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U.S. Department of Energy
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Method and apparatus for wind speed and direction measurement

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6459990

Apparatus for measuring fluid speed and direction is described comprising: a stationary housing; first and second members rotatably mounted on said stationary housing, for rotating coaxially and independently about said stationary housing; a self-contained source of stimulus, mounted on said first member to rotate about the stationary housing, wherein said self-contained source of stimulus is an element selected from the group consisting of a magnet, a light source and a radiation source; sensor means, responsive to said source of stimulus, mounted on the stationary housing, for providing an output signal indicating a threshold level of said stimulus; means, mounted on said second member, for varying the level of said stimulus which reaches said sensor to indicate the relative angular displacement between said first and second members; fluid speed transducer means, mounted on one of said first and second members, for rotating in a predetermined direction with an angular velocity proportional to the speed of the fluid; first circuit means including a means for sensing the rotation of said transducer means with respect to said stationary housing, for providing a first output signal indicating the speed of rotation of the fluid speed transducer means; fluid direction transducer means, mounted on another of said first and second members, for rotating to a position in which the fluid direction transducer means is parallel to the direction of flow of the fluid; second circuit means, responsive to the sensor means, for providing a second output signal indicating whether the detected stimulus exceeds the threshold level; and means for determining the direction of fluid flow from said first and second output signals.

Assignee:
Peet Bros. Co., Inc., West Allenhurst, NJ (United States)
Patent Number(s):
A; US 5231876
Application Number:
PPN: US 7-701795
OSTI ID:
6459990
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English