Flat Front (FF) Wind Sensor Installation
The flat front wind sensor is designed for installation on a wind turbine nacelle. Attaching the sensor to the nacelle is simple and low cost. A metal bar is attached to the mounting flat of the sensor using just one bolt.
The alignment of the bar allows the sensor to be repeatedly aligned without error to the central axis of the turbine.
The sensor has additional heating capacity designed to heat the metal bar the unit is attached to. This prevents ice from building up on this fixture that could block the air flow through the sensor during cold weather events. The metal bar needs to have a thermal conductivity of greater than 120 W/mK to ensure sufficient heat transfer from the sensor.
It is recommended that the mounting bar is made of good quality hot dip galvanised steel. A minimum galvanising thickness of 50μm should be used to ensure adequate long term corrosion protection as well as sufficient heat transfer.
Alternatively the FT702LT V22 can be installed on a wind turbine using a pipe mount system.
Operating in the toughest conditions
The sensor if properly installed is designed to operate in the most extreme outdoor environments. The FT702LT has inbuilt surge protection, allowing the sensor to be deployed in locations exposed to lightning strikes. The sensor can be located in lightning protection zones 0B, 1 or 2 according to IEC 61400-24 and IEC 62305-1.
A good installation will include surge protection devices inside the controller and appropriately terminated cable screening. The sensor chassis must also have a low impedance connection to ground it to the structure of the nacelle. This can be achieved through the mounting bar.
Further details are available in the product manual.
