JP2011128105A - Wind vane and technique for wind direction detection - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wind vane capable of detecting wind direction with high precision despite a relatively simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: The wind vane 1 includes a microflow sensor 10 detecting air speed, a motor 5 turning the microflow sensor 10 centering around a vertical axis A, an angle sensor 6 detecting turning position of the microflow sensor 10, and an information processor 7 determining wind direction based on turning position of the microflow sensor 10 when the detected value of air speed indicates the maximum. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an anemometer and a wind direction detection method.

  Conventionally, various techniques for observing wind (wind direction and wind speed) have been adopted in the field of ship / aircraft operation and ground weather observation. As a technique for detecting the wind direction, a vane-type anemometer using a so-called weathercock principle has been proposed and put into practical use. However, since such an anemometer employs a structure in which a vane (arrow blade) is rotated by wind power, although it can detect the wind direction of a relatively high wind speed, a weak wind such as an indoor airflow is detected. It was difficult to detect the wind direction.

  For this reason, in recent years, an anemometer has been proposed in which wind detectors are arranged radially in four directions and wind direction determination is performed based on detection outputs from these four wind detectors (Patent Document 1). reference).

JP-A 61-105466

  However, when a plurality of sensors (wind detectors) are employed as in the technique described in Patent Document 1, there is a possibility that the detection accuracy varies due to differences in wind detection positions. On the other hand, if sensors are brought close to each other in order to suppress such variation in detection accuracy, the presence of a certain sensor may affect the detection output of another sensor. Further, when a plurality of sensors are employed as in the technique described in Patent Document 1, the detection circuit and the signal processing become complicated, so that the product may be expensive.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an anemometer and a wind direction detection method capable of detecting a wind direction with high accuracy while having a relatively simple structure.

  In order to achieve the above object, an anemometer according to the present invention comprises an air speed detecting means for detecting an air flow speed, a rotating means for rotating the air speed detecting means about a vertical axis, and a rotation of the air speed detecting means. A position detecting means for detecting the moving position, and a wind direction determining means for determining the wind direction based on the rotation position of the air speed detecting means when the value of the air velocity detected by the air speed detecting means is maximized. It is.

  By adopting such a configuration, the air velocity detecting means can be rotated about the vertical axis by the rotating means, and the air flow velocity at each rotation position (each rotation angle from a predetermined reference posture), that is, each azimuth is measured. It can be detected by the speed detection means. Then, the wind direction is determined based on the rotation position (direction) of the air speed detection means when the value of the air speed detected by the air speed detection means is maximized (the wind is blowing from the direction with the maximum air flow speed) Can be determined). In this way, it is possible to detect the wind direction by rotating one air speed detection means, and it is not necessary to use multiple sensors, so both improvement in wind direction detection accuracy and simplification of the structure of the anemometer are realized. Can be made. In addition, since the maximum value of the airflow velocity detected by the air velocity detecting means corresponds to the wind speed (wind velocity) in the wind direction determined by the airflow direction determining means, the anemometer according to the present invention is caused to function as an anemometer. You can also

  In the anemometer, it is preferable to employ an air velocity detecting means for detecting both the air velocity in the first direction and the air velocity in the second direction opposite to the first direction. When such an air speed detecting means is employed, a rotating means for rotating the air speed detecting means from the predetermined reference posture in the forward direction and the reverse direction by approximately 90 ° can be employed.

  If the air velocity detecting means capable of detecting the air velocity in two directions opposite to each other is employed in this way, it is not necessary to rotate the air velocity detecting means 360 ° for determining the wind direction, and the air velocity detecting means is set to a predetermined reference. The airflow velocity in all directions can be detected simply by rotating 90 degrees from the posture in the forward and reverse directions. Therefore, it is not necessary to employ a 360 ° rotation-compatible device having a complicated mechanical structure when electrically connecting the rotating air speed detecting means and the non-rotating component. Further simplification can be achieved.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the anemometer includes a rectifying plate disposed above and below or on the side of the air velocity detection means.

  If such a configuration is adopted, the turbulence of the airflow flowing into the airspeed detection means can be suppressed by the rectifying plate, so that the airflow velocity can be accurately detected. As a result, it is possible to further improve the wind direction detection accuracy.

  In the anemometer, it is preferable to employ a rectifying plate having an axisymmetric plane shape with the vertical axis as the center.

  When such a configuration is adopted, since the current plate has an axially symmetric plane shape (for example, a circular shape) about the vertical axis, a uniform flow straightening effect can be obtained even when the air velocity detecting means rotates. It becomes possible.

  In the anemometer, it is preferable to form a spherical diaphragm inside the current plate.

  In this way, when a spherical diaphragm is formed inside the current plate (on the side of the air velocity detection means), the current straightening effect can be enhanced.

  In addition, the wind direction detection method according to the present invention includes a rotation step of rotating a sensor for acquiring information related to the airflow velocity about a vertical axis, and a rotation position of the sensor rotated in the rotation step. The information acquisition process which acquires the information which concerns on this, and acquires the information which concerns on the airflow speed in each rotation position with a sensor, and the wind direction determination process which performs a wind direction determination based on the information acquired at the information acquisition process are provided. In the wind direction determination step, the rotation position where the airflow speed becomes maximum can be specified, and the wind direction can be determined based on the specified rotation position.

  When such a configuration is employed, the sensor can be rotated about the vertical axis, and the air velocity at each rotation position can be detected by the sensor. And a wind direction can be determined based on the information which concerns on the rotation position of a sensor, and the information which concerns on the airflow speed in each rotation position of a sensor. In this way, it is possible to detect the wind direction by rotating one sensor, and it is not necessary to employ a plurality of sensors. Therefore, it is possible to realize both improvement of the wind direction detection accuracy and simplification of the structure of the anemometer. it can.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an anemometer capable of detecting a wind direction with high accuracy while having a relatively simple structure.

It is a schematic perspective view of the anemometer which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram (including sectional drawing of a baffle plate) of the anemometer shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of the sensor chip used for the anemometer shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an end view of the IV-IV portion of the sensor chip shown in FIG. 3. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the airflow velocity detection area | region of the anemometer shown in FIG. It is a conceptual diagram of the data table used when performing a wind direction determination using the anemometer shown in FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the wind direction detection method which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, an anemometer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  First, the structure of the anemometer 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the anemometer 1 includes a column member 2 erected so as to be rotatable about a predetermined vertical axis A, and a pair of upper and lower rectifying plates 3 attached to the upper end of the column member 2. 4, the microflow sensor 10 that detects the speed (airflow speed) of the air (wind W) flowing between the current plates 3 and 4, the motor 5 that rotates the column member 2 around the vertical axis A, and the column member 2 Are provided with an angle sensor 6 for detecting the rotation position, a microflow sensor 10 and an information processing device 7 for performing wind direction determination based on detection information from the angle sensor 6.

  The column member 2 supports the microflow sensor 10 that detects the airflow velocity at a predetermined height, and is installed at a place where the wind direction is observed. The shape of the column member 2 is not particularly limited, and a columnar shape, a quadrangular columnar shape, or a polygonal columnar shape can be employed. In this embodiment, the columnar column member 2 is employed. The outer diameter and length of the support member 2 are appropriately set in consideration of the environment of the observation place, the strength of the wind to be observed, and the like.

  The rectifying plates 3 and 4 are for suppressing the turbulence of the airflow flowing into the microflow sensor 10 and improving the airflow velocity detection accuracy (and thus the wind direction detection accuracy). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower rectifying plate 4 is fixed to the upper end of the support member 2, and the upper rectifying plate 3 is fixed to the lower rectifying plate 4 through a plurality of support members 8. ing. As shown in FIG. 1, the rectifying plates 3 and 4 have a planar shape (circular shape in plan view) that is an axis object centered on the vertical axis A, and the column member 2 and the microflow sensor 10 have a vertical axis A. A uniform rectifying effect can be obtained even when the center is rotated. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, spherical shaped diaphragms 3a and 4a are formed inside the rectifying plates 3 and 4 (on the microflow sensor 10 side), so that the rectifying effect can be enhanced. The outer diameter of the rectifying plates 3 and 4 and the interval between the rectifying plates 3 and 4 are appropriately set in consideration of the environment of the observation place, the strength of the wind to be observed, the outer diameter of the support member 2, and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the support member 2 and the microflow sensor 10 attached to the support member 2 can be rotated 90 ° in the forward and reverse directions from a predetermined reference posture by the driving force of the motor 5. It has become. That is, the motor 5 functions as a rotating means in the present invention. The angle sensor 6 detects the rotation position (rotation angle from a predetermined reference posture) of the column member 2 and the microflow sensor 10 attached thereto, and functions as a position detection means in the present invention. To do.

  The microflow sensor 10 is a thermal flow sensor having a semiconductor diaphragm disposed so as to be in contact with air flowing between the rectifying plates 3 and 4. 3 and 4, the microflow sensor 10 includes a substrate 11 provided with a cavity 12, an insulating film 13 disposed on the substrate 11 so as to cover the cavity 12, and a heater provided on the insulating film 13. 14, a first resistance temperature detector 15 and a second resistance temperature detector 16 disposed on both sides of the heater 14, an ambient temperature sensor 17, and the like.

  A portion of the insulating film 13 covering the cavity 12 constitutes a heat insulating diaphragm. The ambient temperature sensor 17 measures the temperature of the air flowing between the rectifying plates 3 and 4. The heater 14 is disposed at the center of the insulating film 13 covering the cavity 12 and heats the air flowing between the rectifying plates 3 and 4 so as to be higher than the temperature measured by the ambient temperature sensor 17 by a certain temperature. . The first resistance temperature detector 15 is used to detect the temperature on one side of the heater 14, and the second resistance temperature detector 16 is used to detect the temperature on the other side of the heater 14.

As the material of the substrate 11 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, silicon (Si) or the like can be used. As a material of the insulating film 13, silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ) or the like can be used. The cavity 12 is formed by anisotropic etching or the like. Platinum (Pt) or the like can be used for each material of the heater 14, the first resistance temperature detector 15, the second resistance temperature detector 16, and the ambient temperature sensor 17, and can be formed by a lithography method or the like.

  Here, when the air between the rectifying plates 3 and 4 is stationary, the heat applied by the heater 14 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is directed toward the two temperature measuring resistance elements 15 and 16 on the side. Diffuse symmetrically. Accordingly, the temperatures of the first resistance temperature detector 15 and the second resistance temperature detector 16 are equal, and the electrical resistances of the resistance temperature detectors 15 and 16 are equal. On the other hand, when the air between the rectifying plates 3 and 4 flows, for example, in the direction of the arrow shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the heat applied by the heater 14 is the second temperature measuring resistance element downstream. It is carried to the 16 side. Therefore, the temperature of the second resistance temperature detector 16 is higher than the temperature of the first resistance temperature detector 15. For this reason, a difference arises between the electrical resistance of the first resistance temperature sensor 15 and the electrical resistance of the second resistance temperature sensor 16. The difference between the electrical resistance of the second resistance temperature detector 16 and the electrical resistance of the first resistance temperature detector 15 has a correlation with the speed and flow rate of the air flowing between the rectifying plates 3 and 4. Therefore, the speed and flow rate of the air flowing between the rectifying plates 3 and 4 can be obtained based on the difference between the electric resistance of the second resistance temperature detector 16 and the resistance of the first resistance temperature detector 15. it can.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, such a microflow sensor 10 is disposed on the inner surface of the lower rectifying plate 4. The microflow sensor 10 can detect the air velocity in two directions opposite to each other due to its configuration. In the present embodiment, the velocity of the air flowing in from all directions can be detected simply by rotating the microflow sensor 10 by 90 ° from the predetermined reference posture in the forward direction and the reverse direction by the driving force of the motor 5. It can be done. This principle will be specifically described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the first RTD 15 of the microflow sensor 10 is located on the direction A side, the second RTD 16 is located on the direction C side, and from the direction A or the direction C, A state in which the resistance thermometer elements 15 and 16 are arranged at right angles to the vector of the inflowing air is set as a reference posture of the microflow sensor 10. In addition, the clockwise rotation direction from this reference posture is the forward direction, the counterclockwise rotation direction is the reverse direction, “+” is added to the rotation angle in the forward direction, and the rotation angle in the reverse direction. “-” Is added to the symbol.

  First, in the reference posture shown in FIG. 5 (rotation angle 0 °), the microflow sensor 10 determines the velocity of air flowing in from the direction A based on the difference in electrical resistance between the two resistance temperature detectors 15 and 16. Both the velocity of the air flowing in from the direction C can be detected.

  Next, consider a case where the microflow sensor 10 is rotated 90 ° (+ 90 °) in the forward direction from the reference posture shown in FIG. In such a case, the microflow sensor 10 can detect the velocity of the air flowing from the azimuth in the 90 ° range (region AB) from the azimuth A (rotation angle 0 °) to the azimuth B (rotation angle + 90 °). At the same time, it is possible to detect the velocity of the air flowing from the azimuth in the 90 ° range (region CD) from the azimuth C (rotation angle + 180 °) to the azimuth D (rotation angle + 270 °). That is, the microflow sensor 10 can detect the velocity of air flowing in from the direction of a total range of 180 ° (region AB and region CD) only by turning 90 ° in the forward direction.

  On the other hand, consider a case where the microflow sensor 10 is rotated 90 ° (−90 °) in the reverse direction from the reference orientation shown in FIG. In such a case, the microflow sensor 10 detects the air flowing in from the azimuth in the 90 ° range (area AD) from the azimuth A (rotation angle 0 °) to the azimuth D (rotation angle −90 ° (+ 270 °)). At the same time that the velocity can be detected, it flows in from the direction of 90 ° (region CB) from the direction C (rotation angle −180 ° (+ 180 °)) to the direction B (rotation angle −270 ° (+ 90 °)). It is possible to detect the speed of air. That is, the microflow sensor 10 can detect the velocity of the air flowing in from the azimuth in the total 180 ° range (area AD and area CB) simply by rotating 90 ° in the reverse direction.

  In this way, the velocity of the air flowing in from the azimuth range of 360 ° can be detected only by rotating the microflow sensor 10 by 90 ° in the forward direction and the reverse direction from the predetermined reference posture. A detection signal (electrical signal corresponding to the airflow velocity) from the microflow sensor 10 is input to the central control unit 7a of the information processing device 7 and converted into an airflow velocity by a predetermined arithmetic expression, and used for wind direction determination described later. The

  As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing device 7 displays a central control unit 7 a that performs various information processing such as wind direction determination and drive control of the motor 5, a memory 7 b that records various information and control programs, and displays various information. The display unit 7c has an output unit 7d for outputting various information to the outside.

  The central control unit 7a of the information processing device 7 rotates the microflow sensor 10 detected by the angle sensor 6 (rotation angle from a predetermined reference posture) and the airflow detected by the microflow sensor 10 at each rotation position. A data table in which the speed is paired is created and recorded in the memory 7b. FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram of the data table created in this way. The data table shown in FIG. 6 is obtained by rotating the microflow sensor 10 by 10 ° from the reference posture shown in FIG. 5 and recording the air velocity detected at each rotation position. As described above, the airflow velocity in the rotation angle range of 0 ° to + 90 ° and in the range of + 180 ° to + 270 ° can be detected by the 90 ° rotation of the microflow sensor 10 in the positive direction. On the other hand, the airflow velocity in the rotation angle range of 0 ° to −90 ° (+ 270 ° to 0 °) and in the range of −180 ° to −270 ° (+ 90 ° to + 180 °) is in the reverse direction of the microflow sensor 10. It can be detected by turning 90 °.

  The central control unit 7a of the information processing device 7 refers to the data table created in this way, identifies the rotation position of the microflow sensor 10 when the value of the airflow velocity is maximum, and the identified rotation. The wind direction is determined based on the position. That is, the information processing apparatus 7 functions as a wind direction determination unit in the present invention. Note that the maximum value of the airflow velocity in the data table corresponds to the wind velocity (wind velocity) in the determined wind direction.

  The display unit 7c displays various information such as information relating to the airflow velocity detected by the microflow sensor 10, information relating to the rotational position detected by the angle sensor 6, and information relating to the wind direction / wind velocity determined using the data table. To do. The configuration of the display unit 7c is not particularly limited, and for example, a 7-segment display that displays various types of information in numbers or English letters can be employed. The output unit 7d outputs (transmits) various types of information to the outside using a wireless communication method or a wired communication method.

  Then, the wind direction detection method using the anemometer 1 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated using the flowchart of FIG.

  First, the user installs the anemometer 1 at a predetermined observation position (anemometer installation process: S1). Then, the user operates the operation unit (not shown) to operate the motor 5 of the anemometer 1 to rotate the microflow sensor 10 by 90 ° in the forward direction and the reverse direction (sensor rotation process). : S2). In the sensor rotation step S2 of the present embodiment, the rotation operation is stopped for a predetermined time each time the microflow sensor 10 is rotated by 10 ° so that the airflow velocity at each rotation position can be easily detected. Yes.

  While the microflow sensor 10 is rotating in the sensor rotation step S2, the information processing device 7 of the anemometer 1 rotates the microflow sensor 10 via the angle sensor 6 (rotation from a predetermined reference posture). For example, as shown in FIG. 6 in which the rotation position and the airflow velocity are paired with each other. A data table is created (information acquisition step: S3).

The information processing device 7 of the anemometer 1 refers to the data table created in the information acquisition step S3, identifies the rotation position of the microflow sensor 10 when the value of the airflow velocity becomes maximum, and identifies the identified times. The wind direction is determined based on the moving position (wind direction determination step: S4). For example, when the maximum value of the airflow velocity in the data table is V ₉₀ , the rotation position of the microflow sensor 10 corresponding to the maximum value (the rotation angle from a predetermined reference posture + 90 °) is specified. Then, it is determined that the wind is blowing from the direction (direction B in FIG. 5) corresponding to the rotation position. The wind direction detection process is completed through the above process group.

  In the anemometer 1 according to the embodiment described above, the microflow sensor 10 can be rotated around the vertical axis A by the motor 5, and the airflow velocity at each rotation position (that is, each direction) is measured by the microflow sensor. 10 can be detected. Then, the wind direction is determined based on the rotation position (orientation) of the microflow sensor 10 when the detected value of the airflow speed becomes maximum (determined that the wind is blowing from the direction of the maximum airflow speed). Can do. In this way, it is possible to detect the wind direction by rotating one sensor, and it is not necessary to employ a plurality of sensors. Therefore, it is possible to realize both improvement of the wind direction detection accuracy and simplification of the structure of the anemometer. it can. Moreover, since the maximum value of the airflow velocity detected by the microflow sensor 10 corresponds to the wind velocity (wind velocity) in the determined wind direction, the anemometer 1 according to the present embodiment also functions as an anemometer. It becomes.

  Moreover, in the anemometer 1 which concerns on embodiment described above, since the microflow sensor 10 which can detect the airflow velocity in two mutually opposite directions is employ | adopted, a sensor is rotated 360 degree | times for a wind direction determination. This is unnecessary, and the airflow velocity in all directions can be detected simply by rotating the microflow sensor 10 from the predetermined reference posture in the forward and reverse directions by approximately 90 degrees. Accordingly, when the microflow sensor 10 and the non-rotating component are electrically connected, it is not necessary to employ a 360 ° rotation-compatible device having a complicated mechanical configuration, and thus the structure of the anemometer 1 is further simplified. Can be

  Moreover, in the anemometer 1 which concerns on embodiment described above, since a pair of baffle plates 3 and 4 are arrange | positioned at the upper and lower sides of the microflow sensor 10, the disturbance of the airflow which flows into the microflow sensor 10 is suppressed. And the air velocity can be accurately detected. As a result, it is possible to further improve the wind direction detection accuracy. Further, since the rectifying plates 3 and 4 have an axisymmetric plane shape (circular shape) around the vertical axis, a uniform rectifying effect can be obtained even when the microflow sensor 10 is rotated. It becomes possible. Further, since the spherical diaphragms 3a and 4a are formed inside the rectifying plates 3 and 4 (sensor side), the rectifying effect can be enhanced.

  In the above embodiment, an example in which a thermal flow sensor is employed as the air velocity detection means has been described. However, another method (for example, an ultrasonic method or the like) that can detect the air flow velocity is used as the air velocity detection means. Can also be adopted.

  Moreover, in the above embodiment, although the example which performed the wind direction determination by detecting airflow velocity (collecting 36 pairs of data in total) for every rotation angle 10 degrees was shown, the data collected for a wind direction determination are shown. The number is not limited to this, and can be set as appropriate according to the environment in which the anemometer 1 is installed. For example, when wind direction observation is performed in an outdoor environment where the wind direction frequently changes, more data (for example, a total of 72 pairs of data every 5 °) may be collected to perform the wind direction determination. On the other hand, when wind direction observation is performed in an indoor environment where the wind direction is relatively stable, it is also possible to collect the less data (for example, a total of 12 pairs of data every 30 °) and perform the wind direction determination.

  Moreover, although the example which employ | adopted the microflow sensor 10 which can detect the airflow velocity in two directions opposite to each other was shown in the above embodiment, it is also possible to employ a sensor that detects the airflow velocity in only one direction. it can. When such a sensor is employed, the airflow velocity in all directions is detected by rotating the sensor by 180 ° in the forward / reverse direction (or 360 ° in either the forward / reverse direction) from a predetermined reference posture. To.

  Moreover, in the above embodiment, although the example which has arrange | positioned a pair of baffle plates 3 and 4 on the upper and lower sides of the microflow sensor 10 was shown, arrangement | positioning of a baffle plate is not restricted to this. For example, a pair of rectifying plates can be disposed on the left and right (side) of the microflow sensor 10. In addition, the present invention can be variously modified and implemented without departing from the scope of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Wind direction meter 3.4 ... Current plate 3a / 4a ... Aperture 5 ... Motor (rotating means)
6. Angle sensor (position detection means)
7 Information processing device (wind direction determination means)
10 ... Micro flow sensor (air velocity detection means)
A ... Vertical axis

Claims (7)

An air velocity detecting means for detecting an air velocity,
Rotating means for rotating the air speed detecting means about a vertical axis;
Position detecting means for detecting the rotational position of the air speed detecting means;
Wind direction determination means for determining a wind direction based on a rotation position of the air speed detection means when the value of the air velocity detected by the air speed detection means is maximized.
An anemometer. The air velocity detection means detects both the air velocity in the first direction and the air velocity in the second direction opposite to the first direction,
The rotating means rotates the air speed detecting means from a predetermined reference posture by approximately 90 degrees in the forward direction and the reverse direction.
The anemometer according to claim 1. Comprising a baffle plate arranged above or below or on the side of the air velocity detection means,
An anemometer according to claim 1 or 2. The rectifying plate has an axisymmetric plane shape with the vertical axis as a center,
An anemometer according to claim 3. A spherical diaphragm is formed inside the current plate,
An anemometer according to claim 3 or 4. A wind direction detection method using a sensor for acquiring information related to an airflow velocity,
A rotation step of rotating the sensor about a vertical axis;
An information acquisition step of acquiring information related to the rotation position of the sensor rotated in the rotation step, and acquiring information related to an airflow velocity at each rotation position with the sensor,
A wind direction determination step for performing a wind direction determination based on the information acquired in the information acquisition step,
Wind direction detection method. In the wind direction determination step, the rotation position where the airflow velocity is maximum is specified, and the wind direction is determined based on the specified rotation position.
The wind direction detection method according to claim 6.

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