Transducer heating for reliable use in cold conditions
To prevent icing of the front surface and for reliable measurement even at temperatures close to and below freezing, we equip our ultrasonic transducers with an optional transducer heating. The heating element prevents the transducer from freezing and the build-up of frost, snow and ice. For many of our customers in the anemometry sector, the installation of a heater is now standard equipment.
Measuring devices on wind turbines are exposed to extreme environmental conditions – especially in the mountains or in offshore wind farms. At high wind speeds, rain and snowfall, our heating protects the transducer and enables reliable wind measurement even at sub-zero temperatures.
In the following test on November 29, 2023, an identical SC031 transducer without heating (left) and with heating (right) were each placed in an anemometer on an outdoor test bench and electrically contacted. Even after the first snowfall, a clear difference in the surface properties of the two samples can be seen. While the snow is deposited in the area without heating, it thaws directly on the transducer with heating. It can also be seen that the heater not only heats the transducer, but also a larger area around it.
Over the course of a week and after further snowfall at constant temperatures between -9°C and 0°C, the difference between the two samples becomes even clearer. While the transducer without heating is covered by a layer of snow several centimeters thick, the transducer with heating has a larger area melted free of snow. This allows for continued reliable measurement and the above-mentioned reliable protection against icing and covering of the front surface.
Do you also need a transducer heating? Please contact us.
You can find more information about our body variants here.
