Latest technology for supplementary air quality monitoring - Page 4 Efficient transformer monitoring improves power industry performance - Vaisala
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
198/2016 Latest technology for supplementary air quality monitoring / Page 4 Efficient transformer monitoring improves power industry performance / Page 12 The role of weather sensors in intelligent traffic / Page 14
Vaisala in Brief
Vaisala is a global leader in
environmental and industrial
measurement. Building on 80 years
of experience, Vaisala contributes to
a better quality of life by providing a
comprehensive range of innovative
observation and measurement
products and services for chosen
Contents
weather-related and industrial
198/2016 markets. Headquartered in Finland,
Vaisala employs approximately 1,600
professionals worldwide and is
listed on the NASDAQ Helsinki stock
exchange.
3 Breaking New Ground – Again Events & Webinars
www.vaisala.com/events
4 Taking a Step towards Improving Air Quality www.vaisala.com/webinars
6 Cleanroom Expertise Makes Sensors Publishing Information
Stable Enough for Space Published by: Vaisala Oyj
P.O. Box 26
8 To Mars and Beyond: FI-00421 Helsinki
A History of Vaisala in Space FINLAND
Phone (int.): + 358 9 894 91
Internet: www.vaisala.com
11 RainMiner Helps Harvest Rainwater
Editor-in-Chief: Tiina Kiianlehto
12 Efficient Transformer Monitoring Improves Contributors: Katri Ahlgren, Anne
Power Industry Performance Hänninen (CoComms), James Martin
(Axonn Media), Olli Ojanperä, Riika
14 Moving You Forward Pikkuvirta, Tomi Salo, Jon Tarleton,
Ryan Turpin (Constant Content)
17 Free Access to Wind and Solar Resource Data Cover photo: Shutterstock
Design, Layout: Grapica Oy
Printed in Finland by: Grano Oy
18 Increased Efficiency with Network Manager
ISSN 1238-2388
20 What Does Total Lightning Mean Anyway?
Subscriptions
22 Superior Wireless Monitoring For subscriptions,
cancellations, feedback
for Indoor Environments
and changes of address,
please email:
22 Measuring Carbon Dioxide in Agriculture vaisala.news@vaisala.com
23 Yokoso, Vaisala e! – Welcome Disclaimer and Copyright
to the New Tokyo Office! This publication may include forward-
looking statements or other explicit or
implied statements on future expecta-
tions, results or performance. Such
statements may materially differ from
actual future results or performance
and, being subject to certain risks and
uncertainties, are not to be relied on.
The copyright of this publication is
reserved by Vaisala. This publication
may not be reproduced in whole or
in part in any form or by any means
without the prior written consent of
Vaisala.
2 198/2016
President’s Column
Breaking New Ground – Again
For us at Vaisala, exploring new areas
and looking for new opportunities has
always been in our DNA. Ever since
Professor Väisälä designed the first
radiosonde, we have strived to push
the envelope and break new ground.
This innovation spirit is also
evident in the light of our recent
developments.
One of the biggest R&D projects
in Vaisala’s history has led to the
development of a new dissolved gas
analysis monitor, which we launched
this spring. This exciting new product
is vital for energy transmission as
it helps detect developing faults in
power transformers, and even helps in
preventing total failures.
In our life science business, the new
viewLinc system makes it possible to
monitor conditions at considerable dis-
tances, in spaces where wireless con-
nections have been impossible so far.
Recently, we have also introduced
new products and technology to
expand our offering in the growing air
quality monitoring market. With the
help of affordable technology, more
dense measurement networks can be
built, and authorities, businesses and
citizens will be able to get local, real-
time information on air pollution.
And we are looking into connected
cars to see how our weather sensors This requires genuine interest and the electrical grid working, or keeping
could be utilized in the intelligent enthusiasm, in addition to expertise. art treasures in good condition for
traffic of the not too distant future. Magic happens when this sentiment is future generations.
shared with customers and research Making a better world – one mea-
partners. At Vaisala, we are fortunate surement at a time!
What do these achievements
to have demanding customers, who
have in common?
often use our products in mission criti-
In each case, we have found a possibil- cal parts of their operations.
ity to exert our cutting-edge expertise And behind all this, is our desire to
to solve a real-world problem. We have make the world a better place for all of
listened to our clients to find out their us – by providing snowfall information
needs and wants, and done our best to for airports to keep runways safe, by Kjell Forsén
meet and surpass them. monitoring transformers and keeping President and CEO
198/2016 3
Taking a Step
towards
Improving Air
Quality
To mitigate the effects of air pollution, and to This has created a need for
supplementary air quality monitor-
forecast it, it has to be measured first. Affordable ing: dense but cost efficient mea-
surement networks that increase
instruments are needed to make the observation the number of measurement points
and improve the access to real-time
networks comprehensive enough to make a real air quality.
difference.
Enabling New Applications
Pollution and particles in the air are “Air quality is an area where The dense networks can provide
a growing concern and a real health observations can truly improve the information not only to the authori-
risk, leading to millions of premature lives of all people. Without reliable, ties and decision-makers, but also
deaths each year. affordable, accurate and extensive businesses and citizens. This infor-
In western industrialized measurement networks it is difficult mation can be used in the develop-
countries, air quality has improved to improve the situation,” says ment of new services.
consistently in the last decades, Erkki Järvinen, Head of Vaisala’s For example, once the networks
but at the same time, awareness of air quality business. are dense enough, it would be easy
health risks related to air quality “Without local information, to create an application for bike
has grown. In emerging countries, people cannot have real-time vis- commuters, telling them which
pollution is unfortunately still on ibility to their exposure to polluted route to take to keep their exposure
the rise. air and to make real-time decisions to air pollutants to a minimum.
regarding it,” he continues. Or ventilation in offices could
Traditionally, air quality be adjusted according to the air
Real-time Information
monitoring has been the domain quality outdoors. Such dense grid
from Denser Networks
of the authorities and has required would enable citizens to evaluate
To do its part in mitigating the regulatory measurement stations. and also minimize their daily dose
problem, Vaisala launches new These, however, are quite costly, for pollutants. The possibilities are
affordable products that will help so the networks built with are too exciting.
build denser observation networks, sparse to indicate local pollution For Vaisala, expanding its offer-
to provide more comprehensive levels accurately. In a city the size ing on the air quality monitoring
and accurate information about air of Beijing, there are only about 50 market is a natural extension to its
quality. air quality measurement stations. weather business. The new prod-
ucts can be connected seamlessly
4 198/2016
AIR QUALITY TRANSMITTERS
to the WXT weather transmitter to AQT410 AND AQT420
get a more comprehensive picture AQT410 and AQT420 are both cost effective
of the situation. solutions to monitoring air quality. They are the first
Weather effecting the air quality air quality transmitters for ambient air. As compact
is a well-known matter. Dependence and stylish devices, they blend in well in urban
works also to the other direction: environments, or they can be used in industrial areas.
air quality affects the weather.
If, for instance, sunshine cannot The devices measure up to four most common air
penetrate a layer of air pollutants, pollutants. These can be volatile organic compounds,
temperature will not rise as high as carbon monoxide or dioxide, nitric or nitrous oxide,
the weather forecast indicated. sulfur dioxide or ozone,
This is one of the reasons why
The AQT420 also includes a particle counter.
the trend is towards micro weather
forecasts that can detect fluctua-
The measurement data is sent wirelessly to a web-based
tions between different parts of a
database, or accessed locally via a serial interface.
city.
Their applications include e.g.:
Proprietary Technology • urban air quality measuring networks
• smart building automation
Vaisala acquired proprietary technol- • roadside monitoring
ogy and products in August. The • monitoring point emission sources
products measure pollution gases, • industrial emission monitoring
like carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, • research applications
sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and
ozone, as well as particles in the air.
The gas measuring is based on LASER PARTICLE COUNTER AQM100
advanced technology that enables AQM100, one of the smallest particle counters, is designed primarily
parts per billion measuring at an for indicative particle matter measurements.
affordable price. The gas analysis
module compensates the impact In the standard setup, the device measures particles of under 2.5
of internal and ambient condi- micrometers and under 20 micrometers in size, but other particle
tions on the sensor elements with sizes are available on request.
sophisticated algorithms and active
environmental control to achieve
performance that is far better than
that of competitors.
The operating principle of the
particle sensor is based on scat-
tering caused by particles moving
past a laser beam; the particles are
detected with the help of optics
and photosensitive sensors. The
method allows simultaneous mea-
surement of two particle sizes.
The products can be built into
comprehensive air quality monitor-
ing networks which provide specific
information on where pollution is
generated and which areas are influ-
enced by it. They can also be used
as instruments that supplement the
data provided by reference mea- Jarkko Sairanen, Eero Alkkiomäki and Erkki Järvinen are ready to enable real-time visibility to
surement stations. exposure to polluted air, and to help make real-time decisions regarding it.
198/2016 5
Careful design, process controls, and
the expertise of the cleanroom personnel
makes Vaisala’s cleanroom operation
efficient.
Cleanroom Expertise
Makes Sensors Stable
Enough for Space
by Tomi Salo, Principal Scientist in Vaisala
Producing sensors that can pass the extremely ESA, uses a suite of sensors to monitor
systems on the module and gather
rigorous tests space exploration equipment is data on environmental conditions,
such as wind speed and direction,
subjected to is no easy task. For Vaisala, this humidity, pressure and surface tem-
peratures. Sensors used to gather data
is business as usual. include humidity and pressure sensors
designed and manufactured by Vaisala.
On March 2016 the European Space The landing module of the space-
From Earth’s Cleanroom
Agency (ESA), in cooperation with craft carries a small environmental
to Interstellar Study
the Russian Federal Space Agency observation station. The sensing
Roscosmos, launched a new mission to instrumentation is provided by the Typically used for industrial or meteo-
Mars. It is estimated to reach Mars in Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI). rological applications to measure a
October 2016. The station, designed and tested by range of parameters, Vaisala sensors
6 198/2016
measure dew point, humidity, pres- Manufacturing low volumes in Vaisala may be rare among
sure, temperature, and gas concen- small batches also allows staff to manufacturers in that most of its
trations. The pressure and humidity continually learn from processes, cleanroom personnel have fifteen
sensors currently used in space making tools like Statistical Process to twenty years’ experience. A
exploration can function under the Control more meaningful. In the case relatively small group, the clean-
harsh conditions in large part because of the capacitive thin-film polymer room operators overlap in their
of their stability. humidity sensors, manufacturing the competencies, allowing them to shift
Along with sensor design and chips takes a few weeks, whereas roles when needed. This keeps skills
calibration, the most important factor other sensors can take up to several sharp and the work dynamic and
to ensuring sensor stability is the months. Statistical Process Control interesting.
quality of the cleanroom facilities in ensures high quality over long lead The majority of the processes
which the sensors are manufactured. times, and sensor materials and struc- have been automated. However, as
Like all cleanrooms, the efficacy of tures undergo dozens of tests. Vaisala sensors are manufactured
Vaisala’s cleanroom depends heavily in small batches, there are also
on careful design, process controls, several manual processes as part of
The Key: Longstanding,
and the expertise of the cleanroom production. For instance, operators
Expert Cleanroom
personnel. manually load wafers into a machine,
Operators
or perform time-based etchings; a
Highly motivated and well-trained skill that takes time to learn and
Cleanroom Design Aided
people are probably the single refine. This sort of manual work in
by In-house Equipment
most important factor to Vaisala’s combination with long experience
There are several factors in the cleanroom effectiveness. With many has endowed the staff with instincts
cleanroom that contribute to sensor different cleanroom technologies that allow them to spot even minute
robustness and stability. Cleanroom available, the human element can changes in output. Experienced oper-
design is the first, most obvious fact. be forgotten. But, in Vaisala’s case, ators train new staff on the “silent
However, unlike most cleanroom expertise has been critical to the knowledge” of their cleanroom pro-
facilities, and by virtue of the sensors company’s ability to create pressure cesses. With the human element, the
it manufactures, Vaisala can use its and humidity sensors that can with- cleanroom work is in many ways as
own devices to measure its cleanroom stand the conditions of space travel much craftsmanship as science.
conditions. Vaisala’s other cleanroom and exploration.
equipment is also designed fit for
purpose; tightly specified for how it
is used. A feedback control system
ensures the environment is reliably
controlled.
Along with measuring cleanroom
conditions with its own measurement
devices, Vaisala has another special
feature that allows the company
to customize sensors for space
exploration: low volume. Vaisala
manufactures about 1.5 million chips
annually. The production equipment
is intended for high mix – low volume
manufacturing, meaning smaller wafer
size and smaller batches than volume-
based cleanroom facilities. Thus,
small changes and variations can be
applied to standard processes and
products to tailor sensors for very Vaisala’s humidity sensors. Similar sensors are used in space research by NASA and European
limited limited purposes. Space Agency ESA.
198/2016 7
To Mars and Beyond:
A History of
Vaisala in Space
Space continues to fascinate the human
consciousness, you only have to look at the
success of 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens
for evidence of that. Here at Vaisala, our interest
in space extends beyond science fiction.
Vaisala sensors are currently being a number of factors that make discovery of water on the planet -
used in the European Space Agency’s investigating planets such as Mars aided by Vaisala technology - has a
ExoMars Mission that was launched worthwhile. Exploring space fosters significant bearing on the possibil-
in 2016, which has sent spacecraft to innovation and international collabo- ity that it once, or perhaps even
Mars in order to assess the planet’s ration, brings us closer to knowing still does, support life. It has also
environment and pave the way for whether life away from Earth and been revealed that radiation levels
future exploration, and the Mars satisfies human’s innate desire to on Mars do not pose a significant
Curiosity Rover, which has already explore and understand the world health threat to humans, keeping
made a number of groundbreaking around us. the possibility of manned explo-
discoveries on the Red Planet. Investigating Mars is particularly ration of the planet open in the
These are not the only occa- important, as the planet’s similarities future.
sions on which Vaisala technology to Earth could help us better under-
has gone into space, as we have a stand the challenges we face here on
Vaisala on the Red Planet
long history of providing sensors for Earth such as climate change.
space exploration, dating all the way This has been highlighted by How exactly is Vaisala helping to
back to the 1950s. Ari-Matti Harri, head of the radar explore space? Since the 1990s, our
and space technology research divi- barometric pressure and humidity
sion at the Finnish Meteorological sensors have been used in mis-
Why Go to Mars?
Institute (FMI) - a long-term partner sions to Mars and beyond, helping
ExoMars is the 44th attempted Mars of Vaisala - who stated: “By studying scientists gain insight into the
Mission, with the first a failed Soviet the simplified, dynamically Earth- atmosphere to better understand
attempt back in 1960. Since then, like, atmosphere [on Mars] we can outer space and whether planets
23 missions have reached the Red potentially learn something that we like Mars have ever, or still do,
Planet successfully, with Vaisala might miss on Earth because of the support life.
technology used in several of these. effects of water systems, vegetation, Why is Vaisala technology
For example, our sensors were part and high humidity levels.” utilized in space exploration? Our
of the Mars Rover Curiosity mission, Missions to Mars have already technology is extremely stable and
which discovered the first evidence yielded a number of important this is vital due to the extreme envi-
of liquid water on Mars in 2015. discoveries. We now know that ronmental conditions that are expe-
What do we stand to gain from the planet’s climate has altered rienced in space. Vaisala sensors
investigating space? There are dramatically over time, while the are able to withstand extreme heat
8 198/2016
and cold and are highly tolerant of
shaking and vibration. It is this high
level of stability that ensures they
can deliver accurate readings of organizations first partnered in on Vaisala sensors to the University
the real changes taking place in the 1998. In 2015, the Rover Curiosity of Arizona-led Phoenix Mars Lander
environment on other planets. found the first evidence of liquid mission. The project was the first
water on Mars, representing one successful landing in a Martian polar
of the most significant discoveries region and provided scientists with
From Sputnik to Saturn
made on Mars to date. The mission a number of insights into the climate
At Vaisala, we are proud to have been has also discovered that Mars once and geology of this part of the planet.
involved in space exploration since contained the chemical elements, Among Phoenix’s discoveries
its beginnings in the 1950s. Back in such as sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, were the presence of snow and ice at
1957, we converted the frequency phosphorus and carbon, needed to Mars’ pole and the presence of the
of a radiotheodolite to help track sustain life as we know it. Further- chemical perchlorate, which is used
Sputnik I, the world’s first artificial more, it has provided details of as food by some bacterial lifeforms
satellite, the launch of which repre- the planet’s radiation levels, which on Earth. Such discoveries provided a
sented a pivotal point in the history will prove vital information for any more detailed understanding of Mars’
of space exploration. future manned missions. climate and weather, and further
Since then, we have been The rover is still active on the evidence that the planet may have
involved in a number of fascinating Red Planet and the mission, which supported life at some point.
missions, providing technology to was originally scheduled for just
help understand the universe around two years, has been extended
Cassini Mission to Titan
us. indefinitely, with NASA saying it has
the potential to continue providing Mars is not the only planet visited
data for 55 years. The launching of by Vaisala technology. Our pressure
Mars Rover Curiosity
another rover is planned for 2020. sensors were part of NASA’s Cassini
Vaisala provided the FMI with mission which was launched in 1997,
pressure and humidity sensors for and in 2005 achieved the first ever
Phoenix Mars Lander
the Mars Rover Curiosity that was landing on a moon in the outer solar
launched in 2011, representing the In 2007, the FMI contributed a pres- system: Titan, the largest moon of
fifth venture into space since the sure measurement instrument based Saturn. This is one of the most ambi-
»»
198/2016 9
Vaisala humidity and pressure sensors are
fitted on the small weather station onboard
the landing module, Schiaparelli.
Picture: Thales Alenia Space/Imag[IN]
tious missions ever launched into
space and is still ongoing.
A number of fascinating discover-
ies have been made, including the
presence of frozen water on Ence-
ladus (another of Saturn’s moons),
the possible birth of a new moon
orbiting Saturn and the existence of
geologic processes similar to that of
Earth on Titan. As the first mission of
its kind, lessons learned from Cassini
will have a huge influence on future
attempts to explore the outer solar
system.
have not reached their destinations tures of the spacecraft’s design have
Space Life Science Research
or the goals of the missions. In 1996, since been proposed for a number of
Since 1992, scientists at BioServe several Vaisala sensors were included other potential Mars missions.
Space Technologies at the Univer- in a Russian mission Mars96, which
sity of Colorado have been using launched unsuccessfully. Highly
What Might the
Vaisala’s carbon dioxide, humidity, ambitious at the time, Mars 96 aimed
Future Hold?
and temperature sensors to control to assess the evolutionary history of
life science experiments both Mars’ surface, atmosphere, and inner At Vaisala, we are proud to have sup-
onboard space shuttle flights and at structure. The technology used in the ported space exploration efforts for
the International Space Station. This project has influenced a number of the past 50 years. A number of mis-
allows for the regulation of plant subsequent missions, including the sions are planned between 2018 and
growth and animal habitat environ- ongoing Mars Express, which is the 2020, including the second stage of
ments and the study of how they second longest surviving, continually ExoMars, but what might the future
are influenced by microgravity. The active spacecraft in orbit around a hold for the science? It is hoped that
findings of such research is vital in planet other than Earth. these projects will pave the way for
determining if food and life support Three years later in 1999, eventual manned missions to the Red
consumables, such as water and four pressure sensors and Vaisala Planet, which would then open up
oxygen, can ever be produced on thermocaps were included in NASA a whole host of new opportunities
board space shuttles, which is neces- Mars Polar Lander. It reached Mars ranging from establishing a perma-
sary if manned flights to Mars and successfully, but failed on landing. nent colony to mining the planet’s
long-distance space exploration are Several of the instruments developed mineral resources for use on Earth.
to become a reality. for this mission were later utilized in Whatever the future holds for
Over the years, Vaisala’s legacy the Phoenix Mars Lander mission. space exploration, Vaisala will con-
sensors have been replaced with In 2003, a mission called British tinue lending our expertise and pro-
GMM220 series CO2 modules and Beagle 2 had Vaisala’s pressure viding sensor technology that helps
HMP110 humidity and tempera- sensor, thermocap and Capic circuit to unlock the secrets of the universe
ture probes. However, the original onboard. It reached Mars, but suf- around us.
sensors continue to deliver reason- fered a communications failure. Fea-
able readings, which is testament
to their stability and durability in
extreme conditions.
ExoMars to Reach Mars in October 2016
The latest Mars mission is called ExoMars, and it is realized
jointly by European Space Agency (ESA) and Russia’s
Sometimes Learning Roscosmos. Launched in March 2016, it has already travelled
is All You Get a majority of its nearly 500 million km journey to Mars. It
should reach its destination on October 19, 2016.
Vaisala sensors have also been
included in several missions that
10 198/2016RainMiner Helps
Harvest Rainwater
Rainwater goes down the drain even in places
where water is scarce. With their RainMiner
solution, Vaisala’s Weather Data Challenge
winners want to help change this.
Many places around the world do not Water Center, and Ennenbach works
have ready access to water, but have at Citigroup as an Environmental Risk
a lot of rain. This rainfall could be Analyst.
harvested and put to good use. Vaisala’s Open Weather Data
The RainMiner tool can be used Challenge started in November
to assess the availability of rainwater 2015 and ran till the beginning of
at a given place with the help of open March 2016. Out of 23 entries,
data from precipitation datasets. RainMiner won the 20,000 euro
Moreover, RainMiner provides advice first prize.
on what kind of a system is best
suited to harvesting rainwater and More information:
how much it would cost to set up vaisala.com/weatherchallenge
and run.
“In places like Mexico City, where
water scarcity is a growing issue,
the plentiful local rainfall could be
used to cover the water demand of
millions of people at least partially,” Tapping into the Power of Community
says Paulina Concha Larrauri from Arranging the Open Weather Data Challenge has given Vaisala a unique
the winning team. opportunity to see how people around the world would tap into open
Another good example are the weather data.
favelas in Brazil, which may not be
connected to water mains at all. Students, meteorologists, software developers, weather enthusiasts
Favela Moros dos Cabritos in Rio and other companies were invited to share their solutions for some of
de Janeiro has been one of the Rain- the issues facing society. The entries were judged based on novelty,
Miner testing sites. potential for impact on weather-related issues and their feasibility.
“Our goal was to look at rainwa-
ter harvesting from a regional per-
spective by exploring its applicability “The challenge has made us better known in the start-up community,
as a water resource, similar to the raised our profile among software developers and provided a good
way that solar and wind energy are understanding of ideas around the open weather data. The experiences
disrupting the standard electricity have been so good that we will utilize open innovation also in the
grid,” explains Mounir Ennenbach. future,” says Ilkka Mannonen, the Head of Weather Offering.
The two Columbia University
graduates are both from dry areas: The Challenge also goes to show that open data and the power of
Larrauri from Guanajuato in Mexico community can create feasible concepts, like the RainMiner, that have
and Ennenbach from Jordan. Larrauri the potential for true impact on business and on our lives.
currently works at the Columbia
198/2016 11Efficient Transformer
Monitoring Improves
Power Industry
Performance
Power transformers are critical in the energy Reducing the Probability
of Error with Online DGA
generation and transmission, but also one of the Especially online DGA condition
monitoring is becoming standard
key vulnerabilities. A transformer downtime will practice for aging transformer fleets.
It enables proactive diagnosis and
lead to substantial financial losses and to energy mitigation of developing faults before
they lead to costly downtime.
shortfalls for national grids. Furthermore, cutting However, there is still scope for
improvement to their reliability and
costly false alarms and increasing the reliability cost-effectiveness. Streamlining mon-
itoring procedures and reducing the
of dissolved gas analysis (DGA) will be crucial to probability of errors is highly impor-
tant. False alarms from on-site DGA
tackling long-term maintenance budget overruns systems and errors during routine
oil inspections still pose challenges
and boosting asset performance. Optimus™ DGA for utilities, disrupting maintenance
schedules and generating unfore-
Monitor is Vaisala’s latest invention, answering seen costs. In addition, the need
to validate on-site data via regular
to the measurement challenges in transformer laboratory sampling increases the
complexity and duration of the
monitoring. testing process.
“The advantage with online DGA
Power transformers play a vital The financial severity of trans- monitoring is that it can immediately
role in electric energy transmission, former failure is well known to the detect any abnormal gas formation.
stepping up the electricity voltage industry. An extensive service costs While it is more expensive in the
for transmission, and respectively more than €100,000, while a replace- short term, in long-term it is cheaper,
stepping it down at the receiv- ment transformer can cost up to €4 compared to manual sampling, since
ing end. Like any electric devices, million. Associated loss of produc- it can more efficiently detect failures
which are subjected drastic voltage tion can further increase these before they occur, especially when
changes, harsh weather conditions figures. using monitors of the multi-gas type,”
and general wear and tear, they Efficient condition monitoring is said Dr Michel Duval, a world-
also need maintenance to be kept one of the only means of proactively renown leader in the field of DGA,
in shape. Sudden breaks, repairs mitigating the risk of transformer speaking to Vaisala about trans-
and replacements can take months, downtime. One of the methods is former monitoring procedures.
greatly increasing business inter- dissolved gas analysis (DGA), which “Rigorous condition monitoring
ruption costs caused for the utility is commonly used for assessing large via online DGA is the only way to
companies. power transformers. proactively keep on top of trans-
12 198/2016The advantage with online
DGA monitoring is that it can
efficiently detect failures before
they occur, especially when
using multi-gas type of monitors.
former performance – particularly
as the operational transformer fleet
ages,” said Juhani Lehto, Product
Manager at Vaisala. “However, the
data collected must be dependable,
if we are to detect all potential faults
in advance, or reliably determine
whether it is worth sending out a
maintenance and inspection team.”
Fully Dependable
Real-time Monitoring
Vaisala’s plug-and-play OptimusTM
DGA monitor can be installed in two
hours, and uses partial vacuum gas
extraction to provide a fully repre-
sentative sample of all dissolved
gases in the transformer oil. Read-
ings taken by the built-in infrared
sensor are unaffected by oil tem-
perature, pressure or type, and the
system regularly auto-calibrates to
provide fully consistent and depend-
able data. This data is available via
an online interface, allowing continu-
ous, reliable, real-time analysis of equipment on all large transformers. Vaisala OptimusTM DGA Monitor was
installed in the sunny California, USA,
transformer performance – without That, in turn, will open the door to in under two hours.
false alarms. automated monitoring of the grid
Dr Michel Duval sees that in the and, ultimately, the development of
not-so-far future, online DGA moni- smart grids with computer-assisted
tors will be deployed as standard decision-making.
198/2016 13Moving
You Forward
The role of weather sensors in intelligent
traffic and the roads of the future
The world is becoming increasingly connected. While connected cars will provide
numerous features for improving
Thanks to advances in information and in-car entertainment and safety, their
biggest contribution to the develop-
communications technology, the cities we live ment of truly smart cities will be
intelligent traffic. Road congestion is
in are becoming ‘smart’, with everything from a problem in urban areas the world
over, creating pollution, damaging
education to law enforcement managed by the environment and generally incon-
veniencing people’s daily lives. Cars
integrated tech solutions in a bid to improve with in-built connectivity will help
to alleviate this issue by interact-
quality of life. ing with intelligent transportation
systems that provide drivers with
real-time information. These vehicles
will not only be able to receive
Changes to transport and the way is helping to shape the cities of the data, but share it too, facilitating
we get around will be a pivotal part future. an exchange of data that allows
of the development of true smart city roads to become much more
cities. From cars that exchange efficient. For example, in the US,
Intelligent Traffic and
information about traffic to vehicles technology has been trialed that will
Connected Cars
that drive themselves autono- prompt drivers with the option of
mously, the roads in the cities of the According to Gartner, there will be paying to enter a carpool lane if they
future could be quite different to 250 million connected vehicles on the are about to drive into a congested
those we see today. road globally by 2020. The organiza- area. Meanwhile, in China, there
For this future to become a tion defines a connected car as a are plans to develop a system that
reality, the collection of accurate vehicle that has some form of in-built can monitor the number of vehicles
weather data collection will be key. wireless network connectivity, which in one area and divert cars away if
Aside from human behavior, weather can be used for functions as diverse capacity is close to being exceeded.
is the single most import factor that as streaming music online to provid- This way, traffic jams are avoided
influences traffic and road safety, ing drivers with real-time traffic and before they occur.
meaning this information will be a congestion information. This technol- If traffic is to be successfully
fundamental part of the develop- ogy is already available, with figures managed in this way, access to
ment of smart cities. from Statista showing connected cars accurate weather data will be pivotal.
With more than 40 years’ currently account for 12 per cent of Research from the US Federal
experience of fixed and mobile road total vehicles. This share is expected Highway Administration (FHWA)
weather data collection, Vaisala is at to almost double to 22 per cent by shows light rain or snow can reduce
the forefront of the ongoing progres- 2020, as connected vehicles become traffic flow by as much as 13 per
sion of this exciting technology that more affordable in the next few years. cent, while the figure is up to 17 per
14 198/2016If traffic is to
be successfully
managed in this way,
access to accurate
weather data will
be pivotal.
cent and 64 per cent for heavy rain
and heavy snow respectively. With
weather conditions having such a sig-
nificant impact, any intelligent traffic
solutions will be reliant on accurate
weather data if they are to predict
and manage traffic flow accurately.
Most modern cars already
contain basic weather sensor tech-
nology that allows for the measure-
ment of temperature and for traction
control. More advanced sensors are
only currently seen in commercial
fleet and government vehicles, but,
as connected cars become common-
place and the drive towards smart
cities continues, such technology
may become readily available in
consumer cars, allowing for the
exchange of reliable baseline weather
data needed to manage traffic intel-
ligently and efficiently. Should this each passing year, driverless cars are a sense of the cars around it and
be the case, the highly accurate coming closer to reality. a map of the area it is traveling
data provided by roadside weather A number of companies are through. Other companies, such as
stations will remain key, with the investing heavily in this space. Tesla Google, are focused on delivering a
added data provided by connected has already its ‘autopilot’ software fully autonomous car from the start.
cars helping to fill in the gaps that update, which uses cameras, radar, The tech giant’s autonomous cars
currently exist. ultrasonic sensors and mapping data have already covered more than 1.5
to allow cars to “automatically steer million miles in test runs in the US,
down the highway, change lanes, although safety drivers have always
Autonomous Cars:
and adjust speed in response to been aboard to date.
the Next Step
traffic”. Tesla’s approach to autono- While there are exciting develop-
Connected cars will be just the start. mous vehicles is a gradual, aiming to ments taking place, there has, so
The next step in the evolution of steadily introduce new features that far, been limited discussion about
our roads is autonomous vehicles remove the need for drivers to carry the role weather sensors will play,
- cars that are capable of driving out certain functions. The autopi- other than admissions that bad
themselves. For a long time, such lot function can only be engaged weather presents one of the main
technology has been limited to the once the car is already moving at obstacles autonomous vehicles will
realms of science fiction, but, with a relatively constant speed, has need to overcome. This technology is
»»
198/2016 15Autonomous
vehicles will require
the ability to assess
and adapt to
conditions if they
are to navigate our
roads safely.
real-time data allows for traffic flow
to be better managed and for drivers
to make more informed choices. This
could deliver wide-reaching benefits
ranging from reduced pollution and
energy use to providing people with
more free time and generally making
them happier. Should autonomous
cars become the norm, the extent of
essential if self-driving cars are to ever to be provided in the British city of these benefits may be even greater.
become a reality on our city streets. Exeter. In December 2015, Vaisala With the growing popularity of
With weather having such a dramatic joined forces with Exeter City Council services such as Uber, it has been
impact on traffic - 22 per cent of road and Devon County Council as part suggested that car ownership may
accidents are weather-related, accord- of a consortium led by NTT DATA to be greatly reduced in the future, with
ing to the FHWA - autonomous vehicles help implement a ground-breaking, people instead embracing ‘mobility
will require the ability to assess and two-year intelligent transport initia- as a service’ and sharing self-driving
adapt to conditions if they are to navi- tive. Drawing on real-time traffic and vehicles to fulfill their transport
gate our roads safely. weather sensor data, as well as other needs. This would reduce the
A human driver is able to observe data sources such as eyewitness and number of cars on the road further,
weather conditions and adapt behavioral information, the Engaged delivering environmental and health
their driving behavior accordingly, Smart Transport project will identify benefits, freeing up space that is no
although this often isn’t enough to where and why congestion occurs longer needed for parking and, ulti-
avoid accidents, as the FHWA figures and help to come up with solutions mately, making cities happier, better
show. If autonomous vehicles are to to tackle the issue. It is hoped this places to live.
be able to do the same, accurate and will help Exeter’s transport infra- According to the United Nations,
reliable weather data will be key. Cars structure cope with a growth plan the world’s urban population will
will require the ability to receive and that will see 12,000 new homes, 60 have almost doubled to around six
process data and then interpret it to hectares of new business land and billion by 2050. The development of
ensure they are driving safely. Only 40,000 square meters of new retail connected and autonomous vehicles
with reliable and accurate weather space added to the city by 2026. and intelligent traffic will play a vital
sensors that can work alongside highly While projects such as this role in ensuring the cities of the
accurate roadside technology will fully represent the first step towards truly future are able to manage this growth
autonomous cars become a reality. smart cities, what might the urban and represent a better environment
environments of the future look like in which to live than those of the
once the full potential of the tech- past. Vaisala will continue to lead
The Cities of the Future
nologies of the future are unlocked? the way in developing the weather
What will the cities of the future The possibilities are endless. At first, sensor technology needed to help
look like should connected and the rise of connected cars could lead make this happen.
autonomous cars become a reality? to traffic congestion becoming sig-
A glimpse of what is possible is set nificantly reduced as the exchange of
16 198/2016Free Access to
Wind and Solar
Resource Data
As insecurity over our traditional decisions about renewable energy Vaisala’s Global Manager of Energy
energy economy deepens, the global projects that incorporate a large Services, Pascal Storck, expressed
level of support for a new energy amount of consistent, high-quality similar optimism for outcomes related
paradigm continues to rise. Sustain- data from all over the world. to the company’s partnership with
ing the momentum of this worldwide It will assist developers by IRENA, saying that making resource
shift requires more than a vision for improving their knowledge of how data publicly available is “an essential
the future - it requires constantly renewable energy infrastructure first step when it comes to supporting
pushing ideological, technologi- should be designed, and where it global renewable energy expansion.”
cal, and informational boundaries. should be placed, in order to maxi- By making the data free to access,
A great stride has recently been mize yield. Legislators, meanwhile, Vaisala is demonstrating a strong
made in the latter of these, when will be benefitted by the additional commitment to the international com-
environmental measurement and insight that the data provides into munity surrounding renewable energy
consultancy firm Vaisala teamed how regional governments can sources, with Storck describing it as
up with the intergovernmental support the expansion of renewables symbolic of the company’s “responsi-
group known as IRENA (Interna- through policy setting. Perhaps the bility to minimize investment risk for
tional Renewable Energy Agency) to significance of this data becoming the industry.”
provide free public access to global publicly accessible is most obvious,
wind and solar data. These records, however, in terms of the advantage it
Long Term Benefits
which include average annual solar offers researchers, who now have a
irradiation and average annual wind vast collection of records, statistics, For now, the benefits of this coopera-
speed, will effectively reduce a major, and samples with which to compare tion will mostly be experienced by
longstanding barrier of entry into results, modify projections, and professionals and organizations
renewable energy markets: a lack of enhance their analyses of ongoing within the renewable energy indus-
accessible and reliable resource data. studies. try. In the big picture, however, it
The effect that the data will have represents a potential leap forward
on investments within the renew- for all consumers. Making data open
How, and Who,
able energy sector will be less direct, and accessible paves the way for it to
Will This Help?
but just as important. In the words become meaningful on a much larger
Vaisala’s extensive datasets will of Nicolas Fichaux, IRENA’s Senior scale, providing innovators a founda-
now be available to download using Programme Officer, it should serve to tion for future applications, which
IRENA’s Global Atlas program, a free “...increase the confidence of govern- Vaisala is well positioned to support
online tool which makes it possible ments, investors, and the supply through observations, services,
for users to integrate data directly chain in new and emerging renewable and consulting. While resource data
into their own modeling or research energy markets,” by providing a trust- by itself will not unlock an endless
software. For the first time, develop- worthy source of detailed global maps supply of energy, it does enable us to
ers, policy makers, investors, and showing exactly where the resources envision and ultimately create such a
researchers will be able to make are. future together.
197/2016 17Increased Efficiency
with Network Manager
by Olli Ojanperä, Product Manager, Vaisala, Finland
Automated and centralized remote monitoring and control of weather
observation networks increases operational efficiency, improves safety
and reduces lifetime costs.
Weather observations are the start- place is the new industry standard. operations, improved safety and
ing point for weather forecasting, Today, economical and more reli- easier operation in remote locations.
services and operations. Thus, taking able hardware and communications
good care of the observation network through secure Internet Protocol
Continuous, Reliable
is vital. It ensures the continuous networks are enabling fundamental
Observations
high-quality performance of the pro- changes in how agencies and coun-
vided weather services and weather tries manage their individual weather Vaisala Observation Network
critical operations. observation sites. Integrating Manager NM10 connects individual
The initial investment in weather weather observation sites using the systems, sensors and devices, allow-
observation systems and sensors communication protocols right for ing customers to monitor and control
can seem high, but the lifetime cost the agency’s needs make it possible their weather observation sites from
of managing and maintaining all of to monitor and control everything one location. Using one platform,
these assets can far exceed the initial from one centralized office. users can collect high-quality data
investment. So finding the right solu- Implementing a scalable, flexible from multiple observation sites. As
tion that can be adapted and scaled and open management solution with the system is accessed through a
in step with changes in the operating support for various different autono- web browser, 24/7 monitoring is pos-
environment is essential. mous observation systems and sible from any device or location.
Having access to all weather intelligent field devices will enable High-quality observations are
observation data from all sites in one optimization of observation network crucial when the data is used in
NM10 enables horizontal
integration of variety of dif-
SEAMLESS VERTICAL INTEGRATION
ferent observation systems Weather Airport Soundings Intelligent Weather Lightning
Stations Systems Systems Sensors Radars Detection
and devices with efficient Management Management Management Management Management Systems
capabilities to centrally Management
operate, maintain and
diagnose the network via
browser-based tools.
HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION TO LEVERAGE ONE SCALABLE PLATFORM
18 198/2016decision-making in critical operations
and public safety. Active monitoring
of the weather observation sites pro-
vided with automatic real-time data
quality control capabilities ensures
and increases the volumes of reliable
observations and high quality data. It
also improves significantly the ability
to react immediately when issues
need to be solved.
Optimized Lifetime Support
Perfect for both small and large
networks, the NM10 is fully scalable
to make extending the system quick
and easy with an affordable price
tag. Extensive support together with
proven performance and functional-
ity significantly reduce the implemen-
tation time and total lifetime costs,
helping to stretch the budget further.
With real-time, continuous monitor-
ing of the entire network, customers
can make informed decisions based
on the best possible data. Alongside
network monitoring, the NM10 pro-
vides alerts and notifications as well
as remote diagnostics and control
services which help in reducing
maintenance and operational costs.
Continuous support services,
modernization and efficient upgrades
provided by a global market leader
and trusted partner for years to
come will help the end users to
utilize the most advanced technolo-
gies available to improve their per-
formance both now and in the future.
Shorter Site Visits and
Correct Actions
With remote access and continuous
monitoring, the NM10 can help cut
the number of maintenance visits to
remote sites. Having received infor-
mation about the fault in advance, Moreover, by having the possibil- To achieve improved oversight of
decision-makers can make sure the ity, for example, to remotely give network performance and weather
conditions detailed views of surface
issue at hand will be addressed effi- permission to launch a radiosonde weather observations, data quality
ciently: the most competent staff will balloon from Vaisala AUTOSONDE® and network status are provided on
wind rose, chart, text, GIS map, list and
be alerted to the site and they will be system can significantly increase the report widgets on the fully configurable
equipped with the correct tools and efficiency of daily routine tasks as web user interface.
spares to remedy the issue. well as convenience in operations.
196/2016 19What Does
Total Lightning
Mean Anyway?
You have probably heard the term “total lightning,” between these two types of lightning
is extremely important in certain
but do you know what it really means? In short, critical operations. For example, reli-
able identification of cloud-to-ground
it means the detection of both cloud lightning lightning is essential in electric-
power transmission management.
and cloud-to-ground lightning, giving us a more In addition to differentiation,
uniform detection capability is key
to assessing storm development and
complete view of the activity in a storm. The the potential for severe weather,
where the rate of total lightning and
study of cloud lightning is bringing scientists new the ratio of cloud lightning to cloud-
to-ground lightning are thought to be
research data, and is allowing meteorologists key factors.
to understand better the relationship between
Detecting Cloud and Cloud-
lightning and severe weather. to-Ground Lightning
Lightning detection systems detect
Cloud-to-ground lightning has been and operate weather critical business electro-magnetic pulses emitted by
extensively studied for decades, and efficiently during adverse weather. lightning discharges. Vaisala’s LS7000
private companies like Vaisala are Through the study of lightning, series sensors are engineered to
continuing to perfect the accuracy of lessons have been learned that there detect the Very Low Frequency (VLF)
location and timing of these strikes. is an association between cloud and Low Frequency (LF) signals
After all, cloud-to-ground lightning lightning and severe weather, includ- emitted by cloud-to-ground lightning
directly affects the places where ing the threat of high winds, hail strikes and cloud pulses. Vaisala’s
we live and work – from disrupting and wind-shear. Also, as forecasting LS7000 series sensors are engineered
electric power systems to impacting techniques evolve, there is increas- to detect the Very Low Frequency
recreation and travel. Accurately ing value in detecting both cloud and (VLF) and Low Frequency (LF)
detecting cloud-to-ground lightning cloud-to-ground lightning with higher signals emitted by cloud-to-ground
allows us to be prepared, stay safe, quality. However, differentiating lightning strikes and cloud pulses.
20 198/2016This frequency range is optimal for is important to make sure you are than any other method. The third is
detecting and classifying these light- getting accurate information, not just proper classification of lightning – was
ning discharges over long distances, “dots on a map”. High data quality it cloud lightning, or cloud-to-ground
which allows Vaisala to design net- ensures you have a trustworthy lightning? It is well known that most
works that have 70% fewer sensors source of information for weather of the lightning occurring in a storm
than required with any other technol- models, forecasting, advance warn- is cloud lightning, and while detecting
ogy and, at the same time, provide ings, safety, operational efficiency both types is readily accomplished, it
industry leading performance and and asset monitoring. is much more challenging to provide
uniform coverage over wide areas. There are three important perfor- a clean dataset with a high degree of
Vaisala’s approach to detecting mance considerations when selecting classification accuracy. Any lightning
lightning is to develop technol- a lightning network. The first is to network can claim to provide total
ogy that delivers only data that detect as much lightning as possible lightning, but what are you really
is assessed, with a high degree of within the network and in the immedi- getting? Total lightning counts alone
certainty, as being either cloud- ate vicinity. This capability is known as do not provide the best or most com-
to-ground or cloud lightning, and high detection efficiency. A cloud-to- plete information. Proper classifica-
Vaisala is the first company to ground or cloud flash is said to be tion requires using sensor technology
resolve the problem of properly “detected” if one or more of the pulses that intelligently detects and filters
classifying cloud lightning and in the flash are detected and reported the signals, together with advanced
cloud-to-ground lightning. Using by the lightning network. algorithms that properly differentiate
technology developed for the Vaisala The second is to determine the cloud lightning and cloud-to-ground
Thunderstorm Advanced Total positions of individual lightning lightning.
Lightning Sensor LS7002, Vaisala is discharges as accurately as possible, In lightning detection, as in all
able to bring accurate total lightning or in other words, ensure location aspects of weather observation, it is
to its users with improved sensitivity accuracy is at the highest level. The of utmost importance to Vaisala that
to detect weaker cloud pulses. This location accuracy of a network is customers are always getting the
technology furthers the capability particularly important for cloud-to- most accurate weather information
to discriminate correctly between ground strikes. Vaisala uses Combined in a timely and cost effective manner,
cloud-to-ground and cloud lightning, Technology - magnetic direction weather information that can be
while significantly increasing the finding and advanced time-of-arrival - relied on.
amount of cloud lightning reported. to provide accurate locations of both
cloud-to-ground and cloud lightning.
This patented approach to lightning
Correct Classification of
detection provides the major benefit
Lightning is Important
of delivering accurate lightning loca-
Where lightning data plays a role tions, while maintaining a high detec-
in your decision making process it tion efficiency, with far fewer sensors
198/2016 21Superior Wireless Monitoring
for Indoor Environments
Vaisala has launched a new envi- as air temperature or humidity. It is
ronmental monitoring system with used in museums, galleries, and in IT
wireless signal that travels over 100 server rooms,” says Vaisala Product
meters indoors. The totally rede- Manager Jon Aldous.
signed viewLinc monitoring system viewLinc provides trends, alarm-
now offers long-range wireless ing, and customizable reporting that
communication, ease of use, and fast ensures accurate environmental
deployment. information via a wide selection of
“The previous version of the Vaisala devices that monitor tem-
viewLinc system has long been perature, humidity, CO2, and other
used by pharmaceuticals, but it variables.
is also ideal for monitoring other
high-value assets that are affected Read more:
by environmental conditions, such www.vaisala.com/viewlinc
Measuring Carbon Dioxide in Agriculture
Vaisala introduces a Helping Plants to Grow
“Greenhouses often have high
new carbon dioxide humidity levels and lots of chemicals
present. Carbon dioxide fertilization
probe for agriculture, helps plants to grow, accelerating
photosynthesis. Vaisala measure-
greenhouses, ment devices are very accurate,
need minimal maintenance, and
refrigeration and have minimal long-term drift. Stabil-
ity is an important feature, since a
demanding HVAC drifting measurement might result
in over-using carbon dioxide. That
applications. is expensive for the farmer and can
even be harmful for the plants,” says
Maria Uusimaa, Product Manager at
Agriculture either uses or produces Vaisala.
carbon dioxide in many places: CO2 The GMP252 uses Vaisala’s
is used as a fertilizer e.g. in green- proprietary CARBOCAP® technology
houses or needs to be controlled and and has a microglow light source.
ventilated at mushroom farms. Stable “The microglow chip is a silicon
and accurate performance is essen- MEMS emitter infrared source, which
tial in these types of wash-down and improves the reliability and stability
humid environments. of the probes. Using this light source
The Vaisala CARBOCAP® Carbon instead of traditional filament lamp
Dioxide Probe GMP252 measures brings better accuracy and stability
from 0 to 10 000 ppmCO2, and with of the CO2 measurement and pro-
slightly reduced accuracy even up longed lifetime of the product,” says
to 30 000 ppmCO2. The operating Uusimaa.
temperature ranges from -40 to +60
°C, and the probe has IP65 classified
housing.
22 198/2016You can also read
