In the field
The engineering behind the results
Real installations showing the conditions, measurement requirement, technology selected and outcome. Each case study gives you the detail needed to judge whether the same approach could work in your application.
Why they matter
The useful detail is in the decision
A case study is most valuable when it explains more than the final outcome. These examples show the operating conditions, what was being measured, the options considered and why a particular approach was selected.
They also show where an initial approach was not suitable, because understanding the decision is often more useful than reading another success story.
What each case study covers
- Operating conditions and installation environment
- The measurement requirement
- The instrument selected and alternatives considered
- How the measurement was used within the wider system
- The resulting outcome, where this can be disclosed
Flagship installations
Measurement under real conditions
Tall buildings
Wind measurement at the world’s tallest building
A WindSonic on the Burj Khalifa. Height, access and the cost of a maintenance visit are the whole argument for solid state.
Read the story
Autonomous marine
Measuring the wind on an uncrewed Atlantic crossing
An uncrewed transatlantic crossing, where nobody is aboard to notice a sensor drifting.
Read the application note
Record setting
Measuring wind in the conditions that set the record
Wind measurement through conditions that were the point of the voyage rather than a hazard to it.
Marine and offshore
Solar
Weather measurement across 3,000 km of Australian outback
A MaxiMet GMX500 across 3,000 km of Australian outback, on a vehicle with a punishing power budget.
Read the story
Motorsport
Fuel measurement under race conditions
Liquid level sensing on a race car, where the measurement has to survive vibration and be trusted under time pressure.
Ask our experts
Air quality
Wind data behind an air quality network
Compact weather stations feeding an air quality network, where wind data is what makes a pollution reading interpretable.
Research and environmentShare your installation
What the difficult installations teach us
Not every measurement challenge is solved by the obvious instrument or the standard installation approach. The most useful case studies are often the ones where environmental conditions, restricted access, integration requirements or performance demands forced a different engineering decision.
If you have an installation that involved a genuine measurement or engineering challenge, we’d be interested in documenting what you learned, what you changed and how the final solution performed.
We’ll share the finished case study with you for review before publication.
By sector
Browse installations by sector
Marine and energy
Science and safety
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I be named in a case study?
Only if you want to be. Plenty of them are anonymised to a sector and a set of conditions, which is usually enough for the story to be useful.
Do you pay for case studies?
No, and we do not ask for a testimonial in exchange either. What you get is a properly written account of your installation that you are free to use.
How long does one take?
Usually a conversation of about an hour, then a draft you check. Nothing is published until you have signed it off.
Can I see the data behind a case study?
Ask. Where the customer is happy for it to be shared and it is not commercially sensitive, we would rather show the measurements than describe them.
Get in touch
Have an installation worth documenting?
Particularly where the application involved a genuine engineering challenge. If an obvious approach did not work, or the installation required a different measurement strategy, the experience could provide useful evidence for other engineers facing a similar decision.
Explore the case study archive
90 stories of Gill instruments in service, from Formula 1 fuel cells to sewage treatment works. Filter by year.
90 items
New product launch: Gill launches new optical rain gauge
Gill launches new optical rain gauge to redefine precipitation measurement
Read itFuelling innovation: Gill’s liquid level sensors power UNLV Rebel Racing team
Driving performance: Gill’s LevelLite sensor in extreme motorsport racing
Read itNew product now available: Gill launches heat stress measurement solution
We are delighted to announce the launch of MaxiMet GMX552 , the first compact weather station to integrate a black globe sensor for heat stress monitoring, providing highly accurat…
Read itSolar Monitoring Solutions
Gill offers highly accurate and reliable solid-state solutions that allow performance monitoring and asset protection on solar farms.
Read itMaxiMet GMX500 races across the Australian outback to support Brunel Solar Team win Eighth World Title
This year’s Challenge was unlike any before, with weather monitoring playing a bigger role than usual in race strategy. For the first time, the competition took place in August, tw…
Read itMining Sensor Solutions for asset monitoring and maintenance optimisation
Gill offers systems that allow customers to achieve total asset monitoring to deliver optimised maintenance and operations.
Read itAdvancing fire weather research: testing ultrasonic wind sensors in the field
Wind plays a critical role in fire behaviour. Most fires spread in the direction of the wind, but in the case of plume-dominated fires, those that generate massive vertical plumes,…
Read itMaxiMet GMX500 joins the race to support Brunel Solar Team’s eighth world title bid
We are proud to announce our support for the Brunel Solar Team in their pursuit of an eighth world title at the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge by providing them with our MaxiMet…
Read itHow ultrasonic wind sensors reduce TCO on solar farms and other installations
Solar farm operators face many challenges today, but needing to replace mechanical wind sensors annually or doing costly maintenance work shouldn’t be one of them.
Read itSolving smart city challenges with compact weather stations
Smart cities leverage information and communication technology (ICT) to improve safety, efficiency, promote environmental sustainability, and enhance social inclusion.
Read itRail Sensor Solutions for asset monitoring and maintenance optimisation
Gill offers systems that allow customers to achieve total asset monitoring to deliver optimised maintenance and operations.
Read itOptimising Wind Turbine Efficiency: Overcoming Sensor Failures for Long-Term Reliability
DC21 Operations and Gill Instruments join forces to enhance Endurance Wind Turbine performance through innovative sensor technology
Read itDC21 Operations and Gill Instruments join forces to enhance Endurance Wind Turbine performance through innovative sensor technology
DC21 Operations , specialists in the maintenance, repair, and improvements to Endurance E Series and X Series wind turbines, has officially partnered with Gill Instruments , design…
Read itCompact weather stations on buoys for coastal monitoring
OSIL Fulmar Buoy and Gill MaxiMet Enhance Coastal Environmental Monitoring
Read itWindSonic, market leading 2-axis wind sensors, now easier to integrate into more systems
Market leading 2-axis wind sensors – WindSonic and WindSonic 75 – both now offer Modbus output alongside existing output options
Read itRail axle wear monitoring
Ensure rail safety with WearDetect: advanced real-time axle monitoring reduces downtime, increases reliability and improves overall asset effectiveness
Read itRobust, reliable sensors monitor rail rolling stock
Robust, reliable sensors monitor rail rolling stock: providing the earliest warning of equipment wear or monitoring critical fluid levels to maximise reliability and efficiency
Read itMonitoring Wind at the World’s Tallest Building: Gill WindSonic at the Burj Khalifa
The Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, stands as an engineering marvel. Beyond its striking architecture, maintaining its safety and functionality requires advanced t…
Read itLatest generation anemometer demonstrates high performance under extreme conditions
Gill’s latest anemometer has been tested under a range of extreme conditions including wind blown dust & sand, pressurised water, hammer impact, shock & vibration and altitude test…
Read itGill’s Catch Tank oil level sensor: endurance race proven reliable data
Many factors build up to a race win and ‘to finish first, first you have to finish’, is often quoted. Racing speed isn’t everything and many other factors must be embraced between …
Read itGill’s Championship Winning Sensors for Motorsport
Gill’s race proven sensors have delivered yet again, helping motorsport teams and drivers throughout 2023 to achieve, not only poles and podiums but World Championship wins.
Read itFerrous debris sensor with Modbus integrates into existing manufacturing and distribution systems
Ferrous debris sensor integrates readily into existing manufacturing and distribution systems using Modbus and other outputs
Read itSaildrone USVs use Gill WindMaster 3-axis anemometers for wind speed and direction measurement
To ensure the flow of ocean data continues uninterrupted for weather forecasting, ocean drone company Saildrone, in collaboration with the NOAA National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), is…
Read itImproving in-service reliability of hovercraft fleet
Liquid level sensors with marine systems compatibility accurately monitor hovercraft critical fluids
Read itWindSonic provides data to help predict dust storms
Dust storms have an enormous impact both locally but also travel across continents. Many originate from the empty quarter desert stretching across the Arabian peninsula, the world’…
Read itMaintaining oil levels in critical refrigeration systems in Large Synoptic Survey Telescope
If you are tasked with conducting a 10 year survey of the night sky to address some of the questions about the structure and evolution of the universe and the objects in it, chance…
Read itPosition sensors in tobacco cutting machine
Position sensor replaces potentiometers on tobacco cutting machinery
Read itGearbox reliability for extrusion machines
Oil debris sensors improve gearbox reliability for extrusion machines
Read itMilitary Detection Devices
Gill provides bespoke solutions to challenging requirements in the fight against the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
Read itHelping a utility company clean up in the water supply industry
Gill helped a US water company improve water quality whilst reducing their costs
Read itOil condition monitoring in wind turbines
Earliest detection of ferrous wear in wind turbine gearboxes
Read itBloodhound Live in Newquay
19 measurement sensors are installed on the supersonic car measuring fuel level, hydrogen peroxide level, air brake door angle, suspension deflection, accelerator and brake to name…
Read itIndycar anti roll bar position sensors
Non-contact position sensors improve IndyCar handling performance
Read itClass 1 powerboat level sensor
Travelling at 200mph without leaving the ground would be, most people would agree, an exciting prospect.
Read itRailway Coolant Level Sensor
Robust and reliable continuous coolant measurement keeps freight running
Read itLiquid level & position monitoring with the British Army
Gill Sensors digs in with the British Army
Read itGill’s Rotary Sensors selected by world-leading performance gearbox manufacturer
The non-contact 360 rotary position sensors from Gill Sensors & Controls have been chosen by Pfitzner Performance Gearboxes (PPG) to measure shift position for their latest range o…
Read it3m Level Sensor for Offshore Wave-Height Measurement
3M Long water level sensor designed for offshore wave-height measurement
Read itBloodhound SSC Interview with Kevin Murray
Fuelling innovation: Gill’s liquid level sensors power UNLV Rebel Racing team
Read itHydraulic Oil Level Sensor Designed for Cement Grinding Mill
Gill Sensors & Controls has designed and developed a custom heavy-duty hydraulic oil level sensor for installation on a new cement grinding roller mill prototype.
Read it10 Most Diverse Vehicle Applications
The reliability and durability offered by the non-contact, solid state sensors from Gill mean that they are frequently specified for a broad range of transport applications where t…
Read itThe Fastest Sensors on Four Wheels: Fuel for Rocket Speeds
Gill Sensors & Controls (GSC) support to the Bloodhound project continues through the supply of 7 capacitive liquid level sensors for liquid measurement.
Read itThe Fastest Sensors on Four Wheels: GSC & The Bloodhound Project
The race to accomplish a new land speed record in the Bloodhound Super Sonic Car (SSC) is progressing at a rapid pace. Over 400 engineers have dedicated months to the project in an…
Read itRefuelling Level Sensors for Le Mans Michelin Green X Challenge
Pit-lane refuelling tank level sensors for Le Mans Michelin Green X Challenge provide real-time results
Read itGill level sensors keep Mongolian locomotives running
Gill diesel level sensors keep Mongolian locomotives running through extreme winters
Read itHumanis Pegase Wins using Gill Fuel Level Sensor and Display
Humanis Pegase wins 24 hours of Rouen using Gill fuel level and display
Read itOil Debris Sensor prevents mechanical breakdown of speed reducer
Oil Debris Sensor detects early signs of component breakdown in speed reducer preventing mechanical failure and avoiding costly downtime
Read itThe Fastest Sensors on Four Wheels: Feeling the Force
Hurtling across the desert Alkali plate at 1000mph in a 7.5 tonne car will undoubtedly cause extreme force and stress. The suspension alone will face 30 tonnes of weight.
Read itGill Sensors ‘gives wings’ to an historic aircraft
Gill Sensors ‘gives wings’ to a rare historical aircraft
Read itGill and PPG form a winning combination
Gill Sensors teams up with Pfitzner Performance Gearboxes to give a winning advantage
Read itSensor developments on the grid
With motorsport generating some of the most punishing operating conditions, durable data acquisition from each sensor installed on a race car is crucial to ensuring race performanc…
Read itIntrinsically Safe Liquid Level Sensor Developed for Coal Shearing Machine
ATEX approved custom level sensors for coal shearing machine
Read itRacing Kart Throttle Position Sensor developed using Gill’s 25mm sensor
Racing kart throttle position sensor uses non-contact technology to provide data to improve race performance
Read itPerformance Improvements in a Brake Wear Sensor Used in Off-Highway Vehicle Brake Safety Systems
Absolute position sensing technology improves off-highway vehicle brake safety
Read itGT Race Car Threaded Oil Level Sender
Threaded engine oil level sender designed for GT class race car
Read it5 things to know about Condition Monitoring
Gill’s Oil Condition Sensor now with multiple thread options
Read itRotary Sensor installed on earthquake simulator
Gill sensor unshaken by installation on children’s earthquake simulator
Read itLiquid level sensors keeps swimming pool topped up
Liquid level sensors keeps Hawaiian swimming pool topped up
Read itGill Sensors’ Blade25 used in accelerator pedal application
Accelerator pedal uses non-contact linear sensor
Read itPizza oven production lines
Continuous oil debris monitoring ensures hungry ovens keep working
Read itGill’s 360 rotary sensors improve 3D print quality
Gill Sensors & Controls (Gill) Blade360 Rotary Sensor has been installed into 3D printer systems to improve print quality by accurately measuring winding tension.
Read itInside Hurricane Fiona with Saildrone
One of Saildrone’s unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) is collecting critical ocean data from within Hurricane Fiona (Category 4 storm), see the incredible footage below. This is part…
Read itInside Hurricane Fiona with WindMaster
One of Saildrone’s unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) is collecting critical ocean data from within Hurricane Fiona (Category 4 storm), see the incredible footage below. This is part…
Read itSmartsound AutoNaut, scientific research vessel, equipped with sophisticated array of sensors
Most advanced unmanned, wave-powered research vessel operating in UK waters (AutoNaut) contains an array of sensors making scientific measurements both above and below the water li…
Read itGill R3 chosen for real-time motion correction
Scientists at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML): a world leader in the field of marine research, are at the next stage of their ground-breaking efforts to understand and unravel the…
Read itAirStat system tracks critical airflows
We are excited to be working with Viu Insight in a range of innovative applications using WindSonic as part of their AirStat system to measure and track air flows in critical proce…
Read itFit and forget wind sensors and weather stations are a reality for sailing clubs
There’s nothing to beat a real customer endorsement. This one shows when we say ‘fit and forget’ we really mean it:
Read itSeafaring drones to travel Gulf Stream collecting critical Earth system data
Saildrone’s unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) use Gill WindMaster 3 -axis wind sensors as part of their critical data collection programme to improve weather forecasts and carbon ac…
Read itSaildrones go hurricane hunting
Saildrone’s ruggedized unmanned surface vessels will be carrying out hurricane research in the Atlantic using Gill WindMaster precision 3-axis ultrasonic anemometers to measure win…
Read itWindSonic provides key wind data to the most powerful tidal turbine in the world
The tidal-powered turbine generates power from fast-flowing tidal waters off Orkney, providing clean energy from a predictable, renewable resource.
Read itWindSonic providing precise local wind measurements for the most advanced autonomous buoy ever developed in the UK
Image credit: sky.com Exciting article below about the advanced autonomous buoy off Plymouth, measuring key indicators for climate research.
Read itGill Instruments onboard with the Mayflower Autonomous Ship
Accurate weather measurement for a fully-autonomous, AI-powered marine research vessel.
Read itWhat Solar Professionals need to know: Use site-level weather data to solve power loss problems
Typical utility-scale PV installation. An improved power forecast can be achieved when performance analysis of a PV plant starts to account for losses due to localised weather cond…
Read itWindmaster: Shipwreck Discovered During Proof-of-Concept Multibeam Bathymetry Mission
Saildrone carrying out bathymetric seabed mapping surveys around the USA coast, providing a massive cost advantage over traditional vessel use.
Read itThe importance of good quality meteorological measurements
In the past many national weather service organisations approached the challenge of understanding and forecasting the weather with a strategy of having as much data as possible, re…
Read itWindSonic & WindObserver on ICOS stations throughout Europe
The WindSonic being used to measure 2D wind and general met for understanding when changes in CO2 and CH4 occur and where they come from.
Read itA Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) experiment
The University of Birmingham has built a Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) experiment to increase the understanding of the dynamic response of forests to environmental chan…
Read itMaxiMet weather stations chosen for BBC Countryfile Live
Gill’s MaxiMet compact weather stations will provide weather data to the first ever BBC CountryFile Live , one of the UK’s largest country shows.
Read itGill’s MaxiMet weather stations chosen to monitor weather in UK Beehive project
Gill’s MaxiMet compact weather stations are being used as part of the University of Bristol’s environmental project to monitor bee activity.
Read itWindSonic installed on Tsunami Warning Systems
Gill’s WindSonic chosen for tsunami detection buoys after tests prove it is the most reliable.
Read itWindObserver soars above the South Coast’s most historic harbour
The Emirates Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth harbour is the tallest and most iconic viewing structure on the UK’s South Coast, reaching a total height of 170m (547ft) and weighing 30…
Read itGill’s anemometers play a key role in wind monitoring on Hong Kong landmark structure
Located in one of the most active typhoon prone regions in the world, the Tsing Ma Bridge in Hong Kong is the longest dual-deck suspension bridge in the world.
Read itWindSonic completes line-up at Glastonbury
WindSonic wind speed and direction sensors from Gill Instruments provides accurate on-site wind measurements at Glastonbury this year.
Read itAdvanced Sensor Network developed for Heathrow Airport incorporates Gill WindSonic Sensors
The WindSonic ultrasonic wind speed and direction sensor from Gill Instruments Ltd has been integrated into a low-cost air quality monitoring system currently deployed around Londo…
Read itGill Instruments’ WindSonic Wind Sensor Increases Bridge Safety in North Florida
The Gill Instruments WindSonic ultrasonic wind speed and direction sensor is being used as part of a new traffic network designed to improve safety on bridges in North Florida.The …
Read itGill Sensors Develops Custom Non-Contact Sensor for Formula One Drag Reduction System (DRS)
F1 DRS Rear Wing Position Sensor Developed
Read itGill MetPak II Weather Station Used to Protect Maltese Prehistoric Temples
Weather data provided by the Gill MetPak II Weather Station increases understanding of the affects of weather and climate on stone structures.
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Tell us what you need to measure, where and under what conditions. We'll help you work out the appropriate approach.