Francisco Obelenis, new business manager at Dualbase Tecnologia Eletrônica, spoke on Day 1 of Meteorological Technology World Expo in Geneva, about ‘Smart sensors: a way to get better measurements’.
The presentation began with Obelenis’s observation that although we have no control over the weather, we are able to measure it. Developing and implementing weather monitoring systems and alert systems is becoming crucial – and ensuring the reliability of these systems and the quality of the generated data is of the utmost importance.
Smart sensors provide the solution by not only measuring weather conditions but also providing insights into the data’s accuracy and the behavior and functionality of the measuring system. These intelligent sensors can perform self-diagnostics, compare data, conduct self-testing, detect anomalies, report installation errors and identify failures.
In addition to the principles and advantages of smart sensors and their applications in warning systems as well as harsh conditions, Obelenis also covered how to be sure about the correct functioning of the system and ensuring data quality.
During his presentation, Obelenis said, “The environment speaks, do we understand what it says? How much does it cost to not understand the environment? With an error rate of +0.2m/s, a loss of €20,000 [US$21,000] per wind turbine a year is possible. At the Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant, a variation of 2cm represents 27,000,000,000 liters of water. Not having accurate data can cost a lot more than even these figures.
“The solution to this problem? Smart sensors. Smart sensors have the capability to perform self-diagnostics, conduct digital communication protocols (SDI-12, Modus…), send auxiliary variables, and send information about its own functioning. They’re also easy to integrate, can avoid operations errors and immediately detect failures.
“For example, the PluviDB-SMART is a smart rain gauge capable of performing self-diagnostics, issuing alerts about its operation and overall sensor status. It has the capacity of 0-500mm/h, at a resolution of 0.2mm. It also has an operating range of -20°C to +70°C, 0-100% UR. Furthermore, its maximum accuracy is around 2% at 0-250mm/h.”
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