windsensing

Windsensing is the measurement and analysis of wind speed, direction, and the structure of the wind field. It combines in situ sensors and remote sensing technologies to provide data for weather forecasting, aviation, wind energy, and environmental monitoring.

Instrument categories include mechanical anemometers such as cup and vane devices to determine instantaneous wind speed and direction at a point; ultrasonic anemometers that infer velocity from the transit time of sound between transducers; hot-wire or hot-film anemometers used mainly in laboratory settings for high-frequency measurements; and Pitot tubes for dynamic pressure-based velocity measurements in suitable flow conditions.

Remote sensing methods include radar wind profilers and sodar to obtain vertical wind profiles, as well as lidar and Doppler lidar systems that track wind speeds at various ranges and altitudes. Radiosondes and tethered balloons can provide occasional vertical profiles of the atmosphere.

Outputs commonly include wind speed, wind direction, gusts, shear, and turbulence metrics, sometimes at multiple heights. These data support weather prediction, aviation safety, turbine siting and performance optimization, dispersion modeling, and urban wind studies.

Challenges include sensor calibration and maintenance, especially in harsh weather; siting to minimize obstruction and icing; data quality control; and the higher cost and complexity of remote sensing systems compared with traditional anemometers.

Historically, wind measurement evolved from simple mechanical anemometers in the 19th century to a range of ultrasonic, remote-sensing, and profiling techniques used today to capture wind fields from ground level to several kilometers aloft.