Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
4
MONITORING STATION
INSTRUMENTATION AND
MEASUREMENTS
Measurements taken by meteorological instruments mounted on tall towers are the
foundation of most wind resource assessment. Each of these instruments is designed to
record a specific environmental parameter. The basic parameters essential for any wind
monitoring program are the horizontal wind speed, wind direction, and air temperature.
Other, optional parameters may be collected as well depending on the priorities and
budget of the wind resource monitoring program. This chapter describes the common
types of meteorological instruments, along with the recorded parameters, sampling
intervals, and desired measurement accuracy; associated data loggers, storage devices
and transfer equipment; and power supplies, tower types, and wiring.
4.1 BASIC MEASUREMENTS
4.1.1 Horizontal Wind Speed
Wind speed is the most important indicator of a site's wind resource. Obtaining accu-
rate readings of the free-stream wind speed (i.e., the speed unaffected by the tower,
instruments, and other station components) over a representative period is, therefore,
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