Working Principle and Application of Six-Element Automatic Weather Station

A six-element weather station is usually a weather monitoring station that is capable of automatically monitoring and recording the six basic elements of weather change. These six elements include: temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, precipitation and barometric pressure.

The six elements of meteorology automatic station is a kind of equipment commonly used in modern meteorological observation, which can automatically and continuously monitor the above six elements of meteorology and record and transmit data in a timely manner. These automatic stations are widely used in meteorology, agriculture, forestry, water conservancy, aviation, environmental protection and other fields, and play a vital role in real-time monitoring of meteorological changes and early warning and forecasting of weather events.

The specific meanings of the conventional six elements of automatic weather stations are as follows:

1. Temperature: It refers to the temperature of the atmosphere, usually in degrees Celsius (°C) as the unit. Temperature is one of the important parameters describing the weather condition, which has far-reaching influence on life and production. 

2. Humidity: refers to the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, usually expressed as a percentage (%). Humidity has an impact on people's sense of comfort, agricultural irrigation, and many industrial processes.

3. Wind speed: is the speed at which air moves, usually measured in meters per second (m/s) or kilometers per hour (km/h). Wind speed is relevant to energy use (e.g., wind power), transportation (e.g., navigation and aviation), and risk management in daily life (e.g., fire prevention and control).

4. Wind direction: This refers to the direction from which the wind is coming, usually expressed in terms of angle or direction (e.g. north, east, south, west). Wind direction is critical to the organization of activities such as navigation, aviation and agricultural spraying.

5. Precipitation: is the amount of liquid or solid water that falls in the atmosphere, usually expressed in millimeters (mm). Precipitation is an essential reference for agricultural production, water resource management, and the design and operation of urban drainage systems.

6. Barometric pressure: is the pressure of the atmosphere on a unit area, usually expressed in hectopascals (hPa) or millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Changes in barometric pressure are correlated with changes in weather patterns and can be used as an important indicator for forecasting weather changes.

The working principle of the six elements of meteorological automatic station:

The working principle of the meteorological six-element automatic station mainly includes the following steps:

1.Data Acquisition:

Temperature Acquisition: Through the temperature sensor, the measurement principle of electric thermocouple or thermistor is utilized to measure the temperature of the air around the weather station.

Humidity acquisition: Through the relative humidity sensor, the measurement principle of capacitive sensor or resistive sensor is utilized to measure the relative humidity of the air around the weather station.

Barometric Pressure Acquisition: The barometric pressure sensor measures the barometric pressure of the air around the weather station in real time by means of the measurement principle of resistance strain type or pressure type sensor.

Wind speed and direction collection: The wind speed sensor measures the speed of the wind in real time through the measurement principle of rotary or ultrasonic sensors; the wind direction sensor measures the direction of the wind in real time through the measurement principle of mechanical sensors or wind compasses.

Precipitation collection: The precipitation sensor measures the amount of precipitation in real time through the measurement principle of tilting or photoelectric sensor.

2. Data Conversion and Processing: The analog signal collected by the sensor is converted into a digital signal by an analog-to-digital converter, and then processed and calibrated by the data processing unit (including microprocessor, memory and program control unit, etc.) to ensure the accuracy and stability of the data.

3. Data transmission: The processed data is transmitted in real time to the central data center, cloud server or relevant monitoring platform via wireless communication technology (e.g. GPRS, 3G, 4G, 5G, LoRaWAN, etc.).

6. Data storage: After the data is transmitted to the target location, it is stored in the central database or cloud storage device, which facilitates the analysis and comparison of historical data.

7. Data analysis and visualization: the collected meteorological data are analyzed in real time through data analysis and processing software, and the results can be displayed in the form of charts, curves and other forms through data display and visualization software, so that users can clearly understand the current meteorological conditions.

To summarize, through the high-precision sensors and data recording system, the six basic meteorological elements of temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind speed, wind direction and precipitation can be measured and recorded automatically and in real time by the automatic meteorological six elements station, which can provide continuous and accurate meteorological data for the fields of weather prediction, climate research, resource management and etc. The automatic meteorological six elements station can be used in the field of weather forecasting, climate research and resource management.

Through the real-time monitoring of these elements, automatic weather stations provide scientific basis for weather forecasting, climate change research, rational utilization of resources, disaster warning and mitigation. With the progress of science and technology, the function of automatic weather station is also expanding and upgrading, and the number of meteorological elements that can be monitored is also increasing to meet the growing demand for meteorological services.

Application Cases of Six Elements Automatic Weather Station

The data collected by the weather station has a wide range of applications in a number of fields, the following are some detailed application cases of weather station data:

1. Agricultural field:

   - Crop growth modeling: Temperature, precipitation, humidity and other data provided by weather stations are used in the calculation of crop growth models to predict crop growth and yield.

   - Irrigation management: By analyzing precipitation data from weather stations, farmers can more accurately determine when irrigation is needed and how much water to irrigate.

   - Disease prevention: Data from weather stations can help farmers predict the occurrence of crop diseases, such as fungi and viruses, so that timely control measures can be taken.

2. Aviation:

   - Flight planning: Data from weather stations on air pressure, wind speed and direction are vital for pilots to plan their flights.

   - Airport operations: Data from weather stations help airport management decide when it is safe to operate, especially during adverse weather conditions.

   - Aviation accident investigation: In aviation accident investigations, weather data can be used to determine whether weather conditions had an impact on the accident.

3. Water sector:

   - Flood warning: Data from weather stations are used in flood warning systems to provide timely notification to residents and agencies near rivers.

   - Hydrological modeling: Meteorological data is an important input for hydrological models to predict river flows and reservoir storage.

   - Water resource management: By analyzing precipitation and evaporation data from weather stations, managers can better plan the allocation and use of water resources.

4. Architecture and engineering:

   - Structural design: Architects and engineers use data from weather stations on wind speeds, snow depths, and other data to design building structures that can withstand specific climatic conditions.

   - Construction planning: Data from weather stations help decide when to carry out certain construction work to avoid unfavorable weather conditions.

5. Transportation:

   - Road maintenance: Transportation departments use temperature and precipitation data from weather stations to decide when to perform snow melting and maintenance work on roads.

   - Public transportation: bus companies decide on routes and vehicle assignments based on weather forecasts from weather stations.

6. Environmental protection field:

   - Atmospheric pollution monitoring: air pressure and wind speed data from weather stations help monitor and predict the spread of air pollutants.

   - Climate change research: Meteorological data collected over a long period of time are used in climate change research to understand climate trends and patterns.

These examples show how weather station data can be useful in different fields, improving efficiency and safety in various industries, while also helping to minimize risks and losses due to weather. As technology advances, weather station data will be used in an even wider range of applications.