6B illustrates corresponding examples of wind speed characteristics obtained by using the disclosed techniques and by using a reference system;

[0020] Figure 7 illustrates a method according to one example; and

[0021] Figure 8 A block diagram illustrating some components of an apparatus according to an example is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Figure 1A block diagram illustrating some logical elements of an anemometer 100 according to one example is shown. Anemometer 100 includes a pressure sensor device 101 and a processing unit 120 communicatively coupled to pressure sensor device 101. Pressure sensor device 101 includes a pressure sensor 110 configured to measure air pressure and configured to provide a pressure sensor signal 111 describing the instantaneous air pressure observed at pressure sensor 110. Pressure sensor device 101 may provide pressure sensor signal 111 via a communicative coupling with processing unit 120, which may be configured to calculate one or more wind speed characteristics based on pressure sensor signal 111. The communicative coupling between pressure sensor device 101 and processing unit 120 may be provided via a wired communication link or a wireless communication link (e.g., via the use of electrical wires or via the use of short-range wireless communication technologies such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (LE), ZigBee, or WLAN / WiFi in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 family of standards).

[0023] The pressure sensor 110 may comprise essentially any pressure sensor known in the art. Non-limiting examples in this regard include piezoresistive MEMS pressure sensors and capacitive MEMS pressure sensors. The anemometer 100 preferably comprises a single pressure sensor, in other words, the pressure sensor 110 may be the only pressure sensor provided in the anemometer 100 in order to facilitate measurement of one or more wind speed characteristics. This enables the device to be implemented in a cost-effective manner while providing sufficient accuracy and reliability when estimating and / or reporting the wind speed at a predetermined reference measurement height, such that the operating location of the anemometer 100 (e.g., mounting height), the terrain surrounding the anemometer 100, and / or objects located in the vicinity of the anemometer 100 have only a negligible effect on the accuracy of the estimated wind speed. In this context, the reference measurement height may be a meteorological measurement height of 10 meters above the ground, which is commonly used as a standard height for exposing wind instruments.

[0024] Anemometer 100 further includes a windshield 115 that is arranged to prevent direct airflow from the environment of anemometer 100 to pressure sensor 110, while allowing indirect airflow from the environment of anemometer 100 to pressure sensor 110, when the anemometer is arranged in its operating position. As an example, windshield 115 can be arranged to protect pressure sensor 110 from direct airflow from the sides of anemometer 100 and / or from above anemometer 100, while allowing airflow from below pressure sensor 110, when anemometer 100 is arranged in its operating position. Thus, windshield 115 can serve to smooth out changes in air pressure caused by changes in airflow over the surface of anemometer 100 that are not reflected in the wind speed at the reference measurement altitude, thereby preventing such changes from interfering with the measurement of the wind speed at the reference measurement altitude.

[0025] Figure 2 The spatial relationship between the windshield 115 and the pressure sensor device 101 according to one example is schematically illustrated, wherein illustration (a) shows a top view of the windshield 115 and the pressure sensor device 101 arranged therein, and wherein illustration (b) shows a cross-section of a side view of the arrangement of the windshield 115 and the pressure sensor device 101 arranged therein. In this document, the terms 'top' and 'side' refer to a scenario in which the anemometer 100 is arranged in its operating position (e.g., vertical position). Figure 2 In the example of FIG. 1 , wind deflector 115 is provided as a hollow tube or a corresponding tubular arrangement, wherein the interior of the tube serves as a measurement volume or chamber in which pressure sensor device 101 is arranged. Pressure sensor device 101 can be mounted in the chamber using a mounting arrangement attached to the inside of the tube in order to position pressure sensor device 101 at a desired location relative to the tube serving as wind deflector 115. Thus, the sidewalls of the tube prevent direct airflow from the environment surrounding anemometer 100 from reaching pressure sensor 110, while, due to the opening at the end of the tube, pressure sensor 110 can easily measure changes in instantaneous air pressure due to changes in wind speed.

[0026] Still refer to Figure 2 For example, the tube may have a cover portion arranged to close its first end, while the second end of the tube may be open or may have an opening. When the anemometer 100 is arranged in its operating position, the closed first end of the tube constitutes the top end of the wind deflector 115 (e.g., a cover). In other words, in this arrangement, according to Figure 2The windshield 115 of the example can have the overall shape of an inverted cup. Thus, the closed first end further prevents direct airflow from the environment surrounding anemometer 100 from reaching pressure sensor 110, while the opening in the bottom end of the tube allows pressure sensor 110 to easily measure instantaneous changes in air pressure due to changes in wind speed. Furthermore, the closed first end of the tube can serve to protect pressure sensor device 101, for example, from solar radiation and rain and other types of precipitation, and can also serve as a mounting arrangement for mounting pressure sensor device 101 in a desired position relative to the tube.

[0027] Figure 3 Schematically illustrates an example Figure 2 A variation of a windshield 115 is shown via a cross-section illustrating an arrangement of windshield 115 and pressure sensor device 101 disposed therein, viewed from the side. In this example, windshield 115 comprises a stack of plates arranged at a predetermined distance from one another, each plate having a corresponding curved portion at its outer periphery that curves or slopes downward, and one or more adjacent plates in the stack having corresponding openings in their central portions to provide a measurement volume or chamber within the plate stack. The size and / or slope of the curved portion at the periphery of the plate at least covers the gap between the plate and the next plate immediately below it in a vertical direction, thereby preventing direct airflow between the plates from reaching pressure sensor 110 disposed in the measurement volume while still allowing indirect airflow to reach the measurement volume. Pressure sensor device 101 can be mounted at a desired location within the measurement volume via a mounting arrangement that is attached to one or more of the plates. One or more plates at the top of the stack (e.g., the topmost plate of the stack) may be provided without openings, thereby covering the measurement volume to further prevent direct airflow from the environment of the anemometer 100 from reaching the pressure sensor 110, and protecting the pressure sensor device 101 therein from solar radiation and rain and other types of precipitation, and possibly also serving as a mounting arrangement for mounting the pressure sensor device 101 in a desired location within the measurement volume. Figure 3 The wind deflector 115 of the example may comprise a solar radiation shield commonly used in (professional) outdoor thermometers.

[0028] according to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The example wind deflector structure of is used as a non-limiting example of a structure that enables direct airflow from the environment of the anemometer 100 to be prevented from reaching the pressure sensor 110 when the anemometer is arranged in its operating position, while allowing indirect airflow from the environment of the anemometer 100 to reach the pressure sensor 110. Therefore, the wind deflector 115 may have the same configuration as Figure 2 and Figure 3As a few examples, the horizontal cross-section of windshield 115 need not be circular, but rather, the cross-section may be, for example, rectangular, hexagonal, elliptical, etc., and / or the horizontal cross-section of windshield 115 need not be uniform along the vertical dimension of windshield 115, but rather may employ an overall shape that gradually widens from top to bottom (e.g., a conical overall shape rather than a tubular overall shape). The windshield may include or be made of a material that is impermeable or substantially impermeable to airflow. As non-limiting examples, the windshield may be made of metal or a substantially rigid plastic material.

[0029] For example, the size of windshield 115 and the size of the measurement volume within windshield 115 can be selected based on the type and location of pressure sensor 110 within the measurement volume. As a non-limiting example, the height of windshield 115 can be in the range of 10 to 50 centimeters (cm), and / or the (lateral) cross-section of the windshield can have a width (e.g., radius) in the range of 10 to 30 cm. Still referring to the non-limiting example, pressure sensor device 101 can be mounted in the measurement volume within windshield 115 such that one or more pressure-sensitive portions of pressure sensor 110 are arranged at least a predetermined distance from windshield 115. This distance can be, for example, selected from the range of 10 to 200 millimeters (mm), such as 50 mm, although the appropriate distance can depend on the type of sensor employed, the type of windshield 115, and / or the size of the measurement volume.

[0030] The windshield 115 can also be used to protect the pressure sensor device 101 disposed therein from contamination due to environmental conditions by preventing rain, moisture, snow, dust, dirt, and / or other particles that may be present in the operating environment of the anemometer 100 from entering the pressure sensor 110, thereby ensuring that the anemometer 100 operates undisturbed. Additionally or alternatively, the pressure sensor device 101 can also include a dedicated filter portion for protecting the pressure sensor from moisture, dust, etc. The filter portion can enclose the pressure sensor 110, or it can enclose at least a portion of the pressure sensor 110 that is exposed to the ambient air within the measurement volume.

[0031] The anemometer 100 does not need to be mounted at a reference measurement height for correct operation, but by contrast, wind speed measurements made by the anemometer 100 can be made close to ground level, with the anemometer 100 mounted at a height of tens of centimeters to several meters from ground level, while still correctly reflecting the wind speed characteristics at the reference measurement height. Moreover, although typically mounted in an outdoor location, the anemometer 100 enables wind speed to be measured at the reference measurement height with reasonable accuracy and reliability even when mounted outdoors. For reliable and accurate operation, the anemometer 100 is preferably mounted at an operating position so that any movement of the device, in particular vertical movement, is prevented during the measurement process. In this regard, any (vertical) movement would (also) risk introducing changes in air pressure caused by the movement of the anemometer 100, which could compromise the accuracy and / or reliability of the wind speed estimate based on air pressure.

[0032] As described above, the processing unit 120 is arranged to receive the pressure sensor signal 111 from the pressure sensor 110. In this regard, the processing unit may be arranged to read the pressure sensor signal 111 according to a predetermined schedule and to arrange and / or process the pressure values ​​thus obtained as a time series of pressure values. For example, the pressure sensor signal 111 may be read at predetermined time intervals, i.e., at a predetermined sampling rate f p Read the pressure value, the predetermined sampling rate f p It can be in the range of 0.1 Hz to 10 Hz, for example, 1 Hz. Usually, a higher sampling rate f is selected. p (i.e., shorter time intervals) enable the collection of a larger amount of data when the air pressure changes, thereby enabling the collection of a more accurate pressure distribution at the expense of an increased computational load when processing the data, and selecting a lower sampling rate f p (i.e., longer time intervals) may reduce the accuracy of the calculation while allowing for a lower computational load. From a practical point of view, the most appropriate sampling rate f p (or a schedule for reading the pressure signal 111) can be considered as a sampling rate that provides sufficient computational accuracy taking into account the cost of the required processing power available at the processing unit 120, while for example the sensitivity, speed and / or accuracy of the applied pressure sensor 110 may also have an impact on the selection of the most advantageous time interval.

[0033] The processing unit 120 may be arranged to process the pressure value time series in time frames of a predetermined size. This may result in processing the pressure value time series as a sequence of time frames, wherein the time frames may not overlap in time, or the time frames may partially overlap in time. The sequence of time frames may be processed via a frame rate f fand the size of the time frames (which may be specified via their duration, or as a number of consecutive pressure values ​​included in the time frame). In one example, each time frame may include K f Continuous pressure values, where K f -1 sample overlaps with the previous time frame, so the frame rate f f can be compared to the sampling rate f applied when reading the pressure value p The same, while in other examples the overlap can be less than K f -1 sample (where the frame rate f f In another example, each time frame may include K f consecutive pressure values ​​without overlapping with the previous time frame, so the frame rate f f Can be the sampling rate f applied when reading pressure values p Divide by K f , that is, f f =f p / K f .

[0034] As a non-limiting example, the frame size K may be chosen to be f , so that it covers the desired time period ranging from a few seconds to tens of seconds (e.g., 10 seconds). The most appropriate frame rate f f , time frame size K f The degree of overlap, if any, between consecutive time frames depends on, for example, the desired update rate of the calculated wind speed characteristics, the sampling rate f applied when reading the pressure values, and the time interval between the two frames. p , and the processing power available at the processing unit 120. The processing unit 120 may be arranged to calculate one or more respective wind speed characteristics for each time frame based on the pressure value within the respective time frame, thereby providing a respective time series of one or more wind speed characteristics representing respective characteristics of the wind speed over time. The one or more wind speed characteristics may include a maximum wind speed and / or an average wind speed.

[0035] The processing unit 120 may be arranged to: in each time frame n, determine a respective reference wind speed v based on one or more aspects of the distribution of pressure values ​​within the respective time frame ref As an example in this regard, the processing unit 120 may determine in each time frame n the corresponding maximum pressure p within the time frame n. max (n) and minimum pressure p min (n), and based on the maximum pressure p max (n) and minimum pressure p min (n), calculate the reference wind speed v for time frame n refAs an example of this, the calculation may include taking the reference wind speed v for time frame n ref (n) is calculated as the predetermined scaling factor C and the maximum pressure p max (n) and minimum pressure p min (n) is the product of the square roots of the differences between them, which can be expressed as:

[0036]

[0037] The scaling factor C may be defined depending on the reference measurement altitude used, on characteristics at the location where the anemometer 100 is used (e.g., the installation altitude), and / or on characteristics of the pressure value derived based on the pressure sensor signal 111. Setting or selecting the value of the scaling factor C may be performed as part of manufacturing, installing, configuring, or reconfiguring the anemometer 100. As an example, assuming that the pressure value is provided in millipascals (mPa), the value of the scaling factor C may be a value in the range from 0.05 to 0.2, for example, 0.12.

[0038] In another example, the processing unit 120 may determine the corresponding reference wind speed v in the time frame n based on one or more aspects of the distribution of differences between consecutive pressure values ​​within the corresponding time frame. ref As an example in this regard, the processing unit 120 may determine a corresponding mean square (RMS) value Δp in each time frame n. rms (n), the corresponding RMS value Δp rms (n) is calculated as the RMS value of the difference between consecutive pressure values ​​over time frame n. As an example in this regard, the calculation may include: taking the reference wind speed v for time frame n ref (n) is calculated as the scaling factor C and the above RMS value Δp rms The product of the square roots of the scaled values ​​of (n), which can be expressed as:

[0039]

[0040] Reference wind speed v ref (n) constitutes the selected frame rate f f A time series of reference values ​​under , which can be used as a basis for calculating one or more wind speed characteristics, such as the maximum wind speed v at time frame n max (n) and / or mean wind speed v avg As an example of this, the reference wind speed v can be found within a predetermined time window associated with the time frame n. ref (n) to derive the maximum wind speed v max (n), and / or can be calculated by reference wind speed v ref(n) is averaged over the time window to derive the average wind speed v avg (n). Herein, a time window belonging to time frame n can be defined as a time window covering a time period including a predetermined duration of time frame n. As an example in this regard, the time window can be arranged relative to time frame n so that time frame n is the last time frame within the time window, or the time window is centered around time frame n. The duration of the time window can be selected, for example, from a range of several minutes to several tens of minutes, for example, ten minutes.

[0041] In another example, the reference wind speed value v ref (n) Time series is iteratively derived to obtain the maximum wind speed v max (n), thereby reducing the computational load required for its derivation. As an example in this regard, the maximum wind speed v for time frame n max (n) can be calculated as the reference wind speed v obtained for time frame n ref (n) and the maximum wind speed v derived for time frame n-1 max (n-1) linear combination to achieve the reference wind speed v ref As an example of this approach, the maximum wind speed v for time frame n is max (n) can be calculated according to the following equation:

[0042]

[0043] Among them A up and A dn are respective predetermined constant values ​​used to define respective scaling factors for deriving the reference wind speed v obtained for time frame n ref (n) and the maximum wind speed v derived for time frame n-1 max (n-1) linear combination. In this paper, the constant A up and A dn can have a corresponding positive value less than 1 (i.e., 0 up <1 and 0 up <1), where A up Greater than A dn (i.e., A up >A dn ). As a non-limiting example, A up The value of may be a value selected from the range of 0.1 to 0.2, for example, 0.15, and A dn The value of may be a value selected from the range from 0.01 to 0.1, for example, 0.05.

[0044] ​​Along similar lines, the mean wind speed v can be derived iteratively based on a time series of reference wind speed values avg (n), thereby reducing the computational load required for its derivation. As an example in this regard, the average wind speed v for time frame n avg (n) can be calculated as the reference wind speed v obtained for time frame n ref (n) and the average wind speed v derived for time frame n-1 avg (n-1) linear combination, so as to achieve the reference wind speed v ref As an example of this approach, the average wind speed v for time frame n is avg (n) can be calculated according to the following equation

[0045]

[0046] Among them B up and B dn are respective predetermined constant values ​​used to define respective scaling factors for deriving the reference wind speed v obtained for time frame n ref (n) and the average wind speed v derived for time frame n-1 avg (n-1) linear combination. In this paper, the constant B up and B dn can have a corresponding positive value less than 1 (i.e., 0 up <1 and 0 up <1). As a non-limiting example, B up and B dn The respective corresponding value may be selected from the range of 0.01 to 0.1, for example, 0.05.

[0047] According to one example, the pressure sensor noise may be subtracted from the derived one or more wind speed characteristics, for example, from the maximum wind speed v max (n) and / or mean wind speed v avg The pressure sensor noise is subtracted from the corresponding value of (n). This can be applied to all wind speed characteristics, or only to those wind speed characteristics that are below a corresponding predetermined threshold, i.e., in scenarios where estimation errors caused by pressure sensor noise may have a non-negligible impact on the derived wind speed characteristics. In one example, the pressure sensor noise can be found as a function of the reference wind speed v over an extended period of time (e.g., a period extending over several weeks or even months). ref (n) The minimum value of the time series, thereby representing a scenario where the measured wind speed can be assumed to be zero or close to zero, ie a calm scenario.

[0048] ​​Additionally or alternatively, the processing unit 120 may be configured to calculate an estimate of the atmospheric (barometric) pressure at the operating location (e.g., installation altitude) of the anemometer 100 based on the pressure value obtained from the pressure sensor 110. As an example, the ambient pressure may be calculated as the median or average of the pressure values ​​within a time window of a predetermined length. In this regard, the time window length may be, for example, selected from a range of tens of seconds to several minutes, such as one minute.

[0049] Figure 1 The example of depicts an arrangement in which the pressure sensor device 101 is arranged to provide a pressure sensor signal 111 to the processing unit 120, which pressure sensor signal (directly) describes the instantaneous air pressure observed over time, thus enabling the derivation of the air pressure distribution and / or the expected statistics thereof, and the calculation of the maximum wind speed v max (n) and / or mean wind speed v avg (n) The required processing is essentially performed in the processing unit 120. This design enables the pressure sensor device 101 to be provided as a simple entity, which transmits an electrical signal describing the instantaneous air pressure as a pressure sensor signal 111 to the processing unit 120, which provides the required computing resources for deriving one or more wind speed characteristics (such as the maximum wind speed v max (n) and / or mean wind speed v avg (n)) and other statistical measures of the air pressure distribution (such as standard deviation), which can be used to derive other aspects related to the wind speech characteristics.

[0050] Figure 4 FIG1 illustrates a block diagram of some logical elements of an anemometer 100 according to another example, wherein a pressure sensor device 101 includes a pressure sensor 110 and a first processing unit 112 that receives a pressure sensor signal 111 from the pressure sensor 110. Thus, the pressure sensor device 101 is communicatively coupled to a second processing unit 122. The communicative coupling between the first processing unit 112 and the second processing unit 122 can be via a wireless or wired communication network or communication link (along the reference 1). Figure 1 The operations described above for the processing unit 120 may be distributed to the first processing unit 112 and the second processing unit 122. As an example of such an operation distribution, the first processing unit 112 may be arranged to find the maximum pressure p max (n) and minimum pressure p min(n), it is possible to find other statistical values ​​describing the pressure distribution for each time frame n, and the second processing unit 122 can be arranged to calculate one or more wind speed characteristics (such as the corresponding maximum wind speed v) for each time frame n based on the information obtained from the pressure sensor device 101. max (n) and / or the corresponding average wind speed v avg (n). ) and Figure 1 The example processing unit 120 is compared according to Figure 4 The exemplary design of may enable the use of a simpler design of the processing units 112, 122 and / or achieve computational advantages, for example, where the maximum pressure p obtained from the first processing unit 112 is max (n) and minimum pressure p min (n) (and / or other statistical values ​​describing the pressure distribution) may be applied by the plurality of second processing units 122 to the maximum pressure p max (n) and minimum pressure p min (n) in the corresponding calculation scenario.

[0051] The above description relates to the structure and operation of a single anemometer 100 for deriving one or more wind speed characteristics related to a reference measurement height at a location where the anemometer 100 is used. In another example, multiple anemometers 100 may be employed to provide a wind speed measurement network. Figure 5 , 100 - k, each of which is communicatively coupled to a control unit 220 via a wireless or wired communication network or communication link. Herein, anemometers 100 - 1 , 100 - 2 , . . . , 100 - k represent a plurality (i.e., two or more) of anemometers 100, and reference numeral 100 - k may be applied to represent any one of the plurality of anemometers 100.

[0052] According to one example, each of the anemometers 100-k may be arranged to calculate one or more respective wind speed characteristics, and / or atmospheric (barometric) pressure, and transmit this information to the control unit 220 for further processing therein, the information received at the control unit including, for example, the respective maximum wind speed v of anemometer k in time frame n. k,max (n), corresponding average wind speed v k,avg (n), and / or the corresponding estimated ambient pressure. In another example, each of the anemometers 100-k may be configured to find the corresponding maximum pressure P max (n) and minimum pressure P min(n) (possibly also finding other statistical values ​​describing the pressure distribution at the anemometer 100-k in time frame n), and transmit this information to the control unit 220. Thus, the control unit 220 can: based on the corresponding maximum pressure P received from the anemometer 100-k max (n) and minimum pressure P min (n), for example, the corresponding maximum wind speed v of anemometer 100-k in time frame n k,max (n) and / or the corresponding average wind speed v k,avg (n), deriving one or more corresponding wind speed characteristics. Therefore, in the latter scenario, the control unit 220 may perform some of the calculations described above and / or below on the second processing units 122 of the plurality of anemometers 110-k. In this regard, for example, the maximum wind speed v of the anemometer 110-k may be calculated. k,max (n) can be calculated using the scaling factor C k , the scaling factor C k Calibrated for the location and / or reference measurement altitude of the anemometer 100 - k.

[0053] The plurality of anemometers 100-k can be arranged to measure one or more corresponding wind speed characteristics at different locations within a region of interest, so as to enable observation of wind speed variations across the region of interest, and the control unit 220 can be arranged to derive a wind speed profile based on the one or more corresponding wind speed characteristics obtained from the plurality of anemometers 100-k, thereby enabling the control unit 220 to, for example, track and / or identify localized wind gusts and / or wind shear occurring within the region of interest. The plurality of anemometers 100-k can also be used to estimate corresponding atmospheric pressures at corresponding locations within the region of interest, and the control unit 220 can be arranged to estimate the wind direction within the region of interest based on the corresponding atmospheric pressures estimated at the corresponding locations of the plurality of anemometers 100-k. As an example in this regard, the control unit 220 can derive an atmospheric pressure contour map (e.g., an isobar map) based on the corresponding atmospheric pressures derived at the corresponding locations of the plurality of anemometers 100-k, whereas the derivation or estimation of the (average) wind direction for the region of interest can be performed based on the atmospheric pressure contour map. In this regard, at typical installation heights of the anemometers 100 - k , wind direction may be assumed to be from higher atmospheric pressure to lower atmospheric pressure, thereby enabling wind direction estimation based on the estimated atmospheric pressure at the corresponding locations of the anemometers 100 - k of the measurement network 200 .

[0054] The anemometer 100 and / or a wind speed measurement network based on a plurality of anemometers 100-k enables reliable measurement of wind speed characteristics at a reference measurement height without requiring the anemometers 100, 100-k to be mounted at the reference measurement height of interest (which is typically several meters above ground level and requires other types of masts or support structures), while being insensitive to interference caused by objects in the vicinity of the anemometers 100, 100-k. Furthermore, the anemometers 100, 100-k can be provided as one or more relatively simple devices, thereby providing a cost-effective method for wind speed measurement even with a large number of anemometers 100, 100-k arranged in the wind speed measurement network 200. Furthermore, the anemometers 100 can be used in a home weather station without requiring a special arrangement for mounting the anemometers 100 at the reference measurement height of interest. The anemometers 100, 100-k may also provide improved measurements of wind speed characteristics compared to typical industrial weather stations used in various locations, such as urban areas, traffic routes, industrial areas, etc., because they are mounted in such a way as to enable measurement of environmental parameters other than wind speed, which may make such weather stations unsuitable for wind speed measurements at meteorological measurement heights of 10 meters above ground level.

[0055] Figure 6A and Figure 6B The diagram shows an extract from an actual experiment carried out to verify the operation of a prototype of the anemometer 100. In this regard, Figure 6A The figure shows the wind speed characteristics measured near the airport using the anemometer 100. Figure 6B The corresponding wind speed characteristics measured at the airport using recognized previously known wind measurement facilities during the same time period are illustrated. Specifically, Figure 6A The upper curve in FIG represents the maximum wind speed varying with time derived by using the anemometer 100, and Figure 6A The lower curve in FIG represents the average wind speed derived by using the anemometer 100, and Figure 6B The upper curve in the graph represents the maximum wind speed measured at the airport over time, while Figure 6B The lower curve in the graph shows the average wind speed measured at the airport. Although there are slight differences in details, Figure 6A The wind speed measurement result of the anemometer 100 shown in the example is the same as Figure 6B The wind speed measurements from the professional wind speed measurement facilities shown in are very close.

[0056] The operations related to wind speed measurement described above with reference to anemometers 100, 100-k and / or wind speed measurement network 200 may be described as steps of a method. As an example in this regard, Figure 7A flow chart illustrating a method 300 is depicted, which may be performed, for example, by the processing unit 120, by the first processing unit 112 and the second processing unit 122 jointly, or by the control unit 220. The respective operations described with reference to blocks 302 to 304 in connection with the method 300 may be implemented, varied, and / or supplemented in several ways, for example, as described above and / or below with reference to the anemometers 100, 100-k and / or the wind speed measurement network 200.

[0057] The method 300 includes obtaining a pressure sensor signal 111 describing an instantaneous air pressure using a pressure sensor 110 having a wind shield arranged to prevent direct airflow from an environment of an anemometer 100 housing the pressure sensor 110 to the pressure sensor 110, as shown in block 302; and deriving one or more wind speed characteristics describing a wind speed at a predetermined measurement height based on the pressure sensor signal 111, as shown in block 304.

[0058] Figure 8 Schematically illustrates some components of a device 400 that can be used to implement any one or a portion of the processing unit 120, the first processing unit 112, the second processing unit 122, and the control unit 220. The device 400 includes a processor 402 and a memory 404. The memory 404 can store data and computer program code 406. The device 400 may also include a communication device 408 for performing wired or wireless communication with other devices and / or user I / O (input / output) components 410. The communication device 408 can be arranged together with the processor 402 and a portion of the computer program code 406 to provide a user interface for receiving input from a user and / or providing output to a user. Specifically, the user I / O components may include user input devices, such as one or more keys or buttons, a keyboard, a touch screen or a touchpad, etc. The user I / O components may include output devices, such as a display or a touch screen. The components of the device 400 are communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 412, which enables data and control information to be transmitted between the components.

[0059] The memory 404 and a portion of the computer program code 406 stored therein may also be arranged together with the processor 402 to cause the apparatus 400 to perform at least some aspects of the operation of any of the aforementioned processing unit 120, the first processing unit 112, the second processing unit 122, and the control unit 220. The processor 402 is configured to read from and write to the memory 404. Although the processor 402 is depicted as a single component, it may be implemented as one or more separate processing components. Similarly, although the memory 404 is depicted as a single component, it may be implemented as one or more separate components, some or all of which may be integrated / removable and / or may provide permanent / semi-permanent / dynamic / cached storage.

[0060] Computer program code 406 may include computer-executable instructions that, when loaded into processor 402, implement at least some aspects of the operation of any of the aforementioned processing unit 120, first processing unit 112, second processing unit 122, and control unit 220. As an example, computer program code 406 may include a computer program consisting of one or more sequences of one or more instructions. Processor 402 can load and execute the computer program by reading one or more sequences of one or more instructions included therein from memory 404. The one or more sequences of one or more instructions may be configured to, when executed by processor 402, cause apparatus 400 to perform at least some aspects of the operation of any of the aforementioned processing unit 120, first processing unit 112, second processing unit 122, and control unit 220. Thus, the apparatus 400 may include at least one processor 402 and at least one memory 404, the at least one memory 404 including computer program code 406 of one or more programs, the at least one memory 404 and the computer program code 406 being configured to, together with the at least one processor 402, cause the apparatus 400 to perform at least some aspects of the operation of any one of the aforementioned processing unit 120, the first processing unit 112, the second processing unit 122, and the control unit 220.

[0061] Computer program code 406 may be provided as, for example, a computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable non-transitory medium having computer program code 406 stored thereon, which, when executed by processor 402, causes apparatus 400 to perform at least some aspects of the operations of any of the aforementioned processing unit 120, first processing unit 112, second processing unit 122, and control unit 220. The computer-readable non-transitory medium may include a memory device or recording medium, such as a CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-ray disc, or another article of manufacture tangibly embodying the computer program. As another example, the computer program may be provided as a signal configured to transmit the computer program in a reliable manner.

[0062] References herein to one or more processors should not be understood as including not only programmable processors, but also specialized circuits such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific circuits (ASICs), signal processors, etc. Features described in the foregoing description may be used in combinations other than those explicitly described.

Claims

1. A wind speed measuring device, comprising: a windshield (115) defining a measurement volume therein; a pressure sensor (110) arranged within the measurement volume such that the wind deflector (115) is arranged to prevent direct airflow from the environment of the device to the pressure sensor (110), the pressure sensor (110) thereby being arranged to provide a pressure sensor signal (111) describing the instantaneous atmospheric pressure in the ambient air within the measurement volume; as well as A processing unit for deriving one or more wind speed characteristics based on the pressure sensor signal (111), the one or more wind speed characteristics describing the wind speed at a predetermined reference measurement height, wherein the processing unit is arranged to: deriving a time series of pressure values ​​based on the pressure sensor signal (111) for processing the pressure values ​​as a sequence of time frames; deriving a corresponding reference wind speed value for each time frame based on a pressure value distribution within the corresponding time frame, thereby obtaining a reference wind speed value time series; as well as Based on the reference wind speed value time series, one or more corresponding wind speed characteristics are calculated for each time frame.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the wind deflector (115) is arranged to allow indirect airflow from the environment of the device to the pressure sensor (110).

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pressure sensor (110) is the only pressure sensor provided in the device to facilitate wind speed measurement.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein deriving the corresponding reference wind speed for a time frame comprises: determining a corresponding maximum pressure and a corresponding minimum pressure for the corresponding time frame within the pressure values ​​of the corresponding time frame; as well as The respective reference wind speed for the respective time frame is calculated based on a difference between the maximum pressure and the minimum pressure found for the respective time frame.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein calculating the corresponding reference wind speed for a time frame comprises: The respective reference wind speed for the respective time frame is calculated based on a square root of a difference between the maximum pressure and the minimum pressure found for the respective time frame.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein calculating the respective reference wind speeds for the respective time frames comprises: The square root of the difference between the maximum pressure and the minimum pressure found for the respective time frame is multiplied by a predetermined scaling factor, the predetermined scaling factor being defined in dependence on at least the reference measurement altitude.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the scaling factor is further defined in accordance with characteristics of an installation height of the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein calculating the one or more corresponding wind speed characteristics for a time frame comprises: The maximum wind speed for the corresponding time frame is derived.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein deriving the maximum wind speed for the corresponding time frame comprises: Within a predetermined time window including the corresponding time frame, a maximum reference wind speed is found.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein deriving the maximum wind speed for the corresponding time frame comprises: The maximum wind speed for the respective time frame is derived as a linear combination of a maximum wind speed derived for a previous time frame and the reference wind speed derived for the respective time frame.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein calculating the one or more corresponding wind speed characteristics for a time frame comprises: An average wind speed for the corresponding time frame is derived.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein deriving the average wind speed for the respective time frame comprises: An average value of the reference wind speed is calculated within a predetermined time window including the corresponding time frame.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein deriving the average wind speed for the corresponding time frame comprises: The average wind speed for the respective time frame is derived as a linear combination of the average wind speed derived for the previous time frame and the reference wind speed derived for the respective time frame.

14. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 2, and 4 to 7, wherein the processing unit is arranged to: deriving a time series of pressure values ​​based on the pressure sensor signal (111) for processing the pressure values ​​as a sequence of time frames; and The ambient pressure is estimated based on an average of the pressure values ​​within a predetermined time window.

15. A wind speed measurement system (200), comprising a plurality of devices according to any one of claims 1 to 14, and a control device, wherein Each of the plurality of devices is arranged to derive one or more respective wind speed characteristics at a respective location, and The control device is arranged to derive a wind speed profile based on the one or more respective wind speed characteristics obtained from the plurality of devices.

16. The wind speed measurement system (200) of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of devices is arranged to estimate a respective ambient pressure at the respective location, and The control device is arranged to estimate wind direction based on the respective ambient pressures estimated for the respective positions of the plurality of devices.

17. A method (300) for wind speed measurement, the method (300) comprising: obtaining a pressure sensor signal (111) using a pressure sensor (110), the pressure sensor (110) being arranged in a measurement volume defined inside a wind deflector (115), such that the wind deflector (115) is arranged to prevent direct airflow from an environment of a device housing the pressure sensor (110) to the pressure sensor (110), the pressure sensor signal (111) describing the instantaneous atmospheric pressure in the surrounding ambient air within the measurement volume; as well as Based on the pressure sensor signal (111), deriving one or more wind speed characteristics, the one or more wind speed characteristics describing the wind speed at a predetermined reference measurement height, the deriving comprising: deriving a time series of pressure values ​​based on the pressure sensor signal (111) for processing the pressure values ​​as a sequence of time frames; deriving a corresponding reference wind speed value for each time frame based on the pressure value distribution within the corresponding time frame, thereby obtaining a reference wind speed value time series; and Based on the reference wind speed value time series, one or more corresponding wind speed characteristics are calculated for each time frame.

18. A computer program product comprising computer readable program code configured to, when the program code is run on one or more computing devices, cause the following to be performed: receiving a pressure sensor signal (111) from a pressure sensor (110), the pressure sensor (110) being arranged in a measurement volume defined inside a wind deflector (115), such that the wind deflector (115) is arranged to prevent direct airflow from an environment of a device housing the pressure sensor (110) to the pressure sensor (110), the pressure sensor signal (111) describing the instantaneous atmospheric pressure in the surrounding ambient air within the measurement volume; as well as deriving one or more wind speed characteristics based on the pressure sensor signal (111), the one or more wind speed characteristics describing the wind speed at a predetermined reference measurement height, The export includes: deriving a time series of pressure values ​​based on the pressure sensor signal (111) for processing the pressure values ​​as a sequence of time frames; deriving a corresponding reference wind speed value for each time frame based on the pressure value distribution within the corresponding time frame, thereby obtaining a reference wind speed value time series; and Based on the reference wind speed value time series, one or more corresponding wind speed characteristics are calculated for each time frame.

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