Vaisala News 180 - Full Magazine
Vaisala News 180 - Full Magazine
Vaisala News 180 - Full Magazine
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NEWS<br />
<strong>180</strong>/2009<br />
VAISALA<br />
Are you prepared for<br />
safety The road hazards to efficient caused and cost-effective<br />
by winter wind road shear? maintenance / Page 4 / Page 4<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> <strong>News</strong> magazine celebrates<br />
its 50th Measuring process<br />
humidity anniversary for optimal / Page 8<br />
product quality / Page 6<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> launches the development of a<br />
Flying new reference into the radiosonde for climate<br />
storm - Greenland<br />
change observations / Page 16<br />
Flow Distortion<br />
experiment / Page 16
Contents<br />
3 Reliable partner in turbulent times<br />
4 Are you prepared for safety hazards<br />
caused by wind shear?<br />
6 Measuring process humidity for<br />
optimal product quality<br />
8 transformerLIFE Centre researchers<br />
choose <strong>Vaisala</strong> sensors<br />
<strong>180</strong>/2009<br />
10 <strong>Vaisala</strong> participates in the biggest meteorological<br />
modernization project in the Russian history<br />
11 Forecasting extreme events of rain<br />
12 Humidity measurement in cleanrooms<br />
15 Building automation solutions for the future<br />
16 Flying into the storm<br />
18 AMS President 2008: looking back<br />
20 Road safety taken to a new level in New Zealand<br />
22 Three decades of superior performance<br />
24 Brazil contributes to research in the Antarctic<br />
26 <strong>Vaisala</strong>’s first Corporate Responsibility<br />
report published<br />
27 Briefly noted<br />
2 <strong>180</strong>/2009<br />
Cover photo: Shutterstock / Editor-in-Chief: Marikka Nevamäki<br />
Publisher: <strong>Vaisala</strong> Oyj, P.O. Box 26, FI-00421 Helsinki, FINLAND<br />
Phone (int.): + 358 9 894 91 / Telefax: + 358 9 8949 2227<br />
Internet: www.vaisala.com / Layout: Sampo Korkeila<br />
Printed in Finland by: SP-Paino / ISSN 1238-2388<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> in brief<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> is a global leader in<br />
environmental and industrial<br />
measurement. Building on more<br />
than 70 years of experience, <strong>Vaisala</strong><br />
contributes to a better quality of<br />
life by providing a comprehensive<br />
range of innovative observation<br />
and measurement products and<br />
services for meteorology, weather<br />
critical operations and controlled<br />
environments. Headquartered in<br />
Finland, <strong>Vaisala</strong> employs over 1200<br />
professionals worldwide and is listed<br />
on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki.<br />
Weather plays a significant role in aviation<br />
safety. Wind shear is one of the most<br />
dangerous - and least known - weather<br />
phenomena in aviation. Page 4<br />
Polyacrylamide drying at Kemira is a<br />
complex process, which demands strictly<br />
regulated humidity and temperature conditions.<br />
Page 6<br />
Greenland is a massive obstacle to the<br />
atmospheric flow and the low level air<br />
prefers to flow along and around Greenland<br />
if possible, rather than attempting to flow<br />
over the ice sheet. Page 16
President’s column<br />
Reliable partner<br />
in turbulent times<br />
The world economy is in turmoil.<br />
Times of economic prosperity have<br />
always eventually been followed by<br />
a downturn - yet when it happens it<br />
always seems to take everyone by<br />
surprise. When times are good, too<br />
often short-term gains are preferred<br />
over long-term planning, and<br />
consideration about consequences<br />
is not high on the agenda. But when<br />
times are tough, insecurity raises its<br />
head, and suddenly your ability for<br />
long-term planning and sustainable<br />
business practices becomes much<br />
more transparent. Reliability, continuity<br />
and experience reign supreme,<br />
providing peace-of-mind and sustainable<br />
operations for the long-term.<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong>’s expertise is based on<br />
exactly this kind of reliability, continuity<br />
and experience. We have been<br />
in business for over 70 years, and will<br />
continue to do so through many ups<br />
and downs yet to come. Our business<br />
is built on innovation, solid professional<br />
know-how and technological<br />
superiority, combined with a good<br />
understanding of our customers’<br />
requirements. This combination has<br />
taken us through many hard times<br />
with determination and persistence.<br />
Our strong heritage, still present in<br />
the company culture today, paves<br />
the way for continuity and healthy<br />
company values. Our customers<br />
know that when they buy <strong>Vaisala</strong>,<br />
they will have our support also<br />
tomorrow, and the day after.<br />
Reliability alone is not enough.<br />
As times change, businesses need to<br />
be able grow and capitalize on this<br />
change. Our innovative approach to<br />
science and technology has allowed<br />
us to adapt to new business fields<br />
and needs.<br />
It is our customers’ trust that<br />
has allowed us to grow and prosper.<br />
Trust is earned through deeds<br />
and competence, and if lost, it is<br />
extremely hard to regain. I want to<br />
express my heartfelt thanks to all of<br />
you for this trust - it is most valuable<br />
to us, and we intend to earn it<br />
through our actions everyday.<br />
Kjell Forsén<br />
<strong>180</strong>/2009 3
Juhani Polvinen / Application Manager / <strong>Vaisala</strong> / Helsinki, Finland<br />
Are you prepared for<br />
safety hazards caused<br />
by wind shear?<br />
Weather plays a significant role in aviation safety. Some 30% of all fatal<br />
accidents are caused by or related to weather (ICAO). Wind shear is one of the<br />
most dangerous - and least known - weather phenomena in aviation.<br />
Air traffic controllers usually have<br />
no means of directly detecting a lowlevel<br />
wind shear hazard. It may take<br />
even the most experienced pilots by<br />
surprise, and put them in a situation<br />
where the wrong decisions can have<br />
disastrous effects. 831 fatalities were<br />
recorded to have been caused by<br />
wind shear between 1956-1994 (FAA,<br />
NTSB Records, & Fujita), or 700<br />
fatalities between 1970-1985 (ICAO).<br />
More recent statistics are harder to<br />
find, but the phenomenon has not<br />
disappeared. Wind shear continues<br />
to pose a threat to aviation safety all<br />
around the world. According to the<br />
4 <strong>180</strong>/2009<br />
US Aviation Safety Network (ASN),<br />
at least two major accidents were<br />
caused by wind shear between 1990-<br />
2000, resulting in over 90 fatalities.<br />
Also in many recent accidents, wind<br />
shear has been suspected to be a<br />
strong contributing factor - such as<br />
in the case of the TANS Airlines crash<br />
in Peru (2005), or FedEx cargo plane<br />
crash in Japan (2009).<br />
Wind shear is a term referring to<br />
rapidly changing winds. It is a small<br />
scale meteorological phenomenon,<br />
which occurs over a very small<br />
distance. It is usually connected to<br />
rapid changes in specific weather<br />
conditions - for example, sea and<br />
land breeze, jet streams (fast flowing,<br />
narrow air currents), weather fronts,<br />
showers or thunderstorms. It has<br />
also been noted to commonly occur<br />
near mountains and coastlines. The<br />
most dangerous type of wind shear<br />
is caused by convective weather. It<br />
is very difficult to forecast due to its<br />
local nature.<br />
Wind shear poses the greatest<br />
danger to aircraft during takeoff and<br />
landing. Airplane pilots generally<br />
regard significant wind shear to be a<br />
horizontal change in airspeed of 30<br />
knots (15 m/s) for light aircraft, and<br />
near 45 knots (22 m/s) for airliners<br />
(FAA).<br />
Although wind shear as a meteorological<br />
phenomenon has been<br />
recognized in aviation from the late<br />
60s, it is still not fully understood<br />
today. Many airports suffer the<br />
effects of wind shear, but airport<br />
authorities have little information<br />
about the phenomenon and how to<br />
address it.<br />
One of the first great eye-openers<br />
was the Boeing 727 accident at the<br />
JFK Airport in 1975, which led to<br />
systematic studies on wind shear.<br />
Tetsuya Theodore Fujita pioneered<br />
the study of wind shear and its<br />
effects. However, it wasn’t until 1997<br />
that ICAO formally established a Low-<br />
Level Wind Shear and Turbulence
Group to promote global awareness<br />
about the phenomenon.<br />
Challenge to pilots<br />
and aircraft safety<br />
Microbursts and wind shear go<br />
hand in hand. Microbursts are small<br />
scale intense downdrafts which, on<br />
reaching the surface, spread outward<br />
in all directions from the downdraft<br />
center. This causes the presence of<br />
both vertical and horizontal wind<br />
shears. Microbursts spread radially<br />
on the ground, causing rapid changes<br />
in wind direction and speed. They<br />
are associated with cumulonimbus<br />
clouds, as well as line squalls (severe<br />
thunderstorms). A distinction can<br />
be made between a wet microburst<br />
which consists of precipitation and<br />
a dry microburst which consists<br />
of virga - that is, precipitation that<br />
evaporates before reaching the<br />
ground. Dry microbursts present a<br />
more difficult problem because pilots<br />
have no visual clue of their occurrence,<br />
and weather radars cannot see<br />
them either.<br />
Wind shear and microbursts are<br />
among the most dangerous of all<br />
weather-related threats to flying. The<br />
unpredictable changes in wind speed<br />
and direction make it difficult to<br />
control the aircraft, with headwinds,<br />
tailwinds and up and down drafts<br />
all in quick succession. At worst, it<br />
can cause a sudden and dramatic<br />
loss in height, and result in a serious<br />
accident.<br />
Downdraft<br />
How to address wind<br />
shear safety risks?<br />
When wind shear occurs below 2,000<br />
ft altitude, it is called low-level wind<br />
shear. Many airports prone to microburst<br />
and wind shear are still lacking<br />
adequate solutions to mitigate this<br />
threat.<br />
The first step in addressing safety<br />
hazards caused by wind shear is<br />
to investigate the likelihood of the<br />
occurrence of the phenomenon at<br />
the airport in question. If a problem<br />
is recognized, different options for<br />
solving it need to be investigated in<br />
order to find the optimal solution.<br />
Each airport is unique. This work<br />
is best carried out in cooperation<br />
with the airport authorities and an<br />
expert organization with deep understanding<br />
of the phenomenon.<br />
Once the existence of low-level<br />
wind shear has been verified through<br />
studying the weather conditions at<br />
the airport, the next step is to specify<br />
the optimal wind measurement site<br />
locations and measurement mast<br />
heights by studying the topology and<br />
obstructions in the area. After this,<br />
the required system and interfaces<br />
can be specified by investigating the<br />
existing infrastructure.<br />
A Low-Level Wind Shear Alert<br />
System (LLWAS) comprises wind<br />
speed and direction sensors sited<br />
around the runway, and connected to<br />
a data collection package at the site.<br />
Wind shear alerts are presented both<br />
visually and audibly, and the affected<br />
While the pilot compensates<br />
for the headwind by dipping<br />
the nose, the aircraft enters a<br />
A headwind slows and<br />
downdraft.<br />
lifts the aircraft above<br />
its normal flight path. A tailwind dangerously<br />
reduces the aircraft’s<br />
speed.<br />
The glide path of a normal landing.<br />
areas can be easily identified thanks<br />
to the system. Access to wind shear<br />
data eases the air traffic controller’s<br />
burden, increases the pilots’ confidence<br />
at a particular airport, and<br />
improves the overall aviation safety.<br />
All required services should also<br />
be mapped in close cooperation with<br />
the airport authorities, in order to<br />
ensure the optimal performance of<br />
the system throughout its lifecycle.<br />
Planning ahead pays dividends in the<br />
long run, as system maintenance and<br />
operations become proactive and<br />
organized, and the need for ad-hoc<br />
fixes is reduced. Good data availability<br />
can be maximized through<br />
various well-planned services, such<br />
as preventive maintenance, software<br />
upgrades, and regular solution<br />
performance verifications.<br />
All the studies and investigations<br />
materialize in an implementation<br />
project plan. Once the low-level wind<br />
shear system has been installed, it<br />
is carefully tested to ensure that it<br />
meets all the requirements. Professional<br />
user-training as well as periodical<br />
training updates are an important<br />
part of the project. Tailored lifecycle<br />
services, designed before system<br />
implementation and according to<br />
the specific requirements, support<br />
smooth and safe operations. A professionally<br />
run wind shear project is a<br />
huge improvement in airport safety.<br />
If you would like to discuss the<br />
implications of wind shear for airport<br />
operations and aviation safety, please<br />
contact aviationsales@vaisala.com.<br />
Further information:<br />
www.vaisala.com/weather/<br />
products/avi-llwas<br />
References:<br />
Fujita, T.T.; The Downburst,<br />
microburst and macroburst<br />
FAA; Advisory Circular Pilot<br />
Wind Shear Guide<br />
Guan, Wen-Lin & Yong Kay;<br />
Review of Aviation Accidents<br />
Caused by Wind Shear and<br />
Identification Methods<br />
Juhani Polvinen; Wind shear:<br />
predicting the unpredictable<br />
<strong>180</strong>/2009 5
Marikka Nevamäki / Editor in Chief / <strong>Vaisala</strong> / Helsinki, Finland<br />
Measuring process<br />
humidity for optimal<br />
product quality<br />
Polyacrylamide drying<br />
is a complex process,<br />
which demands strictly<br />
regulated humidity<br />
and temperature<br />
conditions.<br />
Kemira Oyj’s paper chemicals<br />
plant in Vaasa, Finland, produces<br />
polyacrylamides for customers in<br />
global and domestic pulp and paper<br />
industry. Highly water-absorbent,<br />
polyacrylamides can be used as<br />
binders and retention aids for fibers,<br />
and to retain pigments on paper<br />
fibers.<br />
The Vaasa plant has developed<br />
a highly sophisticated process for<br />
drying polyacrylamide, which is<br />
first produced at the plant as a gel<br />
consisting of 50% polyacrylamide<br />
Kemira<br />
6 <strong>180</strong>/2009<br />
Kemira specializes in water<br />
and fiber management<br />
chemistry. The company’s<br />
customers are involved in pulp<br />
and paper making, municipal<br />
and industrial water treatment,<br />
and oil and mining. Kemira<br />
operates in 40 countries and<br />
has a staff of 10,000.<br />
and 50% water. After the drying<br />
process, the end-product resembles<br />
granulated sugar, and contains only<br />
7% water.<br />
“The drying process is very<br />
demanding, as excess heat ruins<br />
the product and makes it difficult to<br />
handle. Therefore the drying has to<br />
be carried out in phases. The whole<br />
process takes some eight hours,”<br />
Technology Manager Jussi Nikkarinen<br />
explains.<br />
The plant has four large dryers,<br />
each of them containing one to two<br />
tons of the product. The temperature<br />
in the dryers varies between 40-60<br />
Celsius.<br />
Challenges with<br />
product stability<br />
“Initially, we were only able to control<br />
the process temperature, and the<br />
humidity conditions varied greatly.<br />
This made it challenging to produce<br />
a stable, high quality product. In<br />
1999, we decided to install nine<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> humidity transmitters in the<br />
drying process,” Nikkarinen recalls.<br />
The humidity transmitters incorporate<br />
patented <strong>Vaisala</strong> HUMICAP ®<br />
capacitive thin-film polymer sensors.<br />
Before getting started with the<br />
process improvement some ten<br />
years ago, Nikkarinen and his team<br />
researched drying processes used<br />
in industry, in order to find some<br />
good examples on how to proceed.<br />
However, as they wanted to measure<br />
humidity in the dryer air and not in<br />
the end-product, it was not an easy<br />
task.<br />
“We couldn’t find any bestpractices,<br />
and had to go with our<br />
gut feeling. We installed the <strong>Vaisala</strong><br />
transmitters ourselves. This was<br />
a relatively easy task. Cabling was<br />
more time consuming. The meters<br />
send all measurement data to a<br />
central data collection system, which<br />
enables us to monitor the whole<br />
drying process. Our chosen humidity<br />
measurement locations are air inlet<br />
and outlet channels. We also have<br />
one <strong>Vaisala</strong> handheld humidity probe<br />
for spot-checking and confirming the<br />
measurements produced by the fixed<br />
humidity transmitters,” Development<br />
Technician Reino Paloniemi explains.<br />
Surprising discovery led<br />
to corrective action<br />
Part of the drying air is taken from<br />
outdoors, and part is redirected<br />
back from previous processes,<br />
after removing dust and other<br />
harmful particles. “Soon after we<br />
had installed the humidity transmitters,<br />
we realized that sometimes<br />
the air going in the dryers was more<br />
humid than the air coming out of the<br />
process. This is hardly the desired<br />
effect of a dryer. In other words, the<br />
drying process occasionally unintentionally<br />
turned into a moisturizing<br />
process,” Nikkarinen smiles.<br />
Corrective measures were taken<br />
as a result of this discovery. For<br />
example, the team installed a process
Jussi Nikkarinen (left) and Reino Paloniemi<br />
check the process is running smoothly in<br />
the control room.<br />
air dryer. “The investment was easier<br />
to justify once we had the humidity<br />
data to back-up our argument,” Paloniemi<br />
points out.<br />
Clear benefits gained<br />
through humidity<br />
measurement<br />
“Humidity measurement has brought<br />
clear benefits to our operations,”<br />
Nikkarinen states. “For example,<br />
product quality has improved significantly,<br />
and our production capacity<br />
has increased. It has also improved<br />
our energy-efficiency, as now we<br />
don’t have to heat the product too<br />
much.” Humidity measurement has<br />
also increased the team members’<br />
understanding of the process, and<br />
removed most of the guesswork.<br />
“We’ve been very impressed<br />
with the stability and reliability of<br />
the transmitters, which still work as<br />
new after ten years of use - despite<br />
all the dust and particles in the air,”<br />
Paloniemi commends.<br />
Further improvements<br />
possible<br />
Kemira’s polyacrylamide drying<br />
process could still be further developed,<br />
and some plans are already in<br />
place. The plant uses a central data<br />
collection system for overall process<br />
monitoring. This could be further<br />
enhanced with an automated control<br />
system, which could make the<br />
required adjustments automatically.<br />
“We could also introduce air flow<br />
measurement in the air channels,”<br />
Nikkarinen adds.<br />
The team at Vaasa has also<br />
cooperated with the Finnish<br />
Meteorological Institute, in order<br />
to find out the impacts of different<br />
weather conditions on the drying<br />
process. “We discovered that warm<br />
summer days are likely to cause most<br />
problems with their hot and humid<br />
conditions.”<br />
“It is important to remember that<br />
measurement alone is not enough.<br />
The information needs to be stored<br />
and presented in an accessible<br />
format. We have people working<br />
around the clock in three shifts.<br />
When you start your shift, it is very<br />
useful to be able to check what’s<br />
been going on in the process during<br />
the previous shifts,” Nikkarinen<br />
concludes.<br />
Further information:<br />
www.vaisala.com/humidity<br />
First published in the– European<br />
Process Engineer magazine,<br />
www.engineerlive.com<br />
Reino Paloniemi and Jussi Nikkarinen use<br />
a <strong>Vaisala</strong> handheld humidity probe for spotchecking<br />
and configuring the measurements<br />
produced by the fixed humidity transmitters.<br />
HUMICAP® sensor<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong>’s relative humidity<br />
products incorporate a<br />
capacitive thin-film polymer<br />
sensor, <strong>Vaisala</strong> HUMICAP ® . The<br />
HUMICAP ® sensor features high<br />
accuracy, long-term stability<br />
and negligible hysteresis. It is<br />
insensitive to dust, particulate<br />
dirt and most chemicals.<br />
All HUMICAP ® products<br />
provide a full measurement<br />
range of relative humidity,<br />
0 ... 100 % RH. In addition,<br />
depending on sensor model,<br />
the sensor is available with a<br />
chemical purge option, which<br />
maintains accuracy in environments<br />
with high concentrations<br />
of chemicals, or with a<br />
sensor preheat option that<br />
prevents condensation.<br />
Operating principle<br />
The thin-film polymer<br />
either absorbs or releases<br />
water vapor as the relative<br />
humidity of the ambient air<br />
rises or drops. The dielectric<br />
properties of the polymer<br />
film depend on the amount of<br />
water contained in it: as the<br />
relative humidity changes, the<br />
dielectric properties of the film<br />
change, and so the capacitance<br />
of the sensor changes. The<br />
electronics of the instrument<br />
measure the capacitance of the<br />
sensor and convert it into a<br />
humidity reading.<br />
<strong>180</strong>/2009 7
Dr. Valery Davydov / Director / transformerLIFE Centre / Monash University<br />
and Dr. Oleg Roizman / Principal Consultant / transformerLIFE Centre & IntellPower / Australia<br />
transformerLIFE<br />
Centre researchers<br />
choose <strong>Vaisala</strong><br />
sensors<br />
The transformerLIFE Centre in Australia is an international leader in<br />
research into moisture in paper-oil insulation systems.<br />
The transformerLIFE Centre was<br />
established in 2005 under a grant of<br />
the State Government of Victoria,<br />
Australia, supported by Monash<br />
University and a consortium of 16<br />
national and international companies.<br />
The purpose of the Centre is to<br />
develop new and enhanced knowledge,<br />
techniques, products and intellectual<br />
property for the electricity<br />
industry, with an emphasis on power<br />
transformers. It features a special<br />
test transformer, built by Wilson<br />
Transformer Company in 2006.<br />
Research into transformers<br />
commenced in 1994, when EPRI<br />
(Electric Power Research Institute,<br />
USA) launched a project for studying<br />
moisture and ageing phenomena in<br />
transformer paper-oil systems at<br />
Monash University.<br />
The Centre’s research caters for<br />
power utilities and other transformer<br />
users, manufacturers of<br />
transformers, solid insulation and<br />
transformer oil, testing and monitoring<br />
equipment, service providers,<br />
insurance companies and research<br />
organizations. Results are also used<br />
for the development of national and<br />
8 <strong>180</strong>/2009<br />
international standards, reference<br />
materials for CIGRE (International<br />
Council on Large Electric Systems)<br />
and educational programs for professional<br />
training.<br />
These audiences rely on the<br />
Centre to provide capability and<br />
knowledge, which directly influences<br />
their business decisions with regard<br />
to the behavior of transformers.<br />
Getting the most out of<br />
the transformer lifecycle<br />
A transformer is one of the critical<br />
elements of a power system, and it is<br />
important to make timely decisions<br />
related to maintenance, utilization,<br />
replacement and optimum operation<br />
of this asset.<br />
The biggest challenge for utilities<br />
operating transformers is to utilize<br />
the transformer capabilities to the<br />
maximum extent without compromising<br />
the insulation integrity,<br />
overall transformer reliability and<br />
risk of failure.<br />
Transformer lifecycle is a key<br />
parameter when estimating the cost<br />
of a transformer ownership. This<br />
cost includes not only the initial<br />
transformer cost, but also the cost<br />
to operate and maintain the transformer<br />
over its life span.<br />
A transformer life is determined<br />
by the life of its insulation.<br />
Utilities increasingly operate their<br />
transformers up to and beyond the<br />
nameplate rating and therefore up to<br />
and beyond their expected life. This<br />
results in the accelerated aging of<br />
the transformer insulation, reduction<br />
of its useful life and, consequently,<br />
increase of the cost of asset ownership.<br />
Therefore, accurate prediction<br />
and intelligent management of the<br />
transformer life is an important<br />
economic issue.<br />
Test transformer fitted<br />
with over 60 sensors<br />
The Centre’s test transformer<br />
serves many purposes – it is used<br />
as a research rig, physical model,<br />
test bed and an educational tool. It<br />
is fitted with more than 60 on-line<br />
sensors that in addition to the electrical<br />
parameters such as current,<br />
voltage, active and reactive power,
harmonics, etc., monitor temperature,<br />
moisture, oil flow rate, pressure<br />
and other parameters in various locations<br />
of the transformer.<br />
Among these sensors are 16 fibreoptic<br />
temperature sensors located<br />
in the windings and five <strong>Vaisala</strong><br />
moisture and temperature transmitters<br />
located at the top and bottom<br />
of the tank, in the top and bottom<br />
cooling pipes and in the conservator<br />
fitted with an air bag. During a<br />
decade of extensive use and testing,<br />
the Centre has found the <strong>Vaisala</strong><br />
sensors reliable, accurate, easy-to-set<br />
and user-friendly.<br />
Samples of paper and oil are<br />
taken from the transformer regularly<br />
for various laboratory tests and<br />
ageing studies. Five round glass<br />
windows in the walls and lid of the<br />
tank allow observation and videorecording<br />
of water vapor bubbles<br />
during overload studies.<br />
The test transformer can<br />
replicate normal loading and<br />
overloading conditions for thermal<br />
modeling. It enables the studying<br />
and improvement of the thermal<br />
capability and cooling efficiency of<br />
transformers, as well as replicating<br />
and improving factory tests, and<br />
establishing equilibrium temperature<br />
and moisture conditions in its<br />
paper-oil system – the conditions in<br />
which accurate measurements can<br />
be taken for validation of algorithms<br />
being developed. It also allows the<br />
moisture content of insulation to be<br />
changed for further moisture studies<br />
and modeling. The transformer is<br />
effectively used for teaching and<br />
training demonstrations of the<br />
thermodynamic behavior of a power<br />
transformer.<br />
On-line moisture<br />
measurement,<br />
best practices<br />
The number and location of the<br />
moisture sensors in a transformer<br />
are one of the most important questions<br />
a user should consider. It is too<br />
common to install a sensor wherever<br />
a convenient port is. Often, the loca-<br />
Dr. Valery Davydov and Dr. Oleg Roizman in front of the transformerLIFE Centre’s test transformer.<br />
tions like the bottom oil drain valve<br />
or the conservator oil filling pipe are<br />
not suitable for placing the sensor<br />
because of poor or no oil circulation.<br />
The selection of a good location<br />
depends on individual transformer<br />
design, size and the type of cooling<br />
system. As a rule of thumb, a<br />
moisture probe should be installed<br />
in the oil circulation path at a high<br />
temperature location. The radiator<br />
headers, both top and bottom, are<br />
among the transformerLIFE Centre<br />
researchers’ favorite spots. These<br />
locations are also useful for evaluation<br />
of the cooling efficiency and<br />
effectiveness of on-line dryout.<br />
Choosing a robust, reliable and<br />
high-quality transmitter ensures<br />
accurate measurement results and<br />
well-informed operations.<br />
Further information:<br />
www.vaisala.com/instruments/<br />
products/moistureinoil<br />
Dr. Oleg Roizman is a Principal Consultant with IntellPower, Australia. He<br />
provides consulting services to electric utilities, universities and manufactures<br />
of electrical equipment in the field of electric equipment diagnostics<br />
and monitoring. He is a consultant to the transformerLIFE Centre.<br />
Dr. Valery Davydov is a Principal Research Fellow with Monash University,<br />
Australia. He is the Director of the Centre for Power Transformer Monitoring,<br />
Diagnostics and Life Management (the transformerLIFE Centre).<br />
<strong>180</strong>/2009 9
“This is the biggest<br />
single surface<br />
weather equipment<br />
agreement ever<br />
made.”<br />
Marikka Nevamäki / Editor in chief / <strong>Vaisala</strong> / Helsinki, Finland<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> participates in the biggest<br />
meteorological modernization<br />
project in the Russian history<br />
Russia renews its<br />
surface weather<br />
observation<br />
capabilities - <strong>Vaisala</strong><br />
technology is used for<br />
accurate weather data<br />
One of the biggest surface weather<br />
observation network modernization<br />
projects in the world is currently<br />
underway in the Russian Federation.<br />
The project includes over <strong>180</strong>0<br />
observation sites around Russia.<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> is the main weather observation<br />
technology provider in the largescale<br />
project.<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> provides the Russian<br />
Federal Service for Hydrometeo-<br />
10 <strong>180</strong>/2009<br />
A map indicating the scale<br />
of the Russian Federation<br />
National Hydromet Modernization<br />
Project (weather stations<br />
marked with yellow tags).<br />
The Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology<br />
and Environmental Monitoring<br />
(Roshydromet) visited <strong>Vaisala</strong> in March<br />
2009 to discuss mutual cooperation.<br />
rology and Environmental Monitoring<br />
(Roshydromet) with state-of-the-art<br />
surface weather monitoring technology.<br />
The goals are to gain realtime<br />
data, increase automation, and<br />
improve the quality of weather information<br />
across the largest country in<br />
the world.<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> is partnering with a local<br />
Russian integrator, Lanit, in the<br />
delivery project. The equipment<br />
will be used throughout the entire<br />
Russian Federation in accordance<br />
with the Russian Federation National<br />
Hydromet Modernization Project.<br />
The project is supported by the<br />
World Bank.<br />
Local production<br />
facilities in Novosibirsk<br />
Local production facilities have been<br />
set up in the Novosibirsk region<br />
with <strong>Vaisala</strong>’s assistance. Finnish<br />
engineers are actively involved in the<br />
process. Weather station assembly,<br />
calibration and delivery will be<br />
carried out from the Novosibirsk<br />
facility. The first stations have<br />
already been assembled locally.<br />
The entire modernization project,<br />
coordinated by Lanit, will amount<br />
to tens of millions of euros. <strong>Vaisala</strong>’s<br />
share of the contract is some 4.7<br />
million euros. The project scale is<br />
unprecedented in the Russian history<br />
of meteorology.<br />
“This is a major opening for<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> in the region, and the biggest<br />
single surface weather equipment<br />
agreement ever made. I’m extremely<br />
happy that our long-term hard work<br />
in the region has been rewarded like<br />
this,” says Martti Husu, Executive<br />
Vice President from <strong>Vaisala</strong> Meteorology.
Marikka Nevamäki / Editor in Chief / <strong>Vaisala</strong> / Helsinki, Finland<br />
Forecasting<br />
extreme events<br />
of rain<br />
Mr. Vicente Perez and Mr. Santiago<br />
Salson from MeteoGalicia, as well<br />
as Mr. Joaquin Baumela and Mr.<br />
Francisco Torrente from Quatripole<br />
visited <strong>Vaisala</strong> in November<br />
2008. The purpose of the visit was<br />
to carry out Factory Acceptance<br />
Tests (FAT) for the <strong>Vaisala</strong> Weather<br />
Radar WRM200. The radar will be<br />
installed in Galicia, northwestern<br />
Spain, in summer 2009. Meteo-<br />
Galicia is responsible for the local<br />
weather forecasts and warnings in<br />
the Galicia region, and Qatripole is<br />
the local engineering partner for the<br />
installation project. MeteoGalicia<br />
depends on the regional government<br />
of Galicia, Xunta de Galicia. All<br />
their information, also regarding the<br />
new radar products, is available at<br />
www.meteogalicia.es.<br />
The purpose of the FAT tests is<br />
to verify the system performance<br />
against given specifications and<br />
to ensure that all parts of the<br />
system and its documentation exist<br />
according to the purchase order.<br />
Hundreds of <strong>Vaisala</strong> customers from<br />
around the world visit the company<br />
every year to participate in different<br />
FAT tests. It is a great opportunity<br />
for both parties to get to know each<br />
other a little better, and to ensure<br />
mutual understanding of the required<br />
system qualities.<br />
The radar is a part of a weather<br />
observation solution, which <strong>Vaisala</strong><br />
is providing to the region of Galicia.<br />
In addition to the dual-polarization<br />
weather radar, the solution consists<br />
of a lightning detection network<br />
of four sensors and a sounding<br />
system, as well as a five-year service<br />
contract.<br />
Fewer rainy days -<br />
more intensive rain<br />
The Galicia region’s coastal areas in<br />
the west and north are open to the<br />
Atlantic Ocean and its challenging<br />
weather conditions. Severe storms<br />
and thunder are common and cause<br />
damages each year.<br />
“Research on the effects of<br />
climate change has been carried<br />
out in Galicia. It found evidence that<br />
there are more extreme events of rain<br />
in the area than in the past. There<br />
may be fewer rainy days, but when it<br />
rains it is more intensive. There are<br />
clear risks relating to this; villages<br />
and small towns close to rivers or<br />
the sea may suffer damaging floods,”<br />
says Mr. Vicente Perez from Meteo-<br />
Galicia.<br />
“The new <strong>Vaisala</strong> radar<br />
will benefit us in many<br />
ways. It will improve our<br />
capacity for civil protection<br />
as we will be able<br />
to issue more accurate<br />
warnings. The data<br />
gained will compliment<br />
measurement<br />
data from other instruments,<br />
and we will be<br />
From left to right: Joaquin<br />
Baumela, Quatripole and<br />
Santiago Salson Casado and<br />
Vicente Perez Muñuzuri from<br />
MeteoGalicia at the <strong>Vaisala</strong><br />
Factory Acceptance Tests for the<br />
Weather Radar WRM200. <strong>Vaisala</strong>’s<br />
Timo Lyly on the keyboard.<br />
The Spanish region of<br />
Galicia is vulnerable<br />
to extreme weather<br />
events due to its<br />
location by the Atlantic<br />
Ocean.<br />
able to assimilate the information<br />
into our numerical models. The radar<br />
will also be used for more longterm<br />
climatological research. Our<br />
university researchers are already<br />
enthusiastically waiting for the radar<br />
data,” Mr. Perez smiles. “Cyclone<br />
Klaus, which hit the North of Spain<br />
and France in January 2009, is just<br />
one example of a situation where<br />
we could’ve benefited from the new<br />
capabilities offered by this kind of<br />
radar.”<br />
The new and improved weather<br />
observation network can also be<br />
used for providing new kinds of<br />
services to local interest groups<br />
affected by weather, such as fishermen,<br />
shellfish fishermen, clam<br />
pickers, electrical power companies<br />
and recreational agencies. Regional<br />
weather forecasts on TV are also<br />
expected to improve.<br />
<strong>180</strong>/2009 11
Daisuke Fujisawa / Regional Market Manager / <strong>Vaisala</strong> / Tokyo, Japan<br />
Humidity<br />
measurement<br />
in cleanrooms<br />
Choosing the right<br />
type of measurement<br />
instrumentation is<br />
important in order<br />
to reach the best<br />
humidity measurement<br />
results. Calibration<br />
should also be carried<br />
out regularly, and to<br />
traceable standards.<br />
Products manufactured in cleanrooms<br />
cover a wide range, including<br />
pharmaceuticals and semiconductors.<br />
Humidity, temperature,<br />
particles and pressure are often<br />
controlled, as these parameters<br />
can have serious effects on product<br />
quality and production efficiency.<br />
Relative humidity<br />
Relative humidity (%RH) describes<br />
the amount of water vapor that exists<br />
in a gaseous mixture of air and water.<br />
It is a ratio of the amount of water<br />
vapor present compared to how<br />
much could be present at a given<br />
temperature. Issues at production<br />
12 <strong>180</strong>/2009<br />
sites, such as expansion and contraction,<br />
and hardening and softening<br />
of material, change in viscosity of<br />
liquid, growth of microbes, increase<br />
in static electricity, and corrosion<br />
and rust, are largely affected by<br />
humidity.<br />
Dewpoint<br />
Dewpoint (Td) is a temperature at<br />
which dew, or condensation, forms<br />
on cooling a gas. Dewpoint is a<br />
parameter suitable for expressing<br />
very small water content in a gas like<br />
air. In the micromachining of semiconductors<br />
the conditions are very<br />
dry as water molecules are regarded<br />
as contaminants. In this condition<br />
relative humidity is practically stagnated<br />
at 0 %RH but dewpoint scale<br />
is still sensitive for water content<br />
changes in the measured gas.<br />
Different applications,<br />
different needs<br />
A pharmaceutical manufacturing<br />
plant often has a large number<br />
of cleanrooms. The control and<br />
recording of temperature and<br />
humidity is strictly designated by<br />
GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice).<br />
The most important feature required<br />
from humidity sensors is small deviation.<br />
It is important to be able to<br />
perform precise calibration to check<br />
that the sensor does not drift over<br />
the long-term.<br />
In food processing plants, it is<br />
necessary to keep the manufacturing<br />
site at or below certain humidity. For<br />
example, 40% or below seems to be<br />
a commonly used value. This helps<br />
in restricting the growth of germs<br />
and bacteria that can cause food<br />
poisoning.<br />
In semiconductor and electronics<br />
product plants, the generation of<br />
products changes more and more<br />
rapidly. As a result, the control<br />
of humidity and dewpoint in the<br />
manufacturing process has become<br />
stricter. In the manufacturing minienvironments,<br />
very high level control<br />
with an accuracy of +/-1%RH is often<br />
required.<br />
Humidity control is also important<br />
at liquid crystal display plants<br />
and paint plants. In this case, the<br />
durability and accuracy of the<br />
humidity sensor is very important.<br />
These plants generate various gases,<br />
which can affect sensor elements.<br />
Humidity and dewpoint<br />
sensor technologies<br />
Humidity sensors, which measure<br />
water content in the air, are<br />
broadly divided into two types.<br />
One measures humidity and the<br />
other dewpoint. In an atmosphere<br />
where the humidity level is at least<br />
10%RH, humidity measurement is<br />
often used, while in low humidity,<br />
dewpoint measurement is preferred.<br />
In some cases it is convenient to use
dewpoint measurement even in high<br />
humidity conditions.<br />
Humidity and dewpoint<br />
sensors include:<br />
1. Psychrometer<br />
2. Mechanical hygrometer<br />
3. Lithium chloride dewpoint indicator<br />
4. Resistance type hygrometer<br />
5. Capacitance type hygrometer<br />
(dew indicator)<br />
6. Mirror dewpoint indicator<br />
Sensors 1-6 can measure general<br />
humidity levels. Sensors 5 and 6<br />
are also used for low dewpoint<br />
measurement. The principle of each<br />
technology is described briefly in the<br />
following.<br />
1. A psychrometer is a simple form of<br />
a hygrometer, which consists of two<br />
thermometers. One has a dry bulb<br />
and the other a bulb that is kept wet<br />
to measure wet-bulb temperature.<br />
The wet bulb cools by evaporation of<br />
the water. The amount of evaporation,<br />
as well as cooling of the thermometer,<br />
depends on the humidity of<br />
the atmosphere. This data, together<br />
with humidity tables or calculations,<br />
is used to determine the vapor<br />
pressure of water in the surrounding<br />
air, and relative humidity. This is a<br />
method often used in laboratories<br />
and humidity and temperature test<br />
chambers.<br />
2. A mechanical hygrometer<br />
measures and records humidity using<br />
an instrument that expands and<br />
contracts with humidity changes,<br />
such as human hair. This type of<br />
measurement has been used for<br />
a long time. The accuracy of the<br />
method is not very good.<br />
3. A lithium chloride dewpoint<br />
indicator is a measurement principle<br />
based on the hygroscopic characteristic<br />
(ability of a substance to attract<br />
water molecules) of lithium chloride.<br />
The sensor consists of a reel covered<br />
with an absorbent fabric and a bifilar<br />
winding (two insulated wires, with<br />
currents traveling through them in<br />
opposite directions) of inert elec-<br />
trodes. The reel is coated with lithium<br />
chloride. An alternating current is<br />
passed through the winding and the<br />
lithium chloride solution, causing<br />
resistive heating. As the reel heats,<br />
water evaporates from the lithium<br />
chloride solution at a rate which is<br />
controlled by the vapor pressure of<br />
water in the surrounding air. When<br />
the reel begins to dry, the resistance<br />
of the lithium chloride solution<br />
increases, and less current flows<br />
through the winding. This allows the<br />
reel to cool. This heating and cooling<br />
of the reel reaches an equilibrium<br />
point where it neither takes on nor<br />
gives off water, and the equilibrium<br />
temperature is directly proportional<br />
to the dewpoint of the surrounding air.<br />
4. A resistance type hygrometer<br />
utilizes the principle that electrical<br />
resistance varies in a material that<br />
absorbs moisture. Special sensors<br />
are used to measure the resistance<br />
to a current passing between wires.<br />
This type of sensor is suitable for<br />
mass production and seems to be<br />
most used for home appliances and<br />
consumer products. However, it may<br />
not measure accurately in very low<br />
or very high humidity environments.<br />
5. A capacitance type hygrometer<br />
measures humidity by detecting<br />
the change in capacitance of a thin<br />
polymer film. This type of sensor can<br />
easily achieve sufficient accuracy,<br />
and is mostly used in industry.<br />
The patented HUMICAP ® humidity<br />
sensors manufactured by <strong>Vaisala</strong> use<br />
this technology.<br />
6. A mirror dewpoint indicator<br />
utilizes the occurrence of dew at<br />
dewpoint temperature when air<br />
containing water vapor is cooled. A<br />
mirror is cooled until it reaches the<br />
dewpoint of the gas in question. As<br />
dew condensation forms, it changes<br />
the light reflected from the mirror.<br />
When the mirror surface reaches an<br />
equilibrium state whereby evaporation<br />
and condensation are occurring<br />
at the same rate, the temperature of<br />
the mirror is equal to the dewpoint<br />
temperature of the tested gas.<br />
This type of sensor is often used in<br />
research institutes.<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong>’s own cleanroom produces sensors<br />
for radiosondes as well as different humidity,<br />
barometric pressure and carbon dioxide<br />
measurement products.<br />
Sensors mostly used in cleanrooms<br />
include the resistance type<br />
hygrometer, capacitance type<br />
hygrometer (dew indicator) and<br />
mirror dewpoint indicator. When<br />
selecting a suitable instrument, it is<br />
important not only to pay attention<br />
to the price and product specifications,<br />
but also to consider the<br />
measurement accuracy, manufacturer’s<br />
application knowledge and<br />
services available. All these factors<br />
contribute to the actual user-experience<br />
and operational success.<br />
Regular traceable<br />
calibration is important<br />
One should always make sure that<br />
the data produced by the measurement<br />
equipment is reliable and<br />
accurate. Periodic calibration is<br />
absolutely essential. Typical calibration<br />
intervals can be viewed in<br />
table 1.<br />
Table 2. presents an example<br />
of a traceability chain for installed<br />
humidity and temperature units.<br />
From a global perspective, all<br />
<strong>180</strong>/2009 13
measurements are based on the<br />
globally agreed International<br />
System of Units (SI). This ensures<br />
that we use the same quantities,<br />
and that measurements performed<br />
with various types of equipment in<br />
various locations are comparable.<br />
National laboratories are responsible<br />
for maintaining and developing<br />
traceability and for providing the<br />
highest accuracy calibrations. The<br />
calibration services of the National<br />
Measurement Standard Laboratories<br />
may be limited to calibration of the<br />
highest grade primary standards.<br />
Commercial calibration services<br />
provide calibration services for<br />
lower level standards and measurement<br />
equipment. These may be<br />
manufacturer services providing<br />
calibration services for their own<br />
products, or laboratories providing<br />
calibration services for any measurement<br />
equipment. Non-accredited<br />
calibration services are the majority<br />
service providers, including most of<br />
the measurement equipment manufacturers’<br />
calibration services and a<br />
considerable amount of commercial<br />
calibration services. Without accreditation<br />
the competence of these<br />
services is not proven. Before use,<br />
the competence should be confirmed<br />
by auditing the service.<br />
Each calibration service provider<br />
must maintain an effective traceability<br />
chain. At the very least, the<br />
primary standard must be calibrated<br />
at an outside laboratory and<br />
then used for calibrations. Some<br />
commercial calibration services do<br />
not include uncertainty estimations<br />
in their calibration certificates if not<br />
ordered separately. Some calibration<br />
services are not able to calculate<br />
uncertainty at all. One should always<br />
consider the competence of these<br />
services.<br />
Sometimes it is practical to<br />
maintain an in-house calibration<br />
system. This may be the case if the<br />
measurement equipment is difficult<br />
to transfer (calibration on-site) or<br />
when the amount of calibrated equipment<br />
is high. To set up an in-house<br />
calibration system, a suitable<br />
14 <strong>180</strong>/2009<br />
Table 1. Typical calibration intervals for measurement equipment.<br />
Measurement equipment<br />
Mechanical pressure meters<br />
Precision barometers<br />
Barometers<br />
Liquid-in-glass thermometers<br />
Resistive temperature sensors and thermoelements/thermometers<br />
Dewpoint meters<br />
Humidity meters<br />
Active electrical meters<br />
Passive electrical meters<br />
Lenght measurement equipment<br />
Lenght measurement equipment with electrical<br />
display<br />
suitable calibration interval<br />
International<br />
level<br />
National Measurement<br />
Standards Laboratory<br />
In-house Laboratory<br />
Customer<br />
organization should be founded. The<br />
organization may contain just one<br />
person or a whole department with<br />
management and calibration staff.<br />
Laboratory calibration is<br />
preferred to field calibration. In a<br />
laboratory, the effects caused by the<br />
environment can be minimized, and<br />
the number of factors influencing the<br />
calibration are reduced significantly.<br />
Field calibration is a quick and<br />
easy way of checking measurement<br />
equipment without having to remove<br />
it from the process or process area.<br />
Field calibration requires a working<br />
standard as a reference. This working<br />
standard can be hand-held or some<br />
other equipment used for calibrating<br />
the instrument installed in the<br />
process. Working standards are calibrated<br />
at a higher level laboratory.<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> has accredited calibration<br />
services for <strong>Vaisala</strong> pressure,<br />
SI–Units<br />
Pressure<br />
National Standard<br />
Primary Standard Primary Standard<br />
Primary Humidity generator<br />
Month<br />
6 9 12 24 36 60<br />
Table 2. Example of a traceability chain for installed humidity and temperature measurement units.<br />
SI–Units<br />
Temperature<br />
National Standard<br />
Working Standard Working Standard<br />
Calibration for humidity and temperature instruments<br />
temperature, dewpoint and humidity<br />
instruments. Services are available<br />
through regional service centers, and<br />
available for both already installed<br />
units and together with the delivery<br />
of new units.<br />
You can order your own <strong>Vaisala</strong><br />
Calibration Book free of charge at<br />
www.vaisala.com/calibrationbook .<br />
The book contains useful information<br />
on everything you need to know<br />
about calibration.<br />
Further information:<br />
www.vaisala.com/humidity<br />
www.vaisala.com/dewpoint<br />
References:<br />
Arun S. Mujumdar; Handbook of<br />
Industrial Drying (2006)<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Calibration Book (2007)
Ulla Mattila / Regional Market Manager / <strong>Vaisala</strong> / Helsinki, Finland<br />
Building automation<br />
solutions for the future<br />
HVAC - heating, ventilation and air conditioning - account for 70 – 80% of a<br />
building’s operating costs.<br />
A modern and efficient HVAC system is<br />
a significant investment, but one that<br />
pays back in the long run. High energy<br />
prices are driving building owners<br />
to seek automation and cut costs.<br />
Demands for better indoor air quality<br />
are increasing through legislation.<br />
Well-designed building automation<br />
solutions also advance sustainable<br />
development, as the quality of life is<br />
improved through better indoor air,<br />
and environmental load is minimized<br />
through automation when systems are<br />
used only on demand.<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> is committed to serving<br />
its customers within the building<br />
automation sector even better in<br />
the future. We are increasing our<br />
resources to cater for the ever-more<br />
demanding requirements of building<br />
automation systems. Whether you<br />
are an OEM, integrator, contractor,<br />
or responsible for facility HVAC<br />
management, our aim is to fulfill your<br />
specific business needs. <strong>Vaisala</strong> is<br />
known worldwide for the reliability<br />
of our humidity and carbon dioxide<br />
measurement, among many other<br />
parameters, as well as our professional<br />
services and product support.<br />
We provide measurement tools<br />
for a range of purposes, such as<br />
energy optimization and Indoor Air<br />
Quality (IAQ). Expertise in the entire<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong>’s installerfriendly<br />
products are<br />
designed to make<br />
your job easier and<br />
more straightforward.<br />
HVAC&R (heating, ventilation, air<br />
conditioning & refrigeration) area<br />
gives us the opportunity to provide<br />
products for diverse applications.<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> products are stable and<br />
perform well even under conditions<br />
involving dust and particulate<br />
dirt. With minimal calibration and<br />
adjustment, your measurements will<br />
remain in specification and operate<br />
for the duration of your system.<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong>’s installer-friendly products<br />
are designed to make your job easier<br />
and more straightforward. No special<br />
tools or skills are needed - just “plug<br />
and play”.<br />
Tell us your building automation<br />
needs and we’ll find the solutions<br />
that support your business!<br />
info@vaisala.com<br />
Further information:<br />
www.vaisala.com/instruments/<br />
applications/hvac<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Building<br />
Automation<br />
Our solutions can be used across<br />
a range of mainstream environments:<br />
• Commercial offices<br />
• Retail spaces<br />
• Government buildings<br />
• Educational facilities<br />
• Sports facilities<br />
• Event complexes<br />
• Hotels and conference centers<br />
• Airports and metro stations<br />
We also offer solutions for<br />
more demanding environments,<br />
including:<br />
• Cleanrooms and laboratories<br />
• Data centers and server facilities<br />
• Healthcare facilities<br />
• Parking garages<br />
• Cold storage and warehouses<br />
• Occupied industrial facilities<br />
<strong>180</strong>/2009 15
Flying 30 m above the raging sea is a special feeling. Watching the white<br />
capped waves so close and seeing the white streak where the wind rips the<br />
waves. Feeling the turbulence shake the aircraft and the stomach starting to<br />
complain.<br />
The reason for being there was to<br />
make atmospheric measurements<br />
in the extreme situations that often<br />
occur by the coast of Greenland.<br />
During three weeks in February and<br />
March 2007 I participated in a field<br />
campaign, a part of the Greenland<br />
Flow Distortion experiment (GFDex),<br />
a UK-led international project which<br />
took place at the start of the International<br />
Polar Year.<br />
Greenland, the largest island on<br />
Earth, is also a massive mountain.<br />
The ice sheet stands over 2 km and<br />
extends for thousands of kilometres.<br />
This means that Greenland is a<br />
massive obstacle to the atmospheric<br />
flow and the low level air prefers to<br />
flow along and around Greenland if<br />
possible, rather than attempting to<br />
flow over the ice sheet. This results<br />
in flow distortion by Greenland with,<br />
for example, intense low level jets by<br />
the steep coast, lee cyclones forming<br />
on the leeward side of the mountain<br />
and cyclones moving northeastward<br />
The flight tracks of<br />
each of the GFDex<br />
flights. Map image:<br />
Google.<br />
Guðrún Nína Petersen / School of Environmental Sciences / University of East Anglia / Norwich, UK<br />
Flying into the storm<br />
– Greenland Flow Distortion experiment<br />
16 <strong>180</strong>/2009<br />
over the North Atlantic lingering a bit<br />
longer in the Iceland region than elsewhere.<br />
Greenland can also impact the<br />
airflow higher up in the atmosphere,<br />
affecting the weather downstream as<br />
far as Europe and Africa a few days<br />
later.<br />
Strong winds<br />
under scrutiny<br />
The strong winds around Greenland<br />
are thought to be important for the
climate system. The area that we<br />
were looking at during the GFDex, the<br />
Irminger Sea between Greenland and<br />
Iceland and the Greenland Sea north<br />
of Iceland, is thought to be a key part<br />
of the thermohaline circulation; the<br />
large scale overturning ocean circulation<br />
that is partly responsible for the<br />
temperate climate of Europe. This<br />
circulation is driven by temperature<br />
and salinity making it almost<br />
entirely horizontal. The vertical<br />
overturning happens only in a few<br />
places, restricted by a cyclonic gyre<br />
and cold, strong winds sucking heat<br />
and moisture out of the ocean. When<br />
these conditions are fulfilled, openocean<br />
convection can happen and<br />
dense water sinks down to the ocean<br />
bed. Such open-ocean convection<br />
has been found in the Labrador Sea,<br />
between Greenland and Canada, and<br />
in the Greenland Sea. Recently, the<br />
Irminger Sea has also been recognised<br />
as a region where these conditions<br />
may be met, with the strong low level<br />
wind jets formed due to the impact of<br />
Greenland on the atmospheric flow<br />
playing an important role.<br />
Among the aims of the GFDex<br />
field campaign was to measure the<br />
atmosphere in these strong winds as<br />
well as sample the air-sea fluxes that<br />
are important for the climate system.<br />
Intensive field campaign<br />
preparations<br />
Going on a field campaign like this<br />
one is not done without preparations.<br />
For example I was a part of<br />
a group going to Iceland, where we<br />
had our field base during the flying<br />
campaign, 6 months prior to the<br />
campaign. Among the tasks was to<br />
find a suitable hotel with a conference<br />
room we could take over during<br />
the field campaign. We spoke to<br />
the civic aviation administration,<br />
introducing our plans to them and<br />
discussing possible problems and<br />
solutions. At the airport we met up<br />
with the ground handling service<br />
companies and inspected aircraft<br />
hangars we might possible use<br />
during the field campaign.<br />
During the following months<br />
the planning intensified. The UK<br />
Met Office, the European Centre for<br />
Medium-Range Weather Forecasts<br />
and the Icelandic Met Office tailored<br />
weather charts for us, we planned<br />
the day-to-day schedule and tried<br />
to prepare ourselves as well as<br />
possible. We also discussed which<br />
instruments we needed onboard the<br />
aircraft. As we were flying in an area<br />
with few airports - and a lot of open<br />
water - we needed the aircraft to be<br />
as light as possible so we had as long<br />
flight range as possible.<br />
Long days on and<br />
off the ground<br />
The group met in Iceland on 19<br />
February 2007. It consisted of the<br />
aircraft crew and atmospheric scientists<br />
from the UK, Iceland, Norway,<br />
Canada and the US. Each day the<br />
weather forecasts for the next few<br />
days were studied and discussed.<br />
New forecasts arrived every 6 hours<br />
but those most important for the<br />
planning were available early in<br />
the morning. If it was decided to fly<br />
the day after the flight mission was<br />
planned in details with the help of<br />
one of the pilots, the objectives,<br />
the flight track and what kind of<br />
observations were needed. The days<br />
on the ground were long and filled<br />
with weather discussions and flight<br />
planning, but the days when we were<br />
flying were even longer.<br />
We usually took off at 10:30LT<br />
with one flight taking off as early as<br />
08:00LT. This may sound like a late<br />
start but the preparations for each<br />
flight took about 3.5 hours. This<br />
meant that at 7 o’clock the engineers<br />
started preparing the aircraft. At<br />
a similar time the scientists flying<br />
that day had a final look at the latest<br />
forecasts and satellite pictures and<br />
prepared for a pre-flight brief. The<br />
flights lasted for 4-6 hours and every<br />
flight mission ended with a debrief in<br />
the conference room around five in<br />
the afternoon. There would then be an<br />
update from the ground crew about<br />
the decisions made regarding the next<br />
day and the eventual preparations.<br />
The discussions and planning could<br />
then last into the evening.<br />
Good atmospheric<br />
data gained<br />
During the three weeks in Iceland we<br />
flew twelve times sampling a mixture<br />
of high impact weather events, an<br />
easterly tip jet at the southern tip of<br />
Greenland, barrier flow parallel to<br />
the coast of Greenland, lee cyclones<br />
and a polar low north of Iceland.<br />
When mapping out the low level jet<br />
we usually flew at 18-20 thousand<br />
feet height (5-6 km). The atmosphere<br />
at the flight level was measured by<br />
the instrumented aircraft, e.g. wind<br />
speed and direction, temperature,<br />
humidity and ozone concentration.<br />
At regular intervals dropsondes were<br />
launched. A dropsonde is the falling<br />
equivalent of a radiosonde making<br />
a vertical profile of the atmosphere.<br />
However, instead of being attached<br />
to a balloon it has a parachute and<br />
is dropped from an aircraft. The<br />
measurements are transmitted back<br />
to the aircraft for onward satellite<br />
transmission into the Global<br />
Telecommunication System (GTS).<br />
Measuring the impact of these strong<br />
winds on the ocean below meant<br />
flying at about 100 feet (~30 m) above<br />
the ocean to make measurements<br />
of fluxes of momentum, heat and<br />
moisture from the ocean to the atmosphere.<br />
At such low levels in strong<br />
winds you were in for a bumpy ride!<br />
The field campaign was<br />
successful and we left Iceland with<br />
loads of atmospheric data. Since<br />
then we have been working hard<br />
analysing the data and looking at the<br />
cases in details. The field campaign<br />
was hard work, early mornings, late<br />
evening and long days but it was also<br />
a fantastic experience working in a<br />
group with the main goal of every day<br />
making the best possible measurements<br />
of the extreme weather.<br />
Further information:<br />
www.vaisala.com/weather/<br />
products/soundingequipment<br />
<strong>180</strong>/2009 17
AMS Presidents (left to right):<br />
Franco Einaudi (2006), Rick<br />
Anthes (2007) and<br />
Walt Dabberdt (2008) at work<br />
on a Habitat for Humanity house<br />
building project in New Orleans.<br />
Walter F. Dabberdt, Ph.D. / Chief Science Officer / <strong>Vaisala</strong> / Boulder, CO, USA<br />
AMS President 2008:<br />
looking back<br />
A brief personal retrospective on the American Meteorological Society’s year<br />
2008, including some of the many highlights.<br />
The American Meteorological Society<br />
(AMS) began 2008 in New Orleans<br />
with the 88th Annual Meeting where<br />
we witnessed firsthand the sobering<br />
experience of a city still devastated<br />
by the ravages of Hurricane Katrina<br />
in August 2005. Apart from attending<br />
technical sessions on hurricane<br />
observations, forecasting and mitigation,<br />
some of us had the privilege of<br />
18 <strong>180</strong>/2009<br />
working with Habitat for Humanity to<br />
help provide new housing to the residents<br />
of the city’s Upper Fifth Ward.<br />
It was a signal occasion we will never<br />
forget. The year ended exploring a<br />
very different set of issues: those<br />
resulting from convergence of<br />
changing population demographics,<br />
the growth of the world’s cities, and<br />
global warming as we convened in<br />
the Desert Southwest for the 89th<br />
Annual Meeting in Phoenix. As<br />
AMS President, I presided over an<br />
intervening 12 months that were<br />
filled with a great many accomplishments—and<br />
challenges.<br />
Thanks to the generosity of many<br />
individual, corporate (including<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong>) and institutional members,<br />
AMS was able to award last year
“I would like to encourage all who work in some professional<br />
capacity in the field of meteorology, oceanography, climate,<br />
hydrology or the related sciences to become a member of this<br />
unique organization”<br />
alone 59 graduate and undergraduate<br />
fellowships and scholarships totaling<br />
more than $500,000. This is a great<br />
investment in our science, the<br />
Society, and our future. Presenting<br />
their awards and talking with many<br />
of these bright, energetic and<br />
enthusiastic students was a personal<br />
highlight of the Phoenix meeting.<br />
One of the principal tasks of the<br />
Scientific and Technical Activities<br />
Commission (STAC) is to organize<br />
the many specialty conferences that<br />
attracted more than 6000 participants<br />
last year. The STAC is now<br />
comprised of 31 Boards and Committees<br />
with more than 300 members.<br />
It’s traditional for the AMS President<br />
to attend many of these conferences,<br />
which gave me the opportunity to<br />
go to meetings outside of my own<br />
specialty areas and to interact with<br />
many experts in such topical areas as<br />
mountain meteorology, agricultural<br />
and forest meteorology, weather<br />
modification, broadcast meteorology,<br />
turbulence, and tropical meteorology.<br />
Under the leadership of the Publications<br />
Commission, AMS publishes<br />
10 scholarly journals and the AMS<br />
Bulletin. In 2008, AMS published an<br />
all-time record 29,348 pages, and we<br />
announced a new scholarly journal,<br />
Weather, Climate, and Society, that<br />
will publish its first issue late in 2009.<br />
The past year has seen record<br />
numbers of applications — and certifications<br />
— for broadcast meteorologists<br />
and consulting meteorologists;<br />
these certifications serve to raise<br />
the competency bar for practitioners<br />
in both of these important areas.<br />
Currently, there are 297 Certified<br />
Broadcast Meteorologists (CBM)<br />
and 314 active Certified Consulting<br />
Meteorologists. The AMS TV Seal<br />
program was discontinued at the end<br />
of 2008 in favor of the CBM program,<br />
and there remain 652 active TV Seal<br />
Holders with more than 200 Seal and<br />
CBM applications still in review.<br />
One of the most important and<br />
demanding responsibilities of AMS’<br />
senior leadership is to oversee the<br />
creation of policy and information<br />
statements that provide the official<br />
AMS position on a wide range of<br />
important and sometimes controversial<br />
topics. This past year was no<br />
exception as we published four new<br />
or updated statements dealing with<br />
national weather and climate priorities,<br />
water resources, probability<br />
forecasts, and space weather. Work<br />
on new statements on climate geoengineering,<br />
radio frequency issues,<br />
and the importance of infrastructure<br />
were all initiated in 2008 and will be<br />
released in 2009 for public review<br />
and comment prior to final release<br />
later in the year.<br />
At the 2008 New Orleans Annual<br />
Meeting, I proposed a new initiative<br />
intended to increase interactions<br />
among the world’s more than sixty<br />
meteorological societies. This past<br />
January in Phoenix, representatives<br />
from 18 societies from North and<br />
South America, Europe, Asia, Africa,<br />
and Oceania and the World Meteorological<br />
Organization participated<br />
in a planning meeting to debate the<br />
merits of going forward. There it was<br />
unanimously agreed to establish<br />
an International Forum of Meteorological<br />
Societies, or IFMS. This is the<br />
first time that an organization of this<br />
type and scope has been established<br />
within the global meteorological<br />
community. AMS can be proud to<br />
have spearheaded its formation. A<br />
steering committee is in the process<br />
of establishing terms of reference<br />
and preparing for the first global<br />
meeting of the IFMS in January 2010<br />
that will take place in conjunction<br />
with the 90th AMS Annual Meeting<br />
in Atlanta. The fundamental goal<br />
of the IFMS is very basic; to foster<br />
and encourage communication and<br />
exchange of knowledge, ideas and<br />
resources among the world’s meteorological<br />
societies. A few examples<br />
of topics of common concern to IFMS<br />
members include: global climate<br />
change, impacts of severe natural<br />
weather hazards, the rapid evolution<br />
of society publications, trends in<br />
society membership, and domestic<br />
and international outreach.<br />
In closing, I would like to extend<br />
my heartfelt thanks to the AMS<br />
members and staff who have made<br />
2008 an incomparable year for<br />
me in many ways. It was a unique<br />
opportunity to interact with so<br />
many dedicated professionals and<br />
to make so many new and wonderful<br />
acquaintances, all of whom share the<br />
common goal of strengthening the<br />
Society and the professions it serves.<br />
I look forward to continuing those<br />
interactions in the years ahead.<br />
Equally important and enjoyable<br />
was the universal support of <strong>Vaisala</strong><br />
that allowed me to take on these<br />
added responsibilities. The next<br />
two years will not be quite devoid<br />
of AMS responsibilities as I continue<br />
in the role of Past President where I<br />
continue to serve on the AMS Council<br />
and its Executive Committee. All in<br />
all, it’s been a great experience that I<br />
will forever cherish. I would also like<br />
to encourage all who work in some<br />
professional capacity in the field of<br />
meteorology, oceanography, climate,<br />
hydrology or the related sciences<br />
to become a member of this unique<br />
(and international) organization by<br />
exploring www.ametsoc.org .<br />
<strong>180</strong>/2009 19
Sharon Stephenson / Wellington, New Zealand<br />
Road safety taken<br />
to a new level in<br />
New Zealand<br />
The New Zealand MetService’s new, innovative real-time weather reporting<br />
model is helping travelers on the Central Plateau to drive safely, even in the<br />
most demanding weather conditions.<br />
Developed by MetService, the Road<br />
Weather Station Network features 12<br />
weather stations using <strong>Vaisala</strong> road<br />
and meteorological sensors that<br />
provide up-to-date weather and road<br />
information for the central North<br />
Island. The solution won the road<br />
engineering category of the annual<br />
New Zealand Road Safety Innovation<br />
and Achievement Awards in 2008.<br />
According to Peter Fisher,<br />
MetService Senior Market Manager,<br />
the Network is aimed at making the<br />
region’s roads safer for all users.<br />
“In 2007, we were contracted by the<br />
20 <strong>180</strong>/2009<br />
NZ Transport Agency to devise a<br />
system that would provide their road<br />
contractors with real-time road and<br />
weather observations, as well as sitespecific<br />
forecasts, at 12 key locations<br />
around the Central Plateau, where<br />
severe weather and icing conditions<br />
have traditionally caused problems.”<br />
First of its kind in<br />
New Zealand<br />
Following <strong>Vaisala</strong>’s thermal mapping<br />
of the State Highway network, as<br />
arranged by the NZ Transport<br />
Agency, <strong>Vaisala</strong> designated climatic<br />
domains representing regions of<br />
similar climatology. Twelve road<br />
weather stations, each reporting<br />
key road and weather information<br />
every minute, were designed, based<br />
on World Meteorological Organization<br />
standards, and installed at<br />
key locations within each central<br />
North Island climatic domain from<br />
September 2007 to July 2008.<br />
“The Network, which is the first<br />
of its kind in New Zealand, provides<br />
contractors with real-time road<br />
weather information as well as
forecasts up to 65 hours in advance.<br />
Therefore, contractors will know<br />
the best times to carry out road<br />
maintenance work and road de-icing<br />
in winter,” Mr. Fisher explains.<br />
Being able to plan around the<br />
weather also helps to minimize<br />
road disruptions and increases road<br />
safety. “The Road Weather Network<br />
aims to save time, resources and,<br />
ultimately, people’s lives.”<br />
The wireless road weather<br />
stations provide real-time air and<br />
road information from each location.<br />
The MetService then makes use of<br />
these observations to add value to<br />
the hourly wind speed and direction,<br />
air temperature, dew point, relative<br />
humidity, rainfall, pressure, solar<br />
radiation and cloud cover forecasts<br />
at each location. Sensors embedded<br />
in the road at these 12 points simultaneously<br />
convey information about<br />
the road conditions.<br />
“Access to this information<br />
allows the roads to be kept open<br />
for longer and enables the traveling<br />
public to have confidence that the<br />
roads are safer to travel and are<br />
being maintained in a safe and efficient<br />
manner,” Mr. Fisher says.<br />
No more guesswork<br />
Prior to the Network’s introduction,<br />
road contractors had no official<br />
weather monitoring or forecast<br />
service in place, other than the<br />
MetService’s generic forecast and a<br />
single weather station at the Desert<br />
Road summit. Therefore, contractors<br />
had to rely on a combination of<br />
intuition, basic weather knowledge<br />
and some non-networked observation<br />
points to be able to carry out<br />
their work.<br />
“In preparing for an ice event,<br />
road contractors would sometimes<br />
apply expensive CMA (Calcium<br />
Magnesium Acetate) to roads which<br />
helps to keep them clear of ice<br />
for up to five days. But if it rained<br />
shortly afterwards, the CMA would<br />
be washed away. Alternative ice<br />
management procedures would then<br />
have to be considered, meaning<br />
Weather sensors located in South Waiouru.<br />
further traffic delays for drivers.”<br />
Being able to access current information<br />
has changed all that.<br />
“By providing real-time road and<br />
weather observations from each of<br />
the 12 locations, the Road Weather<br />
Station Network gives contractors<br />
more control over ensuring<br />
safe driving conditions during icy<br />
periods.” Contractors also benefit<br />
as they used to have to travel long<br />
distances, often early in the morning,<br />
to determine the meteorological<br />
conditions at a site. “Now they<br />
can just log into their MetService<br />
MetConnect weather information<br />
website from their home, truck or<br />
office and view the real-time and<br />
forecast road weather conditions,<br />
which saves time and money.”<br />
Proud to be saving lives<br />
Not surprisingly, Mr. Fisher is proud<br />
of the Road Weather Network and<br />
the award it has won. “This initiative<br />
is the first of its kind in New Zealand<br />
and we’ve developed it specifically<br />
for our environment and conditions.<br />
Feedback from users continues to be<br />
exceptionally positive.”<br />
While it’s still too early to say if<br />
the Network has reduced the number<br />
The wireless road<br />
weather stations<br />
provide real-time<br />
air and road information<br />
from each<br />
location.<br />
of weather-related vehicle accidents<br />
in areas where the automated<br />
weather stations are operating, Mr.<br />
Fisher says they are confident the<br />
system has the potential to save<br />
lives. MetService is also keen to<br />
widen the scope of the ice prediction<br />
system from site-specific reporting<br />
and forecasting to network-wide<br />
ice prediction, and to expand the<br />
Network to other parts of the<br />
country, such as Central Otago and<br />
Inland Canterbury.<br />
Further information:<br />
www.vaisala.com/weather/<br />
applications/traffic<br />
<strong>180</strong>/2009 21
22 <strong>180</strong>/2009<br />
Marikka Nevamäki / Editor in chief / <strong>Vaisala</strong> / Helsinki, Finland<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Radiosonde RS80<br />
Three decades<br />
of superior<br />
performance<br />
Year 2009 marks the end of an era at <strong>Vaisala</strong>, as<br />
the manufacturing of its great global success, the<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Radiosonde RS80, was discontinued in<br />
December 2008. The RS80 gives way to the new<br />
generation <strong>Vaisala</strong> Radiosonde RS92.
The need for a new radiosonde<br />
generation was recognized at the end<br />
of the 70s, as the RS21 radiosonde<br />
was unable to make a breakthrough<br />
in some major market areas, such as<br />
in the USA and UK. The development<br />
project’s goal was to dramatically<br />
improve the observation performance<br />
of the <strong>Vaisala</strong> radiosonde,<br />
introduce automation, and eliminate<br />
the easily breakable mechanical<br />
parts. Another driver was the need to<br />
create a product that would be easier<br />
to manufacture in large quantities.<br />
Great risk for product<br />
development<br />
“It was a huge risk for product<br />
development, as we were eager to<br />
incorporate a great amount of brand<br />
new technology all in one go. These<br />
included, for example, the new<br />
HUMICAP ® humidity sensor, and an<br />
electronic switch. We also developed<br />
a new kind of unwinder to ease the<br />
launch of the radiosonde, and a new<br />
battery in-house,” says Veijo Antikainen,<br />
former Product Development<br />
Manager at <strong>Vaisala</strong>.<br />
All the interviewed <strong>Vaisala</strong><br />
sounding stalwarts agree that that<br />
the RS80 was a significant technolog-<br />
“We wanted to offer<br />
superior performance<br />
and usability for the<br />
customers”<br />
ical leap forward for <strong>Vaisala</strong>. Its high<br />
quality, repeatability, automation and<br />
efficiency all contributed towards a<br />
revolutionary product.<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong>’s then Managing Director<br />
Yrjö Toivola often jokingly said that<br />
a radiosonde should be so small in<br />
size that he could fit it in his breast<br />
pocket. He finally got what he wanted<br />
when the team presented him with<br />
a shirt that had an extraordinarily<br />
large, tailor-made breast pocket!<br />
International prestige<br />
and recognition<br />
“We wanted to offer superior<br />
performance and usability for the<br />
customers,” says Jan Hörhammer,<br />
Director of Customer Relations. The<br />
risk paid off. The <strong>Vaisala</strong> Radiosonde<br />
RS80 provided such advantages that<br />
it won over even the most hesitant<br />
buyers.<br />
The RS80 gained prestige through<br />
international radiosonde comparison<br />
tests. The WMO found the instrument<br />
so good that it chose it as the<br />
reference sonde for comparisons.<br />
“One of the first successes was in<br />
UK at Bracknell in mid 80s. I’ll never<br />
forget when Alan Hooper from the UK<br />
Met Office told me ‘now you have a<br />
radiosonde’,” Antikainen recalls.<br />
Customers played a significant<br />
role in the development of the<br />
RS80. For example, the US National<br />
Weather Service (NWS) influenced<br />
the way the product was tested<br />
and verified, therefore also influencing<br />
the manufacturing process.<br />
Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD)<br />
further contributed to the quality<br />
control with their stringent factory<br />
acceptance tests, and the Japanese<br />
had strict transmitter stability<br />
requirements. The Finnish Meteorological<br />
Institute, UK Met Office and<br />
the Meteorological Services Division<br />
of Singapore were also important<br />
partners in the early stages.<br />
Moving on<br />
Every product comes to the end<br />
of its life span at some stage. After<br />
serving well for nearly three decades,<br />
the RS80 has now retired. It gives<br />
way to the <strong>Vaisala</strong> Radiosonde RS92,<br />
first launched in 2003, which takes<br />
up where the RS80 left off - offering<br />
many new and improved features as<br />
well as cost-efficiency to <strong>Vaisala</strong>’s<br />
customers.<br />
<strong>180</strong>/2009 23
Gilson L. Feitosa / Hobeco Ltda / Rio de Janeiro, Brazil<br />
Brazil contributes<br />
to research in<br />
the Antarctic<br />
Brazil is committed to the research and<br />
preservation of the Antarctic and its unique<br />
climatic characteristics. <strong>Vaisala</strong> equipment is<br />
used for reliable in-situ data.<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong>’s representative office in<br />
Brazil, HOBECO Ltda, supplied a<br />
portable <strong>Vaisala</strong> Automatic Weather<br />
Station (MAWS) to the Antarctic<br />
Meteorological teams of the Directory<br />
of Hydrography and Navigation<br />
of the Brazilian Navy (DHN) at the<br />
“Estação Antártica Comandante<br />
Ferraz (EACF)”, which is the Brazilian<br />
Antarctic Base.<br />
The station was installed in<br />
summer 2005, and has operated<br />
continuously and satisfactorily under<br />
the most adverse meteorological<br />
conditions. As a way to evaluate the<br />
performance of the system, HOBECO<br />
24 <strong>180</strong>/2009<br />
interviewed Lieutenant-Commander<br />
Emma Giada Matschinske, head of<br />
the Meteorological Forecast Division<br />
of the Brazilian Marine Meteorological<br />
Service, operated by DHN.<br />
Why does Brazil have<br />
an Antarctic Station?<br />
The Antarctic region and the<br />
surrounding Southern Ocean is the<br />
least known region in the world.<br />
It has its own distinct climatic<br />
characteristics, which make working<br />
outdoors difficult for human beings.<br />
Many contemporary processes of<br />
global relevance can be witnessed<br />
there, such as ozone depletion, atmospheric<br />
pollution, climate change,<br />
sea level rise and melting ice shelves<br />
and glaciers.<br />
The highly successful International<br />
Geophysical Year of 1957-58<br />
gave rise to the formulation of the<br />
Antarctic Treaty in 1959, and its<br />
ratification in 1961. The Treaty<br />
has promoted cooperation among<br />
nations and stimulated unrestricted<br />
scientific research and data<br />
exchange.<br />
As one of the countries to ratify<br />
the Antarctic Treaty, Brazil assumed
international commitments which<br />
imply the duty to carry out scientific<br />
research and to preserve the<br />
Antarctic environment.<br />
What is the role of<br />
the Brazilian Navy in<br />
the Brazilian Antarctic<br />
operations?<br />
Brazilian activities in the Antarctic<br />
region are coordinated by the<br />
Brazilian Antarctic Program<br />
(PROANTAR). The main efforts of<br />
Brazilian scientists focus on the<br />
Comandante Ferraz, EACF Antarctic<br />
station.<br />
Both the administration of EACF<br />
and the logistic support for materials<br />
and staff are provided by the<br />
Brazilian Navy. PROANTAR also relies<br />
on support flights, carried out by a<br />
Brazilian Air Force aircraft, and on<br />
PETROBRAS, Petróleo Brasileiro S/A,<br />
which is responsible for all fuel used.<br />
Where in the<br />
Antarctic continent<br />
is EACF based?<br />
EACF is located at 62º08 S 058º40W<br />
in Admiralty Bay, King George<br />
Island, some 130 km from the<br />
Antarctic Peninsula. The Station<br />
has been named after Commander<br />
Luis Antonio de Carvalho Ferraz,<br />
a late Navy Hydrographer, one of<br />
the Brazilian Antarctic exploration<br />
pioneers.<br />
When did EACF<br />
operations start?<br />
EACF commenced operations in<br />
1984, and has continued with no<br />
operational interruptions so far. Its<br />
tasks include supporting research<br />
programs, which are developed to<br />
study the impacts of global environmental<br />
changes in Antarctica and<br />
its consequences for the Americas.<br />
Brazilian researchers also contribute<br />
at three other sites located at<br />
Elephant, Nelson ad King George<br />
Islands, and on board the oceanographic<br />
support ship Ary Rongel.<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Automatic Weather Stations survive even in the most demanding weather conditions.<br />
What is DHN’s role<br />
in Antarctic weather<br />
forecasts?<br />
Weather forecasting is paramount<br />
for the safety of activities in the<br />
Antarctic. DHN transmits daily<br />
bulletins and special meteorological<br />
forecasts, as well as numerical<br />
weather products for EACF. The Ary<br />
Rongel ship has also benefited from<br />
atmospheric and wave forecasts.<br />
Why did DHN need an<br />
Automatic Weather<br />
Station at the EACF?<br />
The station is used to evaluate<br />
weather forecasts generated by<br />
the Brazilian Navy. It also allows<br />
meteorologists to observe the main<br />
characteristics of the meteorological<br />
polar summer systems in-situ. The<br />
Brazilian Navy has already sent six<br />
Meteorological Officers to EACF in<br />
different periods during the latest<br />
Southern summers. With the data<br />
provided by <strong>Vaisala</strong> systems, DHN<br />
Meteorological Officers can evaluate<br />
the necessity to increase the resolution<br />
of its numerical models, and<br />
work towards the implementation<br />
of data assimilation and state-of-the-<br />
art numerical weather prediction,<br />
currently under development at DHN.<br />
What are your<br />
experiences with<br />
the <strong>Vaisala</strong> weather<br />
stations?<br />
The <strong>Vaisala</strong> systems are easy to<br />
set up and configure, and measure<br />
wind speed and direction, pressure,<br />
temperature, relative humidity and<br />
precipitation - guaranteeing the<br />
necessary data for the evaluation<br />
and calibration of the numerical<br />
weather models generated by DHN.<br />
Comparison between the forecasts<br />
made in-situ with the ones<br />
elaborated remotely revealed that<br />
the presence of meteorological teams<br />
from DHN at EACF allowed a better<br />
understanding of local conditions,<br />
which led to an improvement of<br />
about 15% in forecast accuracy.<br />
Further information:<br />
www.mar.mil.br/dhn/chm/meteo<br />
www.vaisala.com/weather/<br />
products/weatherstations<br />
<strong>180</strong>/2009 25
Tomi Rintanen / Corporate Responsibility Specialist / <strong>Vaisala</strong> / Helsinki, Finland<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong>’s first<br />
Corporate<br />
Responsibility<br />
report published<br />
Well-established<br />
and respected<br />
companies are able to<br />
demonstrate to their<br />
stakeholders that they<br />
stand for sustainable<br />
development and<br />
practices that steer the<br />
future into a positive<br />
direction. <strong>Vaisala</strong> is no<br />
26 <strong>180</strong>/2009<br />
exception.<br />
We have committed ourselves to<br />
publicly demonstrating our responsibilities<br />
as a company. We report the<br />
economic, social and environmental<br />
impacts of our work and follow up<br />
on our progress. Environmental<br />
responsibility has always been close<br />
to our hearts due to our role in<br />
environmental measurement. Now<br />
we want to show our stakeholders<br />
that we conduct all our business in<br />
an equally responsible way.<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong>’s first Corporate Responsibility<br />
report contains information<br />
about the environmental impacts<br />
of our operations and products,<br />
and discusses <strong>Vaisala</strong>’s role as an<br />
employer and as a part of the communities<br />
we work in. Moreover, it explains<br />
the ethical guidelines of our work, as<br />
well as our values and philanthropic<br />
activities. Our reporting is based on<br />
the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI)<br />
guidelines, which is the most widely<br />
used reporting standard today.<br />
Responsible business conduct<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> seeks to develop its<br />
business and operations continuously.<br />
In the same spirit, our Corporate<br />
Responsibility activities and<br />
efforts can and will be further developed.<br />
For instance, we need to make<br />
some of our reporting processes<br />
more coherent globally. We hope to<br />
deliver an even better report next<br />
year. Feedback from readers is most<br />
welcome.<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> became a UN Global<br />
Compact signatory in October 2008.<br />
We are proud to support the ten<br />
principles of Global Compact and<br />
will promote these values to our<br />
stakeholders. Our CR-report includes<br />
a section that explains how we have<br />
integrated the Global Compact principles<br />
into our organization.<br />
The report is available for<br />
download at<br />
www.vaisala.com/corporate/<br />
corporateresponsibility<br />
In our view, responsible businesses go beyond what is required by law to<br />
make a positive impact on society and the environment. This is achieved<br />
by considering the full scope of economic, social and environmental<br />
impacts, and is realized through responsible management, sustainable<br />
operations and products as well as engagement with stakeholders,<br />
including employees, customers, suppliers, investors, and communities.
Briefly noted Briefly noted Briefly noted Briefly noted<br />
Professor Dr Vilho Väisälä Awards<br />
granted in two research fields<br />
The Professor Dr Vilho Väisälä Award<br />
recognizes outstanding research<br />
papers involving meteorological<br />
observation methods and instruments.<br />
Two awards are granted biannually<br />
in connection with the WMO<br />
TECO/METEOREX conference and<br />
carry a cash prize of USD 10,000.<br />
The 60th session of the World<br />
Meteorological Organization’s Executive<br />
Council (June 2008) conferred<br />
the Professor Dr Vilho Väisälä<br />
Award for an Outstanding Research<br />
Paper on Instruments and Methods<br />
of Observation to O. Bousquet, P.<br />
Tabary and J. Parent-du-Châtelet<br />
(all from France) for their paper<br />
entitled “On the value of operation-<br />
ally synthesized multiple-Doppler<br />
wind fields” published in Geophysical<br />
Research Letters, Vol. 34, 2007.<br />
The Professor Dr Vilho Väisälä<br />
Award for the Development and<br />
Implementation of Instruments and<br />
Observations was conferred to L.<br />
Lanza (Italy), M. Leroy (France), C.<br />
Alexandropoulos (France), L. Stagi<br />
(Italy) and W. Wauben (the Netherlands)<br />
for their paper entitled<br />
“WMO laboratory intercomparison of<br />
rainfall intensity gauges” published<br />
as IOM Report No. 84, WMO/TD No.<br />
1304, 2006.<br />
The TECO/Meteorex conference<br />
was organized in St. Petersburg,<br />
Russia on 27th-29th November 2008.<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> attends 89th AMS Annual Meeting<br />
The <strong>Vaisala</strong> team was very active<br />
during the 89th American Meteorological<br />
Society events held in<br />
Phoenix, Arizona, 11- 15 January<br />
2009. <strong>Vaisala</strong> unveiled its North<br />
American Giant Leap student internship<br />
program during the Career Fair,<br />
and sponsored the WeatherFest,<br />
which was open to the general<br />
public.<br />
During the conference, <strong>Vaisala</strong><br />
also published a global announcement,<br />
stating that the company is<br />
investing in the development of<br />
an operational reference radiosonde.<br />
Special guest speaker Dr.<br />
John W. Zillman of Melbourne,<br />
Australia, Chair of the Global Climate<br />
Observing System (GCOS) Steering<br />
Committee and former President of<br />
the World Meteorological Organization,<br />
discussed the GCOS project at<br />
the event.<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> unveiled its brand new<br />
exhibition booth, which showcased<br />
the new branding and images.<br />
Our annual cocktail reception was<br />
another success, with over 241<br />
attendees. <strong>Vaisala</strong> was also a proud<br />
co-sponsor of the International<br />
Dinner that followed the reception.<br />
As the outgoing AMS President,<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong>’s Dr. Walter Dabberdt hosted<br />
the 89th AMS Awards Banquet.<br />
Honors were granted to, among<br />
others, <strong>Vaisala</strong>’s Ronald L.<br />
Holle (AMS Fellow) and a<br />
special award to the <strong>Vaisala</strong><br />
Sigmet team for their longterm<br />
contribution to<br />
the field of weather<br />
radar signal<br />
processing.<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> also<br />
sponsored the 4th<br />
Conference on the<br />
Meteorological<br />
Applications of<br />
Lightning Data,<br />
and chaired<br />
many of the<br />
sessions.<br />
Ronald L. Holle (left) receiving<br />
his AMS Fellowship from<br />
Dr. Walter Dabberdt.<br />
<strong>180</strong>/2009 27
<strong>Vaisala</strong> acquires Aviation Systems<br />
Maintenance Inc.<br />
In line with its strategy, <strong>Vaisala</strong> seeks<br />
to grow as a service provider. The<br />
company’s US subsidiary <strong>Vaisala</strong> Inc.<br />
acquired Aviation Systems Maintenance,<br />
Inc (ASMI), a Kansas, US<br />
based airport service company with<br />
over USD 2.6 million net sales in 2008.<br />
The acquisition closed on January<br />
1st, 2009, and the value of the deal<br />
was USD 3.2 million.<br />
ASMI’s core expertise is founded<br />
over 25 years of customer relationships<br />
relating to the installation and maintenance<br />
of instrumentation at airports.<br />
The acquisition significantly<br />
strengthens <strong>Vaisala</strong>’s position as<br />
a maintenance provider in the US<br />
airport weather market, complementing<br />
the current <strong>Vaisala</strong> contracts<br />
and adding expertise in the maintenance<br />
services for other instruments<br />
commonly used at airports.<br />
Revolutionary new innovation brings significant<br />
improvements to lightning detection accuracy<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> has developed a revolutionary<br />
solution which will significantly<br />
improve lightning detection<br />
worldwide. Through the use of a<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong>-patented location algorithm,<br />
the Total Lightning Processor<br />
improves the lightning detection<br />
location accuracy by a factor of two<br />
- improving the precision range from<br />
500 meters to 250 meters or less.<br />
This improvement benefits many<br />
businesses and operations vulner-<br />
28 <strong>180</strong>/2009<br />
Briefly noted Briefly noted Briefly noted Briefly noted<br />
able to lightning - including aviation,<br />
power utilities, forestry, insurance,<br />
meteorology, chemical processing<br />
plants, oil and gas, and more.<br />
Additionally, the new product<br />
introduces a user-friendly webbased<br />
interface with performance<br />
tools, which can save up to 80% of<br />
the customer’s time in analyzing<br />
lightning detection sensor raw data<br />
files and overall network performance.<br />
The first solution of its kind<br />
in the world, it also includes multiple<br />
network performance maps and<br />
provides dynamic detection efficiency<br />
and location accuracy maps.<br />
These give critical details of network<br />
status at any given time.<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> owns and operates the<br />
US National Lightning Detection<br />
Network ® . Customers worldwide rely<br />
on <strong>Vaisala</strong>’s expertise in lightning<br />
data and information systems.
Briefly noted Briefly noted Briefly noted Briefly noted<br />
President of Finland visits <strong>Vaisala</strong><br />
The President of the Republic of<br />
Finland, Tarja Halonen, along with<br />
her spouse, Doctor Pentti Arajärvi,<br />
and the Governor of the Province of<br />
Southern Finland, Anneli Taina visited<br />
the <strong>Vaisala</strong> headquarters in March.<br />
The visit commenced with a<br />
brief <strong>Vaisala</strong> overview, followed by a<br />
presentation about <strong>Vaisala</strong>’s business<br />
in Africa. President Halonen had<br />
recently returned from a trip to West-<br />
Africa, which made the topic current<br />
to her party.<br />
The group also paid a visit to the<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> weather radar laboratory<br />
and cleanroom, where the President<br />
had a chance to learn more about<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong>’s weather radar develop-<br />
From left to right: <strong>Vaisala</strong>’s CEO Kjell Forsén, President Tarja Halonen and Doctor Pentti Arajärvi.<br />
ment project as well as the in-house<br />
high-tech sensor production. The<br />
President and her spouse showed<br />
interest in <strong>Vaisala</strong>’s know-how by<br />
interviewing our employees about<br />
their work roles and tasks as well<br />
as about their general wellbeing at<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong>.<br />
<strong>180</strong>/2009 29
Idaho Transportation Department<br />
honors <strong>Vaisala</strong> RWIS partnership<br />
A team comprised of Idaho Transportation<br />
Department (ITD) Maintenance<br />
and Operations and <strong>Vaisala</strong> has been<br />
awarded the 2009 Idaho Transportation<br />
Department Excellence in<br />
Transportation Award, for their<br />
partnership on the Road Weather<br />
Information Stations (RWIS) Build<br />
Out program.<br />
“We are proud to receive this<br />
prestigious award, which truly represents<br />
the end product of our valuable<br />
partnering arrangement,” said Paul<br />
Bridge, Roads Offering Manager for<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong>. “<strong>Vaisala</strong> has deployed 49<br />
new RWIS sites and has renovated an<br />
existing 27 sites in partnership with<br />
the ITD. The program included the<br />
first statewide use of non-intrusive<br />
pavement sensors, which was the<br />
most advanced technology at the<br />
time of installation. The deployment<br />
decision required a high level<br />
of trust and commitment from both<br />
parties, but this is now paying high<br />
dividends, both in public safety and<br />
maintenance efficiency. The critical<br />
road weather information that ITD<br />
receives in real time via IceNet, the<br />
RWIS website site monitor, allows<br />
their maintenance staff to make the<br />
most efficient use of their resources.”<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong>.com receives a facelift<br />
www.vaisala.com got a new look on<br />
March 3rd as the new <strong>Vaisala</strong> visual<br />
image was launched online. The<br />
English language website was first<br />
to undergo this change, and all local<br />
websites are planned to follow by the<br />
end of June.<br />
30 <strong>180</strong>/2009<br />
Briefly noted Briefly noted Briefly noted Briefly noted<br />
Excellences in Transportation<br />
Awards are sponsored bi-annually by<br />
the Idaho Transportation Department<br />
to recognize outstanding<br />
initiatives in developing, planning,<br />
and implementing transportation<br />
projects throughout Idaho. The ITD<br />
Maintenance & Operations award<br />
is presented to the collaborators<br />
of a project that exemplified using<br />
innovative equipment, processes and<br />
procedures; promoted partnerships<br />
and collaborations, and improved<br />
transportation safety and performance.
Briefly noted Briefly noted Briefly noted Briefly noted<br />
Contact<br />
the <strong>Vaisala</strong> <strong>News</strong> team<br />
Marikka Nevamäki<br />
Editor-in-Chief<br />
For subscriptions, cancellations,<br />
feedback and changes of address,<br />
please contact the <strong>Vaisala</strong> <strong>News</strong> team<br />
by sending an email to<br />
vaisala.news@vaisala.com<br />
<strong>180</strong>/2009 31
Europe<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Oyj<br />
P.O. Box 26, FI-00421 Helsinki<br />
FINLAND<br />
Telephone: +358 9 894 91<br />
Telefax: +358 9 8949 2227<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Oyj<br />
Malmö Office<br />
Drottninggatan 1 D<br />
S - 212 11 Malmö<br />
SWEDEN<br />
Telephone: +46 40 298 991,<br />
in Sweden: 0200 848 848<br />
Telefax.: +46 40 298 992,<br />
in Sweden: 0200 849 849<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Oyj<br />
Stockholm office<br />
Kanalvägen 10 C, 5tr<br />
S-194 61 Upplands Väsby<br />
SWEDEN<br />
Telephone: +46-8-7509420,<br />
national: 0200-848 848<br />
Telefax: +46-8-7509211,<br />
national: 0200-849 849<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> GmbH<br />
Hamburg Office<br />
Schnackenburgallee 41<br />
D-22525 Hamburg<br />
GERMANY<br />
Telephone: +49 40 839 030<br />
Telefax: +49 40 839 03 110<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> GmbH<br />
Bonn Office<br />
Adenauerallee 15<br />
D-53111 Bonn<br />
GERMANY<br />
Telephone: +49 228 24 9710<br />
Telefax: +49 228 249 7111<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> GmbH<br />
Stuttgart Office<br />
Bahnhofstr. 3<br />
73066 Uhingen<br />
GERMANY<br />
Telephone: +49 7161 654 9440<br />
Telefax: +49 7161 654 9450<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Ltd<br />
Birmingham Operations<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> House<br />
349 Bristol Road<br />
Birmingham B5 7SW<br />
UNITED KINGDOM<br />
Telephone: +44 121 683 1200<br />
Telefax: +44 121 683 1299<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Ltd<br />
Newmarket Office<br />
Unit 9, Swan Lane<br />
Exning<br />
Newmarket<br />
Suffolk CB8 7FN<br />
UNITED KINGDOM<br />
Telephone: +44 1638 576 200<br />
Telefax: +44 1638 576 240<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> SAS<br />
Paris Office<br />
2, rue Stéphenson<br />
F-78181 Saint-Quentin-en-<br />
Yvelines<br />
FRANCE<br />
Telephone: +33 1 3057 2728<br />
Telefax: +33 1 3096 0858<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> SAS<br />
Marseille Office<br />
2, rue de Beausset<br />
13001 Marseille<br />
FRANCE<br />
Telephone:+33 4 8866 1751<br />
Telefax:+33 1 3096 0858<br />
North America<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Inc.<br />
Boston Office<br />
10-D Gill Street<br />
Woburn, MA 0<strong>180</strong>1<br />
USA<br />
Telephone: +1 781 933 4500<br />
Telefax: +1 781 933 8029<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Inc.<br />
Columbus Office<br />
1372 Oxley Road<br />
Columbus, Ohio 43212<br />
USA<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Inc.<br />
Boulder Operations<br />
194 South Taylor Avenue<br />
Louisville, CO 80027<br />
USA<br />
Telephone: +1 303 499 1701<br />
Telefax: +1 303 499 1767<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Inc.<br />
San Jose Office<br />
6980 Santa Teresa Blvd<br />
Suite 203<br />
San Jose, CA 95119-1393<br />
USA<br />
Telephone: +1 408 578 3670<br />
Telefax: +1 408 578 3672<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Inc.<br />
Tucson Operations<br />
2705 East Medina Road<br />
Tucson, Arizona 85706,<br />
USA<br />
Telephone: +1 520 806 7300<br />
Telefax: +1 520 741 2848<br />
U.S. Toll Free 1 800 283 4557<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Inc.<br />
Houston Office<br />
1120 Nasa Road 1 Suite 220-E<br />
Houston, TX 77058<br />
USA<br />
Telephone: +1 281 335 9955<br />
Telefax: +1 281-335-9956<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Inc.<br />
Minneapolis Office<br />
6300 34th Avenue South<br />
Minneapolis, MN 55450<br />
USA<br />
Telephone: +1 612 727 1084<br />
Telefax: +1 612 727 3895<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Inc.<br />
Westford Office<br />
7A Lyberty Way<br />
Westford MA 01886<br />
USA<br />
Telephone: +1 978 692 9234<br />
Telefax: +1 978 692 9575<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Inc. Regional<br />
Office Canada<br />
37 De Tarascon<br />
Blainville<br />
QC J7B 6B7<br />
CANADA<br />
Telephone: +1 450 430 0880<br />
Telefax: +1 450 430 6410<br />
Asia and Pacific<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> KK<br />
Tokyo Office<br />
42 Kagurazaka 6-Chome<br />
Shinjuku-Ku<br />
Tokyo 162-0825<br />
JAPAN<br />
Telephone: +81 3 3266 9611<br />
Telefax: +81 3 3266 9610<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Pty Ltd<br />
Melbourne Office<br />
3 Guest Street<br />
Hawthorn, VIC 3122<br />
AUSTRALIA<br />
Telephone: +61 3 9815 6700<br />
Telefax: +61 3 9815 6799<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> China Ltd.<br />
Beijing Office<br />
Floor 2, EAS Building<br />
No. 21, Xiao Yun Road<br />
Dongsanhuan Beilu<br />
Chaoyang District<br />
Beijing 100027<br />
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA<br />
Telephone: +86 10 8526 1199<br />
Telefax: +86 10 8526 1155<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Shenzhen<br />
Building 1<br />
17B China Phoenix Building<br />
Shennan Avenue<br />
Futian District<br />
Shenzhen C-5<strong>180</strong>26<br />
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA<br />
Telephone: + 86 755 8279 2442<br />
Telefax: + 86 755 8279 2404<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Shanghai<br />
contact address<br />
6F 780 Cailun Lu<br />
Pudong New Area<br />
201203 Shanghai<br />
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA<br />
Telephone: + 86 21 5132 0656<br />
Telefax: + 86 21 5132 0657<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> Regional Office<br />
Malaysia<br />
Level 9, West Block<br />
Wisma Selangor Dredging<br />
142-C Jalan Ampang<br />
50450 Kuala Lumpur<br />
MALAYSIA<br />
Telephone: +60 3 2163 3363<br />
Telefax: +60 3 2164 3363<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> India<br />
Regus Business Center<br />
Room No. 418, Level 4<br />
Rectangle 1<br />
Commercial Complex D4,<br />
Saket<br />
New Delhi 110017<br />
INDIA<br />
Telephone: +91 11 4051 4056<br />
Telefax: +91 11 4051 4052<br />
Middle East<br />
<strong>Vaisala</strong> UAE<br />
contact address<br />
P.O.Box : 9197<br />
Khalifa Al Naboodah Building<br />
1st Floor<br />
Sheikh Zayed Road<br />
Dubai<br />
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES<br />
Telephone +971 4 321 9112<br />
Telefax +971 4 321 9113<br />
C210058EN 2009-05