JPH04204286A - Snow fall detection method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To detect snow fall rate and snow quality by providing a multitude of pin electrodes with smaller gaps than the snow particle size on a snow fall detection surface having a heater, impressing voltage on the central electrode and connecting the other electrodes to an amplifier for adding via resistances. CONSTITUTION:Mony pin electrodes are arranged on a snow fall detection surface 1 with smaller gaps than snow particle size. Whole snow fall detection surface is covered with a heater 2. Voltage 5 is impressed on a single electrode 4a in the center of the surface blocks 3 and the other electrodes 4b are connected to an amplifier 9 for adding via resistors 6. When snow falls on the snowfall detection surface 1, some of pin electrodes 4 and 4 are electrically connected. If the electrode 4a is included in these electrodes, the voltage according to the number of electrodes 4b contacted in the surface blocks 3 is led to the amplifier for adding 9 to add the voltage. The snowfall in melted with the heater 2 for waiting for the next snowfall.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a snowfall detection method.

=Conventional technology] Conventionally, as a method for detecting snowfall, two electrodes are provided at a certain distance from each other on a snowfall detection surface, and when snow falls on this surface, the two electrodes come into contact and conduction occurs between the electrodes. There are some that use That is, by applying a voltage to one tl#l and measuring the voltage (current) at the other electrode, continuity between the two electrodes is detected and snowfall is detected.

In the above method, rain or lightning can be determined by measuring the temperature of the surrounding environment and making a determination based on that temperature, since the temperature in the case of snow and the case of rain are statistically known. For example, a snowfall detection device detects snow at a temperature below a certain temperature (approximately 4° C.), and a detection at a temperature above that temperature indicates rain.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, with conventional snowfall detection methods, the presence or absence of snowfall can be determined to a certain extent, but when two electrodes come into contact due to snowfall, that contact is maintained until the snowfall stops, and it is difficult to determine the amount of snowfall. It is not possible to obtain other information because it only outputs the following. Other information refers to the amount of snowfall, snow quality, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a novel snowfall detection method that eliminates the drawbacks of the prior art and can obtain information on the snowfall amount and snow quality as well as the presence or absence of snowfall.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In the snowfall detection method of the present invention, a large number of pin-shaped electrodes are provided at intervals finer than snow grains on a snowfall detection surface equipped with a heater that eliminates snow accumulation caused by lightning, and the central While applying voltage to the electrodes, connect the remaining electrodes to a summing amplifier via a resistor.
Presence or absence of contact between electrodes due to snow during snowfall, and tf in contact! The presence or absence of snowfall and the amount of snowfall can be detected by measuring the number of snowfalls and the number of times the contact has been detected.

However, the above snowfall detection surface is virtually divided into multiple surface blocks, a voltage is applied to the center electrode of each surface block, and the remaining electrodes are connected to the summing amplifier for each surface block via a resistor. However, the presence or absence of snowfall and the amount of snowfall can also be detected by measuring the presence or absence of contact between electrodes due to snow during snowfall, the number of electrodes in contact, and the number of times such contact is detected.

[Operation] When snow falls on the snowfall detection surface, conduction occurs between the electrodes connected to the summing amplifier via a resistor or between the center electrode to which a voltage is applied and other electrodes.

In the latter case, the potential input to the summing amplifier depends on the number of contacting electrodes, that is, the number of resistors connected to each, and the voltage corresponding to the combined resistance value of the resistors is applied to the summing amplifier. Extracted from the output. This snowfall is then melted by a heater and waits for the next snowfall.Therefore, the summing amplifier provides sequential pulse output over time, and the magnitude and number of these pulses provides information on the amount of snowfall or the frequency of snowfall. is obtained. Furthermore, information on the size of snow particles can be obtained from the size of each pulse.

A more detailed analysis can be performed by collecting several surface blocks with the same configuration as above and performing one snowfall detection.

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on illustrated embodiments.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a snowfall detection surface for detecting snowfall, and the entire surface is virtually divided into a plurality of surface blocks 3. Since the configuration of each surface block 3 is the same, only one surface block will be described.

FIG. 2 shows one of the surface blocks 3. On the snowfall detection surface 1, a large number of pin-shaped poles 4 are arranged in a plane at intervals finer than snow grains, and the entire snowfall detection surface 1 is Covered by heater 2. Among the many pin-shaped electrodes 4, voltage 5 is applied to one electrode 4a at the center of the surface block 3 through a conductor 7 (FIG. 3), and the remaining electrode 4b is applied through a resistor 6 to a conductor 8 (a third ) is connected to the adding amplifier 9.

When snow falls on the snowfall detection surface 1 having such a structure, the pin-shaped electrodes 4.4 at several locations are connected. If this electrode 4 includes a T-pole 4a to which a voltage 5 is applied, voltages equal to the number of contacting electrodes 4b are added in each surface block 3, and are led to the amplifier 9 and added. Then, the voltage (A in FIG. 4) corresponding to the combined resistance value of the resistor 6 is applied to the − addition amplifier 9.
It is taken out from the output terminal (out) of. This snowfall is
After that, it is melted by heater 2 and waits for the next snowfall.

In this way, the addition amplifier 9 of each surface block 3 has
As time passes, A and B in Figure 4.

Output pulses such as C... are obtained. As shown in the figure, the magnitude of the output pulse depends on the number of electrodes 4b that are electrically connected to the application electrode 4a due to snowfall. Therefore, information on the amount of snowfall can be obtained from the magnitude of this output pulse and the number of output pulses. Furthermore, information on the size of snow particles can be obtained from the size of each pulse.

Several of the same surface blocks as above are collected to perform one snowfall detection. However, depending on the circumstances,
It is also possible to detect only one surface block.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

By providing a large number of pin-shaped electrodes at fine intervals, it is possible not only to detect snowfall but also to recognize the shape and size of the snowdrops.Furthermore, by the number of resistances or potentials added by the summing amplifier, The number of contacted electrodes and the number of times the contact is detected can be measured. Therefore, the amount of snowfall can be detected based on the number of detections and the size of snow particles. Furthermore, since a heater is provided, snow capping on the detection surface is prevented, and repeated detection operations for the amount of snowfall are guaranteed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a snowfall detection surface in an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of one surface block constituting the snowfall detection surface, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing voltage application to the electrodes and A diagram showing an example of a conductor pattern for drawing out from the resistance of an electrode,
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the state of the output obtained from the addition amplifier. In the figure, 1 is a snowfall detection surface, 2 is a heater, 3 is a surface block,
4 is an electrode, 4a is an electrode to which a voltage is applied, 4b is an electrode to which a resistor is connected, 5 is a voltage, 6 is a resistor, 7.8 is a conductor,
9 indicates an adding amplifier. Patent Applicant Hitachi Cable Co., Ltd. Representative Patent Attorney Nobuo Kinutani Figure 1 Figure 2 1° Diagram 3'1lfAt Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A large number of pin-shaped electrodes are provided at intervals finer than snow grains on a snowfall detection surface equipped with a heater that eliminates snow accumulation, and a voltage is applied to the center electrode among them, and the remaining The presence or absence of snowfall and the amount of snowfall can be detected by connecting the electrodes to the summing amplifier via a resistor and measuring the presence or absence of contact between the electrodes due to snow during snowfall, the number of contacted electrodes, and the number of times such contact is detected. A snowfall detection method characterized by: 2. A large number of pin-shaped electrodes are provided on the snowfall detection surface equipped with a heater to eliminate snow accumulation at intervals finer than snow grains, and this snowfall detection surface is virtually divided into multiple surface blocks. While applying a voltage to the center electrode, the remaining electrodes are connected to the summing amplifier for each surface block through resistors, and the presence or absence of contact between the electrodes due to snow, the number of electrodes in contact, and the extent of the contact are determined. By measuring the number of detections,
A snowfall detection method characterized by detecting the presence or absence of snowfall and the amount of snowfall.