Gill collaborate with local companies to create a high profile weather float

Gill Instruments’ MaxiMet Compact Weather Station has been chosen to provide weather data across one of the UK’s busiest stretches of water.

Working in collaboration with Rock Seven, Hydrosphere and the ABP Port of Southampton, a new weather website has been launched to support safety and voyage planning for users of the Solent. The website reports the real-time conditions from data captured on the Calshot Spit Light Float and is available for both professional and recreational users.

The Solent is a major shipping route for passenger, freight and military vessels carrying over 42 million tonnes of cargo each year. Recreational water sports including yachting also populate the water, as it hosts the annual Cowes Week sailing event.

The Solent divides the Isle of Wight from the mainland and has a complex tidal pattern, known as a “double high tide” which varies the width of the water by an additional one to four miles, extending the tidal window when deep-draught ships can dock.

Gill’s MaxiMet GMX600 is used to provide superior real-time meteorological data to provide current weather conditions affecting the water and tide levels. The weather station sits at the top of the float and is integrated into Rock Seven’s RockFLEET vessel tracking and communication system, reporting data on wind direction, speed, air temperature, humidity and precipitation.

The Calshot Spit float is a collaboration of the best instrumentation from local organisations to create a high profile weather float. It is managed by ABP Southampton and alongside MaxiMet is fitted with instrumentation from Hydrosphere, with satellite technology provided by Rock Seven.

The new Solent weather website is now live to browse via www.rock7.com/wind

For more information on how MaxiMet Weather Stations can be used for superior meteorological measurement please contact 01590 613500.

MAXIMET

WindObserver 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 30,000 tonnes! Presenting spectacular views of the surrounding area, the tower also features Europe’s largest glass floor measuring 7.79m² and 6cm thick.

Hosting hundreds of spectators per day, on each of its three viewing decks, the safety of the tower and its visitors is paramount and Gill’s WindObserver ultrasonic anemometer is used to provide crucial wind measurement data.

The tower is located on the coastline and subjected to high salinity and fierce weather conditions with wind speeds of up to 30 m/s. At a height of 115 metres, in strong winds the tower flexes by up to 150mm.

The WindObserver provides information on wind conditions.

The robust stainless steel WindObserver provides operators with real-time and highly accurate information on wind conditions allowing them to make decisions about the health and safety issues affecting maintenance and whether to close the tower to customers who can visit and abseil from the 110m viewing deck! If the wind speeds are too high, operators can close the tower to visitors.

The WindObserver is one of the most popular ultrasonic anemometers in the world and has been installed on hundreds of iconic building control applications due its range of options, solid-state construction with no moving parts, easy installation and excellent reliability in demanding weather conditions. WindObserver is ideally suited to low maintenance and restricted access applications and with a wind speed measurement range of up to 90m/s it can record the highest wind speeds from cyclonic regions around the world.

For more information on the WindObserver and how it can be used in a variety of industries please contact us.

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The Emirates Spinnaker Tower is the tallest viewing structure in the UK outside of London.
2 WOIIs on Spinnaker Tower Portsmouth scaled
The WindObserver provides information on wind conditions.

Using MaxiMet for Solar Park applications

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Solar Parks are growing rapidly and generating hundreds of thousands of megawatts of PV power each year. Solar measurement instruments are critical to site profiling and monitoring the performance of solar parks, they are also extremely important in measuring return on investment.

Gill Instruments, leaders in meteorological instrumentation will exhibit at Solar Power International in September, alongside local distributor Dynamax, where Gill will display MaxiMet – their latest range of compact weather stations. MaxiMet is an all-in-one weather station, with 9 models in the range, each measuring different meteorological parameters including solar radiation, precipitation, wind speed and direction, temperature and more.

MaxiMet provides solar park operators with the essential meteorological parameters to help monitor efficiency and optimise maintenance routines. Selecting a MaxiMet with either 1st Class, 2nd Class or Secondary Standard pyrometers provides users with reference standard measurements of the amount of sunlight reaching the solar panels, enabling users to monitor the efficiency of installed systems and predict the output under various sky conditions.

The flexibility of MaxiMet’s measurement options means operators can also monitor other weather parameters such as temperature, pressure, humidity, wind and rain from an integrated station. MaxiMet is available with an optional remote fast response temperature sensor, which is mounted directly on the rear of the PV panel and assists in determining the efficiency of the panel. The data captured from the station will help indicate possible causes to changes in the power output of the solar park, advising operators of potential maintenance actions to be made to increase output efficiency and return on investment.

In addition to its configuration versatility, MaxiMet features MODBUS which can be directly interfaced with SCADA systems, offering the ability to deliver data to any networked location within the plant. Combined with the easy networking ability from MODBUS, the station also includes in-field calibration adjustment and zero maintenance which helps minimise running costs.

Visit Gill and Dynamax on stand 247 for a demonstration on how MaxiMet and Gill’s other meteorological instruments can benefit the efficiency of solar farm installations.

About Solar Power International

Solar Power International, which takes place in California from September 14-17, is the largest event dedicated to furthering the solar energy development within the US – the third largest country for solar power generation. The event is created to serve and advance the solar energy industry by bringing together the people, products and professional development opportunities that drive the solar industry.

Monitoring solar efficiency with compact weather stations

Meteorological instruments including Gill’s MaxiMet and MetPak compact weather stations can be used to provide crucial management information on the efficiency of solar parks. Meteorological instruments help identify what may affect solar park performance and inform operators about what measures could be taken to increase efficiency.

Tracking the weather

Weather stations in solar parks provide data on solar radiation, temperature, humidity, wind and rain. This data indicates a possible increase or reduction in the efficiency of the park. The following lists some of the measurement parameters and the benefits which can be realised through installing MaxiMet or MetPak weather stations.

  • ISO 9060 second class, first class and secondary standard solar radiation pyranometers to monitor the actual solar radiation which can be compared with the designed energy output from PV panels. From this, the performance of individual panels can be assessed and compared with other panels, which makes it easier to identify any panels which are not as efficient.
  • Wind speed and direction measurements can be used to calculate the wind loading on large photovoltaic panels and for solar parks which have horizontal PV trackers installed. Wind speed and direction measurements can trigger changes in the angle of incidence, as high winds can damage PV panels or their mechanisms. The use of ultrasonic wind measurements guarantees accurate performance and zero maintenance for many years unlike mechanical wind sensors.
  • During periods of rain solar production is reduced, however monitoring the rainfall can indicate how often panels may need to be cleaned. Maintenance factors including cleanliness can affect the panel’s efficiency, reducing it to less than 20%.
  • MaxiMet and MetPak feature MODBUS outputs, which can be easily connected with SCADA systems. This offers the ability to collect data from any networked location within the plant whilst also providing the facility for instruments to be easily exchanged or relocated.
  • MaxiMet and MetPak are both low maintenance which along with in-field calibration and adjustment, helps to reduce integration and long-term running costs.

Using MaxiMet or MetPak weather stations operators can access all of the meteorological measurement parameters essential to solar park efficiency.

MaxiMet offers users a single, compact “plug and play” weather station suited to most applications, whereas MetPak is a professional weather station with increased flexibility. It offers users higher accuracy industry standard sensors along with the ability to expand the weather station by adding additional sensors using the standard analogue inputs.

For more information on the benefits of weather stations in solar power applications please visit gillinstruments.com/weatherstations

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Gill 2-axis and 3-axis anemometers provide vital wind measurement on Bridges

Bridges can be vulnerable to extreme wind conditions, therefore the constant monitoring of bridges is vital for both structural integrity and the safety of bridge users. In some cases, due to the distance above the ground and the height and design of the structure, 3 dimensional wind measurements are required to better understand wind loading as well as strain from gusting conditions.

To provide this crucial measurement data, Gill 2-axis and 3-axis ultrasonic anemometers have been installed in bridge applications around the world for over 20 years.

In applications where basic wind measurements are required such as transport safety, Gill’s WindSonic and WindObserver sensors are commonly used to alert bridge management to restrict high-sided or vulnerable vehicles crossing, or in severe conditions, to completely close access to the bridge. Gill WindSonic and WindObserver ultrasonic anemometers are often selected because they provide instantaneous measurement responses to changing wind conditions. Installations of this nature can be seen in bridges across the world. Some located in the USA are:

  • Florida State Transport Authority
  • Niantic River Amtrak Train Bridge (Connecticut)
  • Fore River Bridge (Massachusetts)
  • Tobin Bridge (Boston)

3 dimensional wind measurements are crucial for complex terrain and where local meteorological effects from specific wind vectors could impact structural safety. Gill 3-axis ultrasonic anemometers, such as the WindMaster and Research ranges, provide extremely precise, fine scale, fast (10-50 Hz) vectorial 3 dimensional measurements. When utilised together with strain gauges, the data helps determine high Reynolds numbers and stress values, which are useful for onsite safety condition monitoring.

Gill 3-axis ultrasonic anemometers provide data on some of the Worlds’ iconic bridges including:

  • The Millennium Bridge , London
  • The Severn Bridge motorway crossing, Wales
  • The Tsing Ma Bridge, Hong Kong
  • The Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol
  • Millau Viaduct in Creissels, France

For more information on the use of Gill anemometers for bridge applications visit the application page here, or contact 01590 613500.

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