Flat Array Sodar SFAS

The Scintec SFAS is a very compact acoustic profiler for the measurement of wind and turbulence up to 500 m above the ground. The operation is based on the reflection of acoustic pulses at temperature inhomogeneities in the air with subsequent doppler analysis. The instrument can replace towers, tethered balloons or radiosondes at a fraction of the operational costs. With its small size and low weight, the system can be easily transported and installed. Its low power consumption also facilitates the unmanned operation in remote areas.

SFAS can be further upgraded by RASS Extensions (RAE2 and windRASS) for precise measurements of temperature profiles. In addition to temperature, the windRASS model also performs wind measurements with the combined radio-acoustic measurement technique, which ensures a robust measurement that works anywhere and anytime.

Features
maximum range up to 500 m
vertical resolution down to 5 m
compact and lightweight design
RASS Extensions available (RAE2 and windRASS)
multi-frequency technology (sequential and polyphonic)
simultaneous multi-beam technology
fully-automated self-test
low noise-emission with active tapering
various remote access options available

Specifications
Data output (includes but is not limited to)
Description
Wind speed and direction
Temperature (with RASS Extension)
Standard deviations of wind components
Turbulence intensity for wind energy applications
Wind shear for airport applications
Standard deviation of wind directions (sigma phi, sigma theta) and stability class for air quality applications
Structure parameter of temperature C T2 for wave propagation studies
Turbulent kinetic energy
Eddy dissipation rate
Mixing height estimation
Data quality (signal-to-noise ratio)
Data confidence (consensus level)
Wind roses
Frequency distribution of wind speeds for power-curve calculations
Basic Specifications
Description
Specification
Number of antenna elements
64
piezo-electric
Electric (acoustic) output power
20 W (5 W)
maximum, selectable
Frequency range
2525 to 4850 Hz
auto-configuration or user defined
Multi-frequency
sequential and polyphonic
auto-configuration or user defined
Multi-beam operation
up to 9 beams in two configurations
auto-configuration or user defined
Beam angles
0°, ±8°, ±13° or 0°, ±19°, ±24°
selectable
Number of range gates
100
maximum setting
Vertical resolution
5 m
finest setting
Minimum height
10 m
depending on settings, environment and atmosphere
Maximum height
500 m
depending on settings, environment and atmosphere
Averaging time
1 to 60 min
user defined
Accuracy of horizontal wind speed
0.1 to 0.3 m/s
depending on mode, average over varying conditions
Accuracy of vertical wind speed
0.025 to 0.1 m/s
depending on mode, average over varying conditions
Accuracy of wind direction
< 1.5°
at wind speeds > 2 m/s
Measurement range of horizontal wind speed
0 to 50 m/s
nominal
Measurement range of vertical wind speed
-10 to 10 m/s
nominal
Operating conditions
temperature: -35 to +55 °C (-30 to +130 °F); relative humidity: 0% to 100%
Power requirement DC operation
12 or 24 VDC, 20 to 40 W
average, depending on settings
Power requirement AC line operation
100 to 240 VAC, 35 to 70 W
average, depending on settings
Size
44 x 42 x 16 cm
Acoustic Antenna without Enclosure
Weight
11.5 kg
Acoustic Antenna without Enclosure
Software Specifications
Item
Specification
Operating system compatibility
Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2019.
System monitoring
Remotely monitor the system status in an automatic way via the SNMP interface. Notification about system status can also be sent to user via SMS.
Control and configuration
Graphical user interface with auto-configuration functionality, no manual editing of configuration files required.
Real-time display
Wind barb and vector plots, profile plots, time vs. height color plots, wind roses, raw spectra plots and tabular outputs.
Displays offline
Same as displays in real-time.
Real-time data export
Network output a via FTP, TCP, UDP or shared folder.
Reprocessing of data
Reprocess of time series, spectra, moments or main data, fully configurable through graphical user interface.
Echo detection
Automatic fixed echo detection and correction.
Quality control
Thorough data confidence and data quality checks.
Remote control capability
Measurement control and change of configuration via LAN, Radio or GSM Modern.
Hardware self-test
Extensive self-test capability, which runs in a fully automatic way.
Accessories
RASS Extension RAE2
for SFAS, MFAS, XFAS

The Scintec RAE2 RASS Extension upgrades any Sodar models (SFAS, MFAS or XFAS) to allow precise measurements of temperature profiles in the atmospheric boundary layer.

windRASS Extension
for SFAS and MFAS

The Scintec windRASS Extension upgrades the Sodar models SFAS or MFAS to work in radio-acoustic mode for precise measurements of both wind and temperature.

Power Supply SFAS

For operation of a SFAS system with AC power.

Power Supply for Antenna Heating SFAS

For operation of SFAS Antenna Heating with AC power.

Isolating DC Power Adapter Type L, 9-36 VDC
for SFAS and MFAS

This power adapter allows for DC operation of SFAS or MFAS.

DC Power Cable Antenna Heating, 24 VDC
for SFAS and MFAS

This power cable allows for DC operation of SFAS Antenna Heating and MFAS Antenna Heating.

Acoustic Enclosure Small SFAS

The small acoustic enclosure is directly mounted at the top of SFAS antenna. It consists of four panels that are equipped with sound absorption linings.

Acoustic Enclosure Large SFAS

The large acoustic enclosure is placed on the ground surrounding the SFAS antenna. It consists of eight panels that are equipped with sound absorption linings.

SFAS Support Stand
with Electronic Compartment and Acoustic Enclosure

This accessory consists of a support stand for the SFAS Antenna with an electronic compartment and an acoustic enclosure on the top, which is equipped with sound absorption linings.

RS485 Converter Set

This set of RS485 Converters permits to extend the length of the data cable between a SFAS, MFAS or XFAS system and the user PC.

RS485 Cable, 100-500 m

This extension cable (100-500 m) can be used in conjunction with the RS485 Converter Set. (The wood cable reel is not included in this product)

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Radar Wind Profiler LAP®3000 - Large Antenna

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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.

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.

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