Sometimes we give our sensors a hard time. But of course it is for a good cause: We want to guarantee the high quality and the keeping of our promises. A few weeks ago, the ultrasonic wind sensor VENTUS was the one to be challenged. We exposed the modern measurement device to extreme conditions. But did it endure these conditions? And where is occurs wind to challenge the strong sensor at all? The following blog post solves this quiz…Sometimes we give our sensors a hard time. But this has a good cause: We want to guarantee the high quality and the keeping of our promises. A few weeks ago, the ultrasonic wind sensor VENTUS was the one to be challenged. We exposed the modern measurement device to extreme conditions. But did it endure these conditions? And where occurs enough wind to challenge the strong sensor at all?
Wind tunnels
In order to check the functionality of wind sensors, artificial wind needs to be created. This happens in wind tunnels, of which several are placed in the Lufft headquarter as well as in one subsidiary (three in Fellbach and one in Shanghai). The performance and size of the tunnel determine amongst other parameters the producible wind strengths. As our wind tunnel reaches its limits with regard to the ultrasonic wind sensor, we needed something bigger to confirm the VENTUS measurement range…
WindGuard tunnel in Bremerhaven – basic information
In Bremerhaven one of the biggest wind tunnels in Germany is located: In the WindGuard Wind Tunnel Centre manufacturers, reasearchers and scientists can let off steam. The wind simulator consists of a closed measurement section with a length of 5 meters, a 2.75 meters width and 1.25 meters height. It creates winds of more than 90 meters per second and has an electric power of 1000 kilowatts. This large wind tunnel is optimized acoustically and therefore very suitable for aero-acoustic research projects. Besides there is an open measurement section which can produce winds of up to 40 meters per second.
The perfect test environment for the examination of the maximum wind speeds which can be detected by VENTUS had been found. The ultrasonic wind sensor faced its toughest challenge ever in order to prove that it works under extreme windy conditions.
The result: How did VENTUS perform?
Half an hour the VENTUS-UMB had to withstand the extreme conditions. 20 measurement spots were checked one by one (see measurement diagram in image gallery).
The result: The wind sensor measured even extreme wind velocities of 91 meters per second error-free showing its outstanding performance capacity. Now we have the ultimate proof that the wind sensor is not only very long-term stable and accurate but covers also a broad measurement range.
Video of the gigantic WindGuard wind tunnel in Bremerhaven, Germany:
