Sodar Wind Profilers

FAS Series
Sodar Wind Profilers

In 1998, the new FAS Series Sodar Wind Profilers surprised the markets with an innovative and superior antenna concept. A phased-array arrangement of inverse-horn acoustic transducers achieved a perfect impedance match with the atmosphere and highest efficiency in operation.

Nine acoustic beams and ten frequencies with simultaneous emission and reception significantly increase range, accuracy and reliability of the data. The FAS Series has driven sodar wind profiler performance to a level unknown before.

With the choice of three models SFAS, MFAS and XFAS covering different ranges and with various acoustic enclosure options, the FAS Series Sodar Wind Profilers offers the preferred system for all wind profiler applications in the lower atmosphere.

Applications

Air Quality

Aviation

Climate Research

Emergency Response

Forest Fire

Meteorological Research

Severe Weather

Turbulence and Seeing

Weather Forecasting

Wind Energy

Models

Flat Array Sodar SFAS

SFAS is a high-performance acoustic Wind Profiler with a compact and lightweight design, which provides the highest spatial resolution among the FAS series.

maximum range up to 500 m

vertical resolution down to 5 m

compact and lightweight design

RASS Extensions available (RAE2 and windRASS)

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Flat Array Sodar MFAS

MFAS is a versatile acoustic Wind Profiler which combines the both advantages of an excellent portability and a high detection range.

maximum range up to 1000 m

vertical resolution down to 10 m

compact and lightweight design

RASS Extensions available (RAE2 and windRASS)

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Flat Array Sodar XFAS

XFAS is a long-range acoustic Wind Profiler optimized for the measurement of wind and turbulence up to boundary layer height.

maximum range up to over 2000 m

vertical resolution down to 20 m

powerful low-frequency antenna

RASS Extension available (RAE2)

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Competitive Advantages

Flat Array Antenna

The Flat Array Antennas of the FAS Series Sodar Wind Profilers consist of a novel phased-array arrangement of inverse-horn transducers which were specifically developed for acoustic antennas. The inverse-horn design improves the impedance match with the atmosphere, achieving highest acoustic efficiency and requiring a minimum of electrical power. Unlike with commercial speakers used by other manufacturers, the antenna does not collect dirt, such as leaves, and is cleaned easily. The structure consists of a coated and corrosion-resistant aluminum allow for durability in all climates. The heavy top-structure reduces the noise made by impacting precipitation, so the sodar can be operated also during rainy periods.

Simultaneous Multi-Frequency and Multi-Beam Operation

The FAS Series Sodar Wind Profilers can emit and receive up to ten different frequencies in up to nine different directions and with simultaneous emission and reception. By making use of this ability, the signal-to-noise ratio is drastically improved, increasing the measurement range and reducing required averaging times. Consistency checks between frequencies and directions and an imposed additional frequency jitter eliminate spurious outliers. All frequencies and phases are generated digitally with constant time-lag instead of constant phase-lag relation. This creates accurate emission angles and eliminates the need for temperature recordings to correctly derive wind velocities from the Doppler shifts.

True Vertical Beam

Fluctuations of the vertical wind are fundamentally related to turbulence and convection. The measurement of vertical wind variance is a key to quantify the strength of atmospheric turbulence, often expressed in terms of the kinetic energy dissipation rate. In order to measure the vertical wind variance with a wind profiler, it is essential to use an antenna with true (and not calculated) vertical pointing direction. Unlike most reflector antennas, the phased-array antennas of the FAS Series Sodar Wind Profilers provide true vertical beams and allow the exact quantification of atmospheric turbulence.

Completely Automated Self-Test

The FAS Series Sodars are the only acoustic wind profilers on the market which can run a fully automated self-test including the phases and amplitudes of each individual acoustic element. This is possible because the acoustic transducers of all elements can be controlled individually. In this way, the software can even determine the exact emission angles of the nine beams. Other functional stages and environmental conditions are tested as well, so the self-test can fully assess the operability of the installation. Self-tests can be run on simple key-stroke or automatically in selected intervals with internal storage of the generated self-test reports.

Full Data Access on All Processing Levels

The comfortable-to-use and menu-driven operation software for Windows 11 / Windows 10 gives access to all data levels from the raw data to the quality controlled final output data for maximum transparency. Data can be stored locally or distributed in user networks. Many internationally established output data formats are supported in addition to the proprietary ones. System configuration can be done using an automated setting creator or manually in an advanced setting mode. Various graphical representations are available such as barb charts, vector charts, vertical profile charts, false color charts, sodargrams, etc. Charts can be exported in various formats.

Reliable and Service Friendly

Besides performance, system uptime is a key factor determining the quality of a sodar wind profiler, many of them being operated within critical applications such as emergency response. The FAS Series Sodar Wind Profilers have been manufactured for years in large quantities, which results in an outstanding reliability. Moreover, a modular design allows repairs to be done easily. Scintec keeps a large number of modules on stock for worldwide distribution if ever needed.

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