JPH06300861A - Solar cell type snow meter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a solar cell type snow meter which can measure amount of snow easily and accurately and has a simple structure. CONSTITUTION:A first solar cell 5 which has a constant width in horizontal direction and a light reception surface 5a which is extended in upper and lower directions is laid at a body cylinder 3, a reference solar cell 6 with a light reception surface 6a at the upper part of the first solar cell 5 is laid out at the body cylinder 3, and a first electromotive force detection part for detecting the electromotive force of the first solar cell 5 and a second electromotive force detection part for detecting the electromotive force of the reference solar cell 6 are provided at the body cylinder 3. Further, a part for judging the amount of snow for calculating and judging the amount of snow based on the electromotive force detected by the first and second electromotive force detection parts is provided and then a transmission part for outputting the amount of snow which is calculated and judged by the part for judging the amount of snow, an antenna 11, and a display 20 are provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a solar cell type snow gauge suitable for measuring the depth of snow.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various devices have been known as a device for measuring the amount of snow (depth of snow).

[0003]

However, in all of them, accurate measurement is difficult because the measurement result depends on the change of weather. In addition, although there are some that can accurately measure the amount of snow, such as an optical snow meter, since it is complicatedly configured by using a large number of light emitters and light receivers, there is a problem in reliability and an inconvenience that it becomes expensive. there were.

In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a solar cell snow cover, which is easy to measure the snow cover accurately, has a simple structure, and is inexpensive.

The present invention comprises a body (3), said body (3) having a constant width in the horizontal direction,
And a first solar cell (5) having a first light receiving surface (5a) extending in the vertical direction, the first light receiving surface (5a)
Second solar cell having a second light receiving surface (6a) above the first solar cell (5) in the main body (3). (6)
A first electromotive force detector for laying the second light receiving surface (6a) so as to receive external light (10) and detecting the electromotive force of the first solar cell (5) in the main body (3). (15) and a second electromotive force detector (16) for detecting an electromotive force of the second solar cell (6), and the first electromotive force detector (15) and the second electromotive force detector ( 16) is provided with a snow amount determination unit (17) for determining the snow amount based on the electromotive force detected by the output unit (17) for outputting the snow amount calculated and determined by the snow amount determination unit (17) to the outside. 19, 11, 20) are provided. In addition,
Numbers in parentheses are for convenience of reference to corresponding elements in the drawings, and thus the present description is not limited to the description in the drawings. The same applies to the following action columns.

[0005]

With the above-described structure, the present invention depends only on the electromotive force of the first solar cell (5) which depends on the intensity of external light and the amount of snow and the intensity of external light when measuring the amount of snow. By calculating and determining the electromotive force of the second solar cell (6), the amount of snow is calculated and determined in a manner that the influence of the intensity of external light is corrected.

[0006]

1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a solar cell type snow cover according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view taken in the direction of arrow I in FIG. 1, and FIG.
FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the inside of the computing device of the solar cell snow cover shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a solar cell type snow gauge 2 erected on the ground 40 is provided at the measurement site 1 for measuring the amount of snow (depth of snow), The solar cell snow cover 2 has a hollow cylindrical main body cylinder 3 having a rectangular horizontal cross section. The main body cylinder 3 extends in the up-down direction, and a lower end portion of the main body cylinder 3 in the drawing is provided with an installation portion 3a that is wedge-shaped downward in the drawing. That is, the solar cell snow cover 2 has a configuration in which the installation portion 3a of the solar cell snow cover 2 is driven downward from the ground surface 40a to the ground 40, and the installation portion 3a is embedded in the ground 40. It is installed upright.

Due to the structure in which the main body tube 3 has a rectangular horizontal cross section, four flat surfaces parallel to the vertical direction are formed on the outer surface side. One of these four flat surfaces (ie, The plane facing the right side of the paper in FIG. 1 and the plane facing the front of the paper in FIG. 2) are the cell laying surfaces 3b. A plurality of identical solar cell elements 4 are laid on the cell laying surface 3b of the main body cylinder 3. One solar cell element 4 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape, and one of the rectangular front and back plate surfaces has a light receiving surface 4a and the other has an attachment surface 4b.
Is formed in. Further, of the two sets of parallel sides of the rectangular light-receiving surface 4a, the length of one set is a predetermined length L1 and the length of the other set is a predetermined length L2. Has become. The solar cell elements 4 are the light receiving surfaces 4 of all the elements 4.
The cell laying surface 3b of the main body cylinder 3 and the adhering surface 4b of the solar cell element 4 are laid on each other with an adhesive or the like. The light-receiving surface 4a is laid in such a manner that a side having a predetermined length L2 is parallel to the vertical direction. Further, among the installed solar cell elements 4, a plurality of other solar cell elements 4 excluding one constitute a first solar cell 5. The plurality of solar cell elements 4 forming the first solar cell 5 are adjacent to each other in a row in the up-down direction without a gap (therefore, the solar cell elements 4 and 4 are adjacent to each other on the side of the predetermined length L1 of the light receiving surface 4a). Light receiving surface 4 of the solar cell element 4 located at the lowermost side.
The lower end side of a is located substantially at the level of the ground surface 40a. Further, the plurality of solar cell elements 4 forming the first solar cell 5 are electrically connected in series in the order of being laid vertically. That is, the first solar cell 5 is a single solar cell element having a series of light-receiving surfaces 5a that are continuous in the vertical direction, including all the light-receiving surfaces 4a of the plurality of solar cell elements 4 that form the first solar cell 5. It has the same function. Among the solar cell elements 4 constituting the first solar cell 5, the positive pole of the most positive solar cell element 4 (that is, the uppermost or lowermost solar cell element 4), that is, the positive pole of the first solar cell 5. The negative pole of the solar cell element 4 on the most negative side (that is, the lowermost or uppermost solar cell element 4), that is, the negative pole of the first solar cell 5 is connected to the arithmetic unit 9 described later.

Of the installed solar cell elements 4,
The other plurality of solar cell elements 4 excluding one constitutes the first solar cell 5 as described above, but the remaining one solar cell element 4 is less than the first solar cell 5 on the cell laying surface 3b. It is laid in the upper position. The single solar cell element 4 located above the first solar cell 5 serves as a reference solar cell 6. The positive and negative poles of the reference solar cell 6 are connected to the arithmetic unit 9 described later.

Further, on the cell laying surface 3b side of the main body cylinder 3,
The cell cover laying surface 3b is provided with a protective cover 7 made of a transparent glass plate having both front and back surfaces having substantially the same shape as the cell laying surface 3b.
The protective cover 7 is provided in a form corresponding to
The entire cell laying surface 3b, and thus the first solar cell 5 and
It is provided so as to cover all the reference solar cells 6. The protective cover 7 is adhered and fixed to the cell laying surface 3b side of the main body cylinder 3 with a waterproof adhesive 7a around the entire circumference of the protective cover 7, and therefore, between the protective cover 7 and the cell laying surface 3b. In particular (at the positions of the first solar cell 5 and the reference solar cell 6), the adhesive 7a prevents water from entering due to snow or rain from the outside.

On the upper end 3c of the main body cylinder 3, a transmitting antenna 11 extending vertically is provided upright. The antenna 11 is connected to the arithmetic device 9 described later.

On the other hand, an arithmetic unit 9 is provided inside the main body cylinder 3 of the solar cell snow cover 2. The arithmetic unit 9 is
As shown in FIG. 3, it has a main controller 12 inside,
The main control unit 12 includes a first electromotive force detection unit 15, a second electromotive force detection unit 16, a snow accumulation amount determination unit 17, and a bus line 13,
The transmission unit 19 and the display unit 20 are connected to each other. Further, the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the first solar cell 5 are connected to the first electromotive force detection unit 15 (that is, the first solar cell 5 is connected to the arithmetic device 9 in the first electromotive force detection unit 15). .). In addition, the second electromotive force detection unit 16
Is connected to the positive and negative poles of the reference solar cell 6 (that is, the reference solar cell 6 is connected to the arithmetic unit 9 in the second electromotive force detection unit 16).
The antenna 11 is connected to the transmitter 19 (that is, the antenna 11 is connected to the arithmetic unit 9 in the transmitter 19). The display unit 20 is formed so as to penetrate from the inside of the main body cylinder 3 to the outside on the cell laying surface 3b side and be exposed. Therefore, the display unit 20 is protected from the outside of the solar cell type snow gauge 2. It can be seen through the cover 7.

A measurement site 1 and a solar cell type snow cover 2
Is configured as described above. Further, the solar cell snow cover 2 is inexpensive because of its simple structure as described above.

The solar cell type snow cover 2 is installed at the measurement site 1
When installed on a solar cell snow cover 2 main body cylinder 3
The installation portion 3a of the main body 3 is driven vertically into the ground 40,
Is installed so as to stand on the ground 40. In measurement site 1,
Using the solar cell snow cover 2 installed as described above, to obtain the amount of snow (depth of snow) at the measurement site 1,
Do the following: Now, in the measurement site 1, FIG. 1 and FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, a substantially horizontal layered snow cover 41 is formed by snowfall, and therefore, a part of the solar cell snow cover 2 is buried in the snow cover 41. It should be noted that the solar cell element 4 located at the uppermost position of the first solar cells 5 laid in the solar cell snow cover 2 is completely contained in the snow 41 even when the estimated maximum amount of snow 41 is formed. The height from the ground surface 40a to the upper end side of the uppermost solar cell element 4 of the first solar cells 5 is preset so as not to be filled. The solar cell element 4 located at the top of the first solar cell 5 from the ground surface 40a
Since the height to the upper end side of the solar cell element 4 is the number times the vertical length L2 of the solar cell element 4 (that is, the number of solar cell elements 4 in the first solar cell 5), that is, Even when the solar cell element 4 located at the top is formed with the estimated maximum amount of snow 41,
The number of the solar cell elements 4 constituting the first solar cell 5 or the predetermined length L2 of the solar cell elements 4 is set in advance so as not to be completely embedded in 1.
Therefore, a part of the first solar cell 5 is now buried in the snow 41. In addition, the measurement site 1 is now being irradiated with the sun rays 10, and therefore, in the light receiving surface 5a of the first solar cell 5, the portion located above the snow surface 41a of the snow 41 passes through the transparent protective cover 7. It is receiving sunlight 10. That is, power generation is performed in a portion of the first solar cell 5 above the snow surface 41a.
On the other hand, the portion of the first solar cell 5 that is buried in the snow 41, that is, the portion below the snow surface 41a is blocked by the snow 41, and the sun 10 hardly reaches. That is, no power is generated in the portion of the first solar cell 5 below the snow surface 41a. As described above, the voltage V1 is generated between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the first solar cell 5 by the power generation by the portion of the first solar cell 5 above the snow surface 41a. Further, since the reference solar cell 6 is located above the first solar cell 5, the snow surface 41a
It is located above. Therefore, the reference solar cell 6 is
The light receiving surface 6a (that is, the light receiving surface 4a of the solar cell element 4 which is the reference solar cell 6) is irradiated with the sun rays 10 through the transparent protective cover 7. That is, the reference solar cell 6 is generating power. Therefore, the voltage V2 is generated between the positive pole and the negative pole of the reference solar cell 6.

On the other hand, in the arithmetic unit 9, the main control unit 12 gives a command to start the electromotive force detection operation to the first electromotive force detection unit 15 and the second electromotive force detection unit 16 at regular time intervals T1.
That is, the first electromotive force detection unit 15 receives the start command of the electromotive force detection operation, detects the voltage V1 of the first solar cell 5, and transmits the measured value D1 of the voltage V1 to the main control unit 12 as an electric signal. Further, the second electromotive force detection unit 16 receives the start command of the electromotive force detection operation, detects the voltage V2 of the reference solar cell 6, and transmits the measured value D2 of the voltage V2 to the main control unit 12 as an electric signal. Next, the main control unit 12 transmits the electric signals from the first electromotive force detection unit 15 and the second electromotive force detection unit 16 to the snow amount determination unit 17, and also performs a predetermined calculation on the snow amount determination unit 17. To order.

That is, the snow accumulation determination section 17 receives a calculation instruction and performs a predetermined calculation. Here, the measured values D1 and D2
Let Da and Db be the numerical values of L, and the numerical value of the length L2 is L
b, the solar cell element 4 constituting the first solar cell 5
Is A, and the result value C of the predetermined calculation is
When the numerical value of 1 is Ca, the calculation can be expressed in the form of Ca = Lb · (A−Da / Db). That is, the ratio of the measured value D1 to the measured value D2 is the area value of the effective light receiving surface 5a of the first solar cell 5 that receives the sun rays 10 and the area value of the light receiving surface 6a of the reference solar cell 6. Equal to the ratio. Further, the ratio of the area value of the effective light receiving surface 5a and the area value of the light receiving surface 6a is the ratio of the value of the vertical length of the effective light receiving surface 5a to the value of the vertical length L2 of the light receiving surface 6a. Equal to each other (because both the light-receiving surface 5a and the light-receiving surface 6a have the length L1 in the horizontal direction). Therefore, Da / Db is a value obtained by dividing the value of the effective length of the light receiving surface 5a in the vertical direction by Lb which is the numerical value of the length L2.
Further, Da / Db is multiplied by Lb to obtain Lb · Da / Db, which is a numerical value of the effective length of the light receiving surface 5a in the vertical direction. Next, from the numerical value of the vertical length of all the light-receiving surfaces 5a, that is, the value obtained by multiplying Lb by A, this Lb · Da / D
Subtract b to obtain Ca, which is the numerical value of the result value C1. Therefore, the result value C1 represents the vertical length of the light-receiving surface 5a below the snow surface 41a.
1 indicates the depth value of the snow cover 41, that is, the amount of the snow cover 41.

Next, a predetermined calculation is performed in the snow amount determination section 17, and the result value C1 obtained as described above is transmitted to the main control section 12 as an electric signal. After that, the main control unit 12 transmits the electric signal from the snow amount determination unit 17 to the transmission unit 19 and instructs the transmission unit 19 to output and transmit the electric signal representing the result value C1. Transmission unit 19
Receives an output transmission command, transmits an electric signal representing the result value C1 to the antenna 11, and transmits the electric signal to the antenna 1.
Radio waves are transmitted from 1 to the air. Further, the main control unit 12 transmits the electric signal from the snow amount determination unit 17 to the display unit 20 and also instructs the display unit 20 to display the result value C1 as a numerical value. The display unit 20 receives the display instruction and displays the result value C1 as a numerical value. That is, the amount of snow can be confirmed by visually observing the display unit 20 from the outside of the solar cell snow cover 2.

Then, after the main control unit 12 gives the above-mentioned start command of the electromotive force detection operation to the first electromotive force detection unit 15 and the second electromotive force detection unit 16, after a certain time T1, the main control unit 12 performs the main control. The unit 12 again gives an instruction to start the electromotive force detection operation to the first electromotive force detection unit 15 and the second electromotive force detection unit 16.
In this way, the first electromotive force detection unit 15 again detects the voltage V1 of the first solar cell 5, transmits the measured value D1 of the voltage V1 to the main control unit 12 as an electric signal, and the second electromotive force detection unit 1
6 again detects the voltage V2 of the reference solar cell 6 and transmits the measured value D2 of the voltage V2 to the main controller 12 as an electric signal. Next, the main controller 12 includes the first electromotive force detector 15
In addition, the electric signal from the second electromotive force detection unit 16 is transmitted to the snow amount determination unit 17, and the snow amount determination unit 17 is instructed to perform a predetermined calculation. Upon receiving the instruction, a predetermined operation is performed to obtain a result value C1.
Then, the result value C1 is transmitted to the main control unit 12 as an electric signal, and the main control unit 12 commands the transmission unit 19 to output and transmit the electric signal representing the result value C1. Transmitter 1
In response to the output transmission command, the radio wave 9 transmits an electric signal representing the result value C1 from the antenna 11 to the air. The main control unit 12 also causes the display unit 20 to display the result value C1 as a numerical value. After that, the main control unit 12 gives a start command of the electromotive force detection operation after a predetermined time T1 after the previous start command of the electromotive force detection operation. Then, the amount of snow 41 is measured, and an electric signal representing a result value C1 indicating the amount is transmitted by radio wave.

The electric signal transmitted from the solar cell type snow cover 2 by radio waves is received at the snow cover data collection place existing at a point away from the measurement site 1. At the place where the snowfall data is collected, the snowfall condition near the measurement site 1 is grasped based on the snowfall amount data transmitted at every constant time T1.

As described above, the solar cell snow cover 2 is provided with the first solar cell 5 having a constant width L1 in the horizontal direction and having the light-receiving surface 5a extending vertically. A reference solar cell 6 is laid above the first solar cell 5. Further, the solar cell snow cover 2 is provided with a first electromotive force detection unit 15 that detects the electromotive force of the first solar cell 5, and a second electromotive force detection unit 16 that detects the electromotive force of the reference solar cell 6. A snowfall amount determination unit 17 is provided for calculating and determining the snowfall amount based on the electromotive forces detected by the first electromotive force detection unit 15 and the second electromotive force detection unit 16. Then, the snow amount determination unit 1
A transmitter 19, an antenna 11, and a display 20 for outputting the snowfall amount calculated and determined by 7 to the outside are provided.
By the way, the electromotive force generated by the first solar cell 5 depends on the intensity of the sun rays 10 due to changes in the weather (clear weather, cloudy weather, etc.), and the portion of the light-receiving surface 5a of the first solar cell 5 that is buried in the snow 41 is shaded. Therefore, it depends on the depth of the snow cover 41, that is, the amount of snow cover. Further, the electromotive force generated by the reference solar cell 6 depends on the intensity of the sun rays 10 due to the change in weather, but the light receiving surface 6a of the reference solar cell 6 is covered with snow 4
Since it is not shaded by 1, the electromotive force of the reference solar cell 6 does not depend on the amount of snow. Therefore, the amount of snowfall is obtained by calculating and determining the electromotive force of the first solar cell 5 and the electromotive force of the reference solar cell 6 to correct the influence of the intensity of the sun rays 10. That is, when the solar cell type snow cover 2 is used, it is possible to measure the amount of snow accurately without being affected by the intensity of the sunbeams 10 due to changes in the weather.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the amount of snowfall is measured by using the sun rays 10, that is, the case where the amount of snowfall is measured in the daytime is described, but the main body tube 3 of the solar cell type snow cover 2 is described. By installing an electric light etc. outside,
It is also possible to measure the amount of snow cover at night.

As described above, according to the present invention, the light receiving surface 5a has a main body such as the main body tube 3 and has a constant width in the horizontal direction and extends in the vertical direction. A first solar cell such as a first solar cell 5 having a first light receiving surface such as is laid in a form in which the first light receiving surface can receive external light, Also above, the light receiving surface 6
A second solar cell such as a reference solar cell 6 having a second light receiving surface such as a is laid so that the second light receiving surface can receive external light, and the main body of the first solar cell is A first electromotive force detector such as a first electromotive force detector 15 that detects an electromotive force, and a second electromotive force detector such as a second electromotive force detector 16 that detects an electromotive force of the second solar cell are provided. Snowfall amount determination unit 1 for calculating and determining the snowfall amount based on the electromotive forces detected by the first electromotive force detection unit and the second electromotive force detection unit
The snow accumulation amount determining unit such as 7 is provided, and the output unit such as the transmitting unit 19, the antenna 11, and the display unit 20 that outputs the snow accumulation amount calculated and determined by the snow accumulation amount determining unit to the outside is provided, and thus the snow accumulation amount is configured. When measuring, by calculating and determining the electromotive force of the first solar cell that depends on the intensity of external light and the amount of snow, and the electromotive force of the second solar cell that depends only on the intensity of external light. The amount of snow is calculated and determined by correcting the influence of the intensity of external light due to changes in the weather. That is, the use of the solar cell snow cover according to the present invention makes it possible to accurately measure the snow cover. In addition to the above effects, the present invention has a simple structure and thus is highly reliable and can be manufactured at low cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

 Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an example of a solar cell snow cover according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view taken in the direction of arrow I in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the inside of the computing device of the solar cell snow cover shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 ... Main body (main body cylinder) 5 ... First solar cell (first solar cell) 5a ... First light receiving surface (light receiving surface) 6 ... Second solar cell (reference solar cell) 6a ... Second Light receiving surface (light receiving surface) 11 ... Output means (antenna) 15 ... First electromotive force detection section 16 ... Second electromotive force detection section 17 ... Snow amount determination section 19 ... Output means (transmission means) 20 ... … Output means (display)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first solar cell having a main body, wherein the main body has a first light receiving surface having a constant width in a horizontal direction and extending vertically. The light receiving surface is laid so as to receive external light, and a second solar cell having a second light receiving surface is provided in the main body above the first solar cell, and the second light receiving surface is external. It is laid so as to receive light, and the main body has a first electromotive force detection unit that detects an electromotive force of the first solar cell and a second electromotive force detection unit that detects an electromotive force of the second solar cell. A snowfall amount determination unit for determining the snowfall amount based on the electromotive force detected by the first electromotive force detection unit and the second electromotive force detection unit is provided, and the snowfall amount calculated and determined by the snowfall amount determination unit. A solar cell type snow meter constructed by providing an output means for outputting the amount to the outside.