ES2304086A1 - Device applicable to mobile elements to determine wind speed and direction. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Device applicable to mobile elements to determine the wind speed and direction. The object of the present invention is a device that can be coupled to movable elements to determine the speed and direction of the wind, which allows knowing the orientation and intensity of the wind at all times, and which allows detecting possible obstacles that may come in contact with it and be hidden in the mobile element so as not to be damaged, where in addition, the device obtains the wind speed with respect to the geographical north regardless of which direction the mobile element follows. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

Device attachable to mobile elements for determine wind speed and direction and procedure associated.

Object of the invention

The present invention aims at a device attachable to mobile elements to determine the wind speed and direction that allows to know the orientation and intensity of it at all times.

Due to its special configuration, the device allows to detect possible obstacles that may enter contact him and sneak into the mobile element to not be damaged

In addition the device obtains the speed of the wind with respect to the geographical North regardless of which the address that the mobile element follows.

Background of the invention

They are well known in the state of technique the electronic weather vanes that give a signal with the information on the direction in which the wind is blowing in each instant regarding your chassis.

For this information to be usable, you must be used taking as a reference the geographical North, so current systems are applied in fixed stations orienting the North brand at the time of installation That cardinal point.

Likewise, there are systems applied in transportable devices that must be positioned by targeting a brand towards the geographical North in each settlement, but they do not present a reorientable weather vane option.

In previous systems you must deploy a mast and then the weather vane should be oriented north magnetic using a compass, all of which is done by a Operator who must have some preparation.

The present invention exceeds all previous inconveniences since it can be applied in vehicles moving or unemployed and does not need any operator to reorient the system.

Description of the invention

The present invention relates to a device attachable to mobile elements to determine the wind speed and direction that allows to know the orientation and intensity of it at all times.

The device has an anemometer that measures the module of a resulting velocity and a weather vane that measures the direction of that speed, where that resulting speed is the vector sum of the actual wind speed and speed of the wind produced by the advance of the vehicle.

Both elements, anemometer and weather vane go placed on a mobile element so that the origin of angles of the vane points in the direction of advance of the moving element, although the device also measures in mobile elements at rest or in fixed elements.

The device measures wind speed in relation to the geographical North regardless of the direction the mobile element, correcting the annual variation of the North geographical with respect to the magnetic by means of a compass and a GPS (in English "global positioning system").

The GPS also allows to know the speed of the vehicle, both in module and in direction at all times, while the north direction is obtained from the compass magnetic with respect to the vehicle or the wind vane, where the speed of the wind produced by the advance of the vehicle will have the same module and direction contrary to vehicle speed.

Likewise, the speed calculation and wind direction is carried out by a procedure controlled by a circuit with microcontroller, which receives the data coming from the inputs and outputs of the anemometer and the weather vane that can be analog or digital as well as data coming from the compass and the GPS, and controls the communications between the different elements through a transmission bus of CAN data (in English "Controller Area Network").

Known the resulting velocities and the wind speed produced by the advance of the vehicle is get the real wind speed, where the microcontroller the reference to geographic North.

The device is retractable within the moving element when it detects an obstacle to a certain distance, and returns to its extended position when the obstacle has past, all this to avoid being damaged.

Description of the drawings

This descriptive report is complemented, with a set of drawings, illustrative of the preferred example and never limiting the invention.

Figure 1 shows a sketch of the speed components that are given on the device by taking as origin the device itself.

Figure 2 shows a sketch in which shows the path followed by the mobile element from a position A to position B.

Figure 3 shows a block diagram of the integrating elements of the device attachable to elements mobiles to determine wind speed and direction.

Preferred Embodiment of the Invention

In view of the foregoing, the The present invention relates to a device that can be coupled to moving elements to determine the speed and direction of the wind that allows to know the orientation and intensity of this in all time

The device has an anemometer (1) and a weather vane (2) that are coupled in a mobile element (3) that in this Preferred embodiment example is a fire truck.

When the mobile element (3) is in motion,  two wind components are given on the anemometer (1) and the weather vane (2), a component due to wind speed produced by the advance of the mobile element (3) that will be denoted by a vector "\ vec {m}" and the actual wind speed that is will denote by a vector "\ vec {v}", giving these two vectors a third resulting vector that will be denoted by "\ vec {r}".

Figure 1 shows the mobile element (3),  which has a module speed "m" and opposite direction at the wind speed produced by the advance of the element mobile (3) (denoted by "\ vec {m}"), so in the figure is denoted by "-m", where it has been taken as origin "O" of the coordinate system {x, y} the fixed point that makes reference of the anemometer (1) and the vane (2).

Likewise, the angles in coordinates Cartesian vectors "\ vec {v}", "\ vec {r}" and "\ vec {m}" are denoted as "\ alpha", "?" and "?" respectively.

It has also been represented, by angle "\ delta" the offset between the origin of angles and the North geometric "N", and by the angle "\ varphi" the offset between the vector "\ vec {v}" and the geometric North "N".

The value obtained by the anemometer (1) and the weather vane (2) is the resulting vector (\ vec {r}, \ beta), while that the wind speed produced by the advance of the element mobile (3) associated to the vector (\ vec {m}, γ) (γ = 180 ° in the example in Figure 1) is measured by a compass (4) electronic digital or a GPS (5).

The path followed is shown in Figure 2  by the mobile element (3) between a first position (xA, yA) and a second position (xB, yB) separated a distance "d", both positions determined by the GPS (5).

The calculation of the speed and direction of the wind is carried out by a controlled procedure through a circuit with controller (6), which receives the data from the anemometer (1) and the wind vane (2), as well as the data coming from the compass (4) and the GPS (5), using inputs and analog or digital outputs (7) and controls communications between the different elements through serial ports or a BUS field (not shown in the figures), processes them, and both those data as the resulting calculations places them in a Bus of CAN data transmission (8), so that the controller (6) know the time that the mobile element (3) takes to spend the first position (xA, yA) to the second position (xB, yB).

Known those positions (xA, yA), (xB, yB) using GPS (5) and the time it takes for the mobile element (3) to move from the first position (xA, yA) to the second position (xB, and B), the controller (6) determines the wind speed (\ vec {m}, \ gamma) produced by the advance of the moving element (3), or the GPS (5) can directly determine that speed (\ vec {m}, γ).

Known the resulting speed (\ vec {r}, β) and the wind speed (\ vec {m}, γ) produced by the advance of the mobile element (3), the controller (5) determines the actual wind speed (\ vec {v}, \ alpha) in each instant.

That real wind speed (\ vec {v}, α) refers to the direction of advancement of the moving element (3) so the controller automatically references it to the north geographic or universal geographic coordinates, since \ varphi = δ -? according to Figure 1.

In case the distance "d" that travels the mobile element (3) from the first position (xA, yA) to the second position (xB, yB) is below a certain threshold preset, the controller (6) considers the mobile element (3) has not moved, in which case the resulting speed (\ vec {r}, \ beta) matches real wind speed (\ vec {v}, \ alpha) obtained directly from the compass (4) electronic digital and from here reference to geographical North or universal geographic coordinates according to the relation \ varphi = δ - α.

The controller (6) compares at all times the electronic digital compass (4) address with steering of the GPS (5) and in case the difference between both (4, 5) is greater than a predetermined value, the controller (6) sends a signal to the electronic digital compass (4) to recalibrate or use the last mistake made in the comparison between the two (4, 5) to correct the position of the digital compass (4) electronics.

The controller (6) has control over a engine (9) that lowers the anemometer (1) and the vane (2) when several volumetric sensors (10) present in a retractable arm (11) that unites both (1, 2) detect an obstacle in a range of height, such as trees or branches, and at a certain distance, raising the engine (9) the retractable arm (11) of the anemometer (1) and the vane (2) When the obstacle has passed.

All information passes through the controller (6),  which sends it by the CAN data transmission bus (8) or by a serial port to an external node (12) or to a PC (13) (not shown in the figures) so that a user can visualize it.

They do not alter the essentiality of this invention variations in materials, shape, size and arrangement of component elements, described in a non-limiting manner, sufficient this one to proceed to its reproduction by an expert.

Claims (10)

1. Device coupled to mobile elements to determine the wind speed and direction characterized in that it has an anemometer (1) and a wind vane (2) that are coupled to a mobile element (3) and determine the resulting speed (\ vec {r} , \ beta) of the wind which is the vector sum of the wind speed (\ vec {m}, \ gamma) produced by the advance of the moving element (3) that is measured by a compass (4) or a GPS (5 ) and the real wind speed (\ vec {v}, \ alpha), so that a controller (6) determines that real wind speed (\ vec {v}, \ alpha) at every moment with respect to the geographic coordinates universal, where GPS (5) also allows to know the speed of the mobile element (3), both in module and in direction at all times. 2. Device movable to mobile elements to determine the wind speed and direction according to claim 1 characterized in that the controller (6) has control over a motor (9) that lowers the anemometer (1) and the vane (2) when several sensors volumetric (10) present in a retractable arm (11) that joins both (1, 2) detect an obstacle in a range of height and a certain distance, the motor (9) raising the arm (11) retractable anemometer (1) and of the weather vane (2) when the obstacle has passed. 3. Device movable to mobile elements to determine the wind speed and direction according to claim 1 characterized in that the compass (4) is of the electronic digital type. 4. Device movable to mobile elements for determining wind speed and direction according to claim 1 characterized in that the mobile element (3) is a fire truck. 5. Method for determining the wind speed and direction associated with the device of the preceding claims characterized in that

?

 the controller (6) receives the data from the anemometer (1) and the wind vane (2) with the which determines the resulting velocity (\ vec {r}, \ beta) of wind, as well as data from the compass (4) and GPS (5) with which it determines the wind speed (\ vec {m}, γ) produced by the advance of the mobile element (3) and a continuation

?

the controller (6) processes the data, and determines the actual wind speed (\ vec {v}, α) at every moment with respect to geographic coordinates Universal

6. Method for determining wind speed and direction according to claim 5 characterized in that in the data processing stage, the controller (6) determines the time it takes for the mobile element (3) to pass from a first position (xA, yA ) to a second position (xB, yB) obtained by GPS (5) in order to determine the wind speed (\ vec {m}, γ) produced by the advance of the moving element (3). 7. Method for determining wind speed and direction according to claim 6 characterized in that if the distance traveled by the moving element (3) from the first position (xA, yA) to the second position (xB, yB) is below a preset threshold, the controller (6) considers that the mobile element (3) has not moved, so the wind speed (\ vec {m}, \ gamma) produced by the advancement of the mobile element (3) is zero , and the resulting speed (\ vec {r}, \ beta that coincides with the actual wind speed (\ vec {v}, \ alpha) is obtained from the compass (4) instead of the GPS (5). 8. Method for determining wind speed and direction according to claim 5 characterized in that at the processing stage, the controller (6) compares the compass direction (4) at all times with the GPS direction (5) and in case If the difference between the two (4, 5) is greater than a predetermined value, the controller (6) sends a signal to the compass (4) to recalibrate or use the last error made in the comparison between the two (4, 5) to correct the position of the compass (4). 9. Method for determining wind speed and direction according to claim 5 characterized in that the information stored in the controller (6) is sent by a CAN data transmission bus (8) or by a serial port to an external node (12) or to a PC (13) for a user to view. 10. Method for determining wind speed and direction according to claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the controller (6), by means of analog or digital inputs and outputs (7), controls the communications between the different elements through serial ports or a Field bus.