VALIDATION OF AN ANEMOSCOPE PROTOTYPE BASED ON A MAGNETOMETER THROUGH COMPARISON WITH A VAISALA AUTOMATIC STATION MODEL WXT510

Abstract

Due to its high spatial and temporal variability, the wind direction is one of the meteorological elements that need precision and efficiency in its measurement. This article aims to validate an anemoscope prototype built based on a magnetometer, by comparison with data measured by a portable weather station brand Vaisala model WXT510. The development of the prototype was divided into: (i) manufacture of the mechanical assembly, (ii) manufacture of the electronic assembly; (iii) programming the Arduino controller and (iv) collecting and processing wind direction data. The reading of the wind direction occurs in the alignment between the mobile body with the built-in neodymium magnet and the wind, with the magnetometer measuring the magnetic field and sending the data to an Arduino controller, which calculates the direction of the magnetic field with the data obtained, recording the average of this direction every minute on an SD (Secure digital) memory card. The prototype was put to a field test next to a portable station, brand Vaisala, model WXT510, for 47 days (between August and September 2019), with the two stations recording the wind direction data every minute.