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Aviation Weather

Airport Weather Sensors and Components for Airport Weather Observation Systems (AWOS) and Runway Ice Detection Systems (IDS): Ceilometer, Cloud Height, Cloud Cover, Visibility and Runway Condition Sensors.

Airports around the world use Lufft technology because it’s flexible, comes with open protocols and easy to integrate into existing solutions. Moreover Lufft’s sensors are reliable under any weather conditions and maintenance-free.

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Lufft Ceilometer 15k, Nimbus, 15 km range, cloud height measurement, automatic heating symstem, optical lasers, multiple cloud layer detection, aerosol detection

Ceilometer CHM 15k „NIMBUS“

The LIDAR-based cloud height sensor / ceilometer CHM 15k is prepared to work throughout the year and in any climate

Exact results due to high sensitivity of the used lidar sensor technology! Reliable and accurate results at any time of the day or night are ensured by long-life laser sources, filters with narrow bandwidth and high-sensitivity photodetectors.

  • Aerosol backscatter profile, cloud base height, cloud penetration depth, aerosol layer height, cloud cover, vertical visibility, Sky Condition Index
  • Optical (LIDAR)
  • Measuring range up to 15 km (50,000 ft), optimized detection of several cloud layers, simple eye-safe operation, service-friendly modular device design, various data telegrams including raw data
  • RS485, LAN, RS232 oder Modem V.21, V22
Lufft Ceilometer 8k, Nimbus, 8 km range, cloud height measurement, automatic heating symstem, optical lasers, multiple cloud layer detection, aerosol detection

Lufft Ceilometer CHM 8k

Highest confidence under low clouds with maximum data availability and minimum maintenance

The Lidar-based CHM 8k ceilometer detects aerosol profiles & structures, cloud bases, penetration depths, vertical visibility and the sky condition index in up to 8 km.

  • Aerosol backscatter profile, cloud base height, cloud penetration depth, aerosol layer height, cloud cover, vertical visibility, Sky Condition Index
  • Optical (LIDAR)
  • Measuring range of up to 8 km (26.246 ft), simple & eye-safe, service-friendly due to modularity, various data telegrams, sensitivity in the range of the Lufft CHM 15k, suitable for the most demanding environments
  • RS485 (ASCII communication), LAN (Web-Interface, (S-)FTP, NetTools); optional: DSL modem, RS485 full-duplex
Lufft MARWIS-UMB mobile advanced road weather information sensor - road weather - road weather information sensor - rwis - motorway - highway - runway - airport - road weather sensor - road sensor - mobile sensor - friction

MARWIS - Mobile Advanced Road Weather Information Sensor

MARWIS is the first road and runway weather sensor detecting road conditions, temperatures, friction and other parameters mobile and in real time from driving vehicles.

MARWIS is the first road and runway weather sensor detecting road conditions, temperatures, friction and other parameters mobile in real time for vehicles.

  • Road condition (dry, moist, wet, ice, snow, slush, chemically wet), road surface temperature, ambient temperature, water film height up to 6mm, dew point temperature, relative humidity, ice percentage, friction (calculated)
  • Optical LED transmitters, photo receivers, pyrometer, infrared
  • Mobile, plug and play, 100 measurements per second with max. output rate of 10Hz, multifunctional, real time thermal mapping, wireless data transfer
  • Bluetooth, RS485, CAN-Bus
MARWIS Temperature Humidity Sensor

MARWIS Temperature Humidity Sensor

Detects the temperature as well as the relative humidity above the road surface and can be replaced easily. It is meant as spare part for MARWIS. In order to keep the temperature/humidity measurements precise it is recommended to replace it with a new one once a year.

Non-invasive road weather sensor, RWIS, road sensor, stationary road weather system, road weather, friction

Non Invasive Road Sensor NIRS31-UMB

The NIRS31-UMB is a non-invasive road weather sensor with optical principle. It is mounted several meters above the ground and can even monitor bridges...

The NIRS31-UMB is a non-invasive road weather sensor with optical principle. It is mounted several meters above the ground and can even monitor bridges...

  • Layer thickness of water, snow and ice, surface conditions (dry, damp, wet, snow, ice), friction, road surface temperature, saline concentration
  • Optical principle, pyrometer
  • non-invasive, easy to install and add to existing measurement networks, friction measurement, real time data providing
  • UMB-binary, SDI-12, ASCII-UMB, analog outputs in combination with digital-analog-converter DACON8-UMB
Lufft ARS31-UMB active road sensor - road weather station - rwis - motorway - highway - runway

Intelligent Active Road Sensor ARS31-UMB

The embedded active road weather sensor ARS31-UMB detects freezing temperatures independently from de-icing materials and is easy to maintain through its two parted housing…

The embedded active road weather sensor ARS31-UMB detects freezing temperatures independently from de-icing materials and is easy to maintain through its two parted housing…

  • freezing point
  • active cooling and heating (Peltier element)
  • Two part housing design allows easy maintenance/re-calibration, low energy consumption allows solar operation, freezing point determined independently from de-icing material
  • RS485
Lufft ARS31Pro-UMB active road sensor - road weather station - rwis - motorway - highway - runway

Intelligent Active Road Sensor ARS31Pro-UMB

The active road sensor ARS31Pro detects freezing point temperatures independently from de-icing materials and has a two-part housing for easy maintenance

Detection of freezing temperatures independently from de-icing materials as well as road surface temperature with the embedded active road weather sensor ARS31Pro-UMB. Easy to maintain through its two parted housing…

  • road surface temperature, freezing point
  • active cooling and heating (Peltier element), NTC (road surface temp.)
  • Two part housing design allows easy maintenance/re-calibration, low energy consumption allows solar operation, freezing point determined independently from de-icing material
  • RS485
Lufft IRS31Pro-UMB passive road sensor - road weather station - rwis - motorway - highway

Intelligent Passive Road Sensor IRS31Pro-UMB

The passive road sensor IRS31Pro-UMB convinces by its two part housing design and accurate detection of road surface temperature, water film height, freezing temperature, ice percentage and many more...

The passive road sensor IRS31Pro-UMB convinces by its two part housing design and accurate detection of road surface temperature, water film height, freezing temperature, ice percentage and many more...

  • Road surface temperature, water film height up to 4mm, freezing temperature for different de-icing materials (NaCl, MgCl, CaCl), road condition (dry/damp/wet/ice or snow/moist with salt/wet with salt), friction, ice Percentage, 2 additional depth sensors
  • Conductivity measurement (ice percentage), radar measurement (water film), NTC (road surface temp.)
  • Two part housing design allows easy maintenance/re-calibration, low energy consumption allows solar operation, radar principle to measure water film
  • RS485, SDI-12, analogue outputs
VENTUS Anemometer - ultrasonic wind sensor - sonic wind sensor for wind turbine control

VENTUS-UMB Ultrasonic Wind Sensor

Extremely precise and maintenance-free measurement of wind speed and wind direction even in the lowest temperature

Thanks to the ultrasonic measuring method the wind sensor Lufft Ventus has no moving parts and therefore needs almost no maintenance. It measures wind speed and wind direction according to the WMO guideline and acquires the barometric pressure.

  • Wind speed, wind direction, virtual temperature, barometric pressure
  • Ultrasonic
  • Wind detection with birdproof construction, maintenance-free measurement, suitable for extreme ambient conditions, ice-free operation, vibration and seawater resistant, compatible interfaces
  • SDI-12, RS-485 with supported protocols Binary, ASCII, NMEA, Modbus & analogue output
V200A Anemometer - ultrasonic wind sensor - sonic wind sensor for wind turbine control

V200A Ultrasonic Wind Sensor

Extremely precise and maintenance-free measurement of wind speed and wind direction

Ultrasonic Wind Sensor, plastic housing and 20W-heater

  • Wind speed, wind direction, virtual temperature, barometric pressure
  • Ultrasonic
  • Wind detection with birdproof construction, maintenance-free measurement, suitable for extreme ambient conditions, ice-free operation, compatible interfaces
  • SDI-12, RS-485, various RS-485-protocols, analogue output
Lufft Visibility Sensor VS20k - detection of visibility, fog, dust - road application, road weather, traffic weather rwis

Visibility Sensor VS20k-UMB

New product version of the known Lufft VS20 visibility sensor with a measurement range of 10...20'000m, easy calibration functionality, sea waterproof housing and (active) spider defense

The VS20k visibility sensor measures visibility up to 20'000 m, ideal for road traffic applications on motorways, highways or bridges. Long life time is guaranteed thanks to the sea-water proof housing design.

  • Visibility (measuring range 10 ... 20'000 m, resolution 1m)
  • 45° forward light scattering
  • suitable for extreme ambient conditions, active spider defense, seawater resistant, compatible interfaces
  • RS-485, analogue output
Compact Weather Sensor WS800 with detection of temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, wind direction, wind speed, precipitation intensity, precipitation quantity, radiation and lightning strikes

WS800-UMB Smart Weather Sensor

First and only compact all-in-one weather sensor with detection of lightning strikes

Compact all-in-one weather sensor from the WS-Series. Measurement of temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, wind direction, wind speed, precipitation intensity, precipitation quantity, radiation and lightning strikes.

  • temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, wind direction, wind speed, precipitation intensity, precipitation quantity, radiation, lightning strikes
  • Ultrasonic/Wind, NTC/T, Capacitive/RH/Pressure, Radar/Precipitation, radio wave emission/Lightning strikes
  • Wind detection with birdproof construction. First and only compact all-in-one weather sensor with lightning detection, low power, heater, aspirated radiation shield, maintenance-free operation, open communication protocol.
  • RS485 with supported protocols UMB-Binary, UMB-ASCII, Modbus-RTU, Modbus-ASCII, XDR and SDI-12
Compact Weather Sensor WS600 with detection of temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, wind direction, wind speed, precipitation intensity, precipitation quantity

WS600-UMB Smart Weather Sensor

Compact all-in-one weather sensor with measurement of temperature, relative humidity, precipitation intensity, precipitation type, precipitation quantity, air pressure, wind direction and wind speed.

Compact all-in-one weather sensor from the WS-Series. Measurement of temperature, relative humidity, precipitation intensity, precipitation type, precipitation quantity, air pressure, wind direction and wind speed.

  • Temperature, relative humidity, precipitation intensity, precipitation type, precipitation quantity, air pressure, wind direction, wind speed
  • Ultrasonic/Wind, NTC/T, Capacitive/RH, MEMS capacitive/Pressure, 24 GHz Doppler radar/Precipitation
  • Wind detection with birdproof construction. Compact all-in-one weather sensor, low power, heater, aspirated radiation shield, maintenance-free operation, open communication protocol.
  • RS485 with supported protocols UMB-Binary, UMB-ASCII, Modbus-RTU, Modbus-ASCII, XDR and SDI-12
ViewMondo - Road & Runway Management Software - weather data - ice detection - salt spreading recommendation

ViewMondo - Road & Runway Management Software

ViewMondo, the flexible Lufft Road & Runway Management Software, that collects different types of data, checks the data for plausibility and evaluates data and recommendation out of the data in according to your needs!

ViewMondo, the flexible cloud based Lufft Road & Runway Management Software, that collects different types of data, checks the data for plausibility and evaluates data and recommendation out of the data in according to your needs!

Brochure - Lufft - MARWIS (EN)
Brochure - Lufft - Cloud Height Detection (DE/EN)
Brochure - Lufft - Image brochure (EN)
Image Brochure with description of all Lufft market segments
Video - Lufft: a passion for precision (Corporate Video)
Lufft - ISO9001 - 2015 - Certificate (EN)
Trifold Leaflet - Lufft - Sensors and Components for Airport Weather Observation Systems (EN)

Lufft Ceilometer for Measuring Cloud Height, Cloud Cover and Sky Condition Index

Recognized by the German Weather Service (DWD) the Lufft CHM 15k has been selected as the ceilometer of choice for their nationwide cloud monitoring network. Lufft ceilometers reliably detect various cloud heights, cloud amount and cloud cover and provide other essential parameters and index that informs the user of the Sky Condition, visibility and aerosol layers.

The ceilometer has a simple to use interface, and is designed to be a drop-in upgrade solution to any deployed ceilometer. With its open communication protocol, it can seamlessly be added to any existing ceilometer network.

The resolution is such that the ceilometer is able to detect volcanic ash particles, having a decisive influence on the air traffic. One extreme example was the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland in 2010 paralyzing a huge part of the European air traffic for several days. Having a Lufft ceilometer network would have supported the routing efforts for air traffic personnel.

The Lufft CHM 15k is equipped with a one-wavelength backscatter LIDAR and stands out through its stable wavelengths, immunity against environmental influence factors such as fog, precipitation or temperature extremes, and its wide measurement range of 15km.

Moreover it is precise, rugged, eye-safe (1M classification), user-friendly as well as cooled or heated automatically. The window is kept clean by a window blower.

The CHM 15k works by sending out a laser beam reflected by its sensitive photo receivers creating a backscatter profile. Small bandwidth filters precisely detect cloud heights, aerosol layers and multiple cloud layers.

To the product page of the CHM 15k

Stationary and Mobile Runway Condition Sensors

Forty-six out of fifty landing accidents are caused by slippery runway conditions, that is 92% (source: The Boeing Company). To avoid weather-caused landing accidents, runway condition sensors from Lufft inform on several surface stati such as temperature, water film height, ice percentage and friction.

There are different types of Lufft runway sensors: embedded ones (IRS31Pro-UMB and ARS31Pro-UMB) and the mobile sensor MARWIS.

The active freezing temperature sensor ARS31Pro-UMB was proven successfully by the BASt following the valid inspection rules of CEN/TS 15518-4:2013. The sensor is flush-mounted in the runway surface and measures the freezing temperature by means of active cooling and heating independently from the de-icing mixture. In addition, it measures the surface temperature. Its two-parted housing design allows the electronics unit to be separated from the casing for maintenance purposes at any time, in just a few minutes.

The latter also applies for the passive embedded road weather sensor IRS31Pro-UMB. Besides the freezing point for NaCl, MgCl and CaCl and the surface temperature, the IRS31Pro-UMB records water film heights of up to 4mm, road conditions (dry, damp, wet, ice or snow, residual salt, freezing water), ice percentages as well as friction. Optionally, it can be complemented with up to two different depth temperature sensors in 5cm or 30cm depths. They help to predict occurring surface freezing.

At airports the intelligent combination of the passive IRS31Pro-UMB and the active runway sensor ARS31Pro-UMB is necessary to be informative about the de-icing chemical. The ARS31Pro feeds the IRS31Pro with the freezing temperature, with which the de-icing-fluid concentration can be calculated.

With a measurement frequency of 100 times per second, the innovative MARWIS satisfies the requirements of a smooth movable and real time measurement device. The data can be viewed on a free iOS or Android app as well as remotely in the operation centre. This all-in-one sensor covers a big variety of weather parameters that include: dry, moist, wet, snow, ice, chemically and critically wet, temperatures, dew points, ice percentages, water film heights, relative humidity as well as friction.

To the overview of the Lufft runway condition sensors

Free Whitepaper about Risk Reduction on Airports

Curious about risk reduction in Takeoff & Landing Performance Assessment (TALPA)?
Feel free to download our whitepaper and learn how you can improve both your security as well as your efficiency in TALPA with the help of new measurement technology MARWIS for runway surface weather detection.

Download Whitepaper about Risk Reduction in TALPA Process

Webinar about most efficient ways to detect runway surface weather conditions

Curious about most efficient ways in runway weather control? Watch our on demand webinar about the latest measurement technology for runway weather detection and how to apply this in your TALPA applications/workflows.

Don't miss out our free Webinar about latest Technology of Mobile Runway Pavement Sensors:

WATCH WEBINAR NOW

Lufft Weather Sensors for Airport Weather Observation Systems

We offer different classes of weather stations for operations in Airport Weather Observation Systems:

WS3000-UMB Smart Weather Sensor for Measuring of Air Temperature, Relative Humidity and Air Pressure

In 2016 Lufft introduced an innovative weather sensor family exceeding all previous weather sensors in terms of precision. Measuring temperature, humidity and air pressure very precisely, the WS3000 is an indispensable component of an AWOS system.

The sensor forms part of the highly precise weather sensor family WS1000 and is the first multi-parameter sensor which can be dismantled completely. This is extraordinarily useful for maintenance and calibration purposes and turns the WS1000 family into a sustainable product line. Through an included WiFi-module, the data can be obtained wirelessly and comfortably. The measurement output can be accessed by industry standard open protocols.

A second, redundant pressure sensor can be included optionally to comply with any AWOS requirements. In addition we offer the WS3100, which has an additional CMP10 radiation sensor from Kipp&Zonen included.


WS200-UMB to WS800-UMB - Professional All-in-One Weather Sensor Family

Adding to solutions to monitor airspace and runway surface conditions, Lufft has been the first to develop all-in-one ambient weather sensors: The WS Family of sensors come with an open protocol digital interface, embedded aspirator and a weather-proof cable. The series ranges from a sensor that only measures wind to a model with eight integrated sensors to measure lightning, solar radiation, precipitation, wind, temperature, humidity, and pressure in one casing, connected with one cable, thus reducing installation, integration and maintenance time.


VENTUS-UMB for Very Precise Measurement of Wind Speed and Wind Direction

The VENTUS-UMB measures wind speed, wind direction and air pressure - extremely precise and maintenance-free. Furthermore, the Ventus calculates the acoustic virtual temperature. This ultrasonic wind sensor is designed without any mechanical parts, traditionally called “cups and vane“, removing the need of yearly recalibration The closed and rugged housing protects from external interference factors, such as birds or hail. All these features make the Lufft Ventus ideal for AWOS applications where reliability and performance is key in extreme environment applications.
 

More about the Weather Sensors for Airport Weather

Professional fog warning systems provide essential weather foresight

Reduced visibility is associated with life-threatening risks that need to be prevented. In severe cases, national weather services, e.g. Met Office UK, deliver weather warnings sometimes prompting air traffic controllers to cancel flights. This was the case e.g. at Heathrow airport in January 2017, where 100 flights were cancelled due to dense fog and a visual range of 100 meters (328ft) only.

Which factors reduce visibility?
Firstly, mist or fog bears the blame. It consists of water droplets dispersed in the atmosphere. They are formed by the condensation of moist, saturated air. Secondly, particulate matter or smog as well as fine, stirred up sand are the reason for a reduced visibility.

But where do weather services get accurate visibility data from?
Fog warning systems from weather services issue visual ranges in real time. The main components of such systems are professional visibility sensors, such as the VS20k from Lufft.

How does a visual sensor work?
The Lufft sensor VS20k detects water droplets as well as aerosols using forward scattered light. The measurement instrument has a light emitting and a detection unit which are mounted opposite each other in a certain angle. Thus, the sensor only recognizes light scattered by fog or dust. Due to the high sensitivity of the sensor, especially the electronics, it can detect visual ranges between about 10 m and 20 km.

VS2k and VS20k – a strong new product family replaces former model
While the V2k, with its two-kilometer measuring range, is completely sufficient for road applications, the VS20k covers the needs of airports and meteorological services. These require a particularly large measuring range from below 50 meters to over 10 kilometers MOR (Meteorological Optical Range), according to ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) requirements.
Compared to the previous VS20, the new visibility sensors are a great improvement - in particular with regard to the new housing: It is sea water-resistant, anodized, specially coated and has the protection class IP66.
Thanks to a smart self-monitoring function, the sensor detects and reports lens contamination. In addition, the electronics automatically carries out zero point calibrations.
All these measures ensure a mostly maintenance-free operation over the whole lifetime. However, Lufft offers a suitable kit for on-site calibration.
With a RS-485 semi-duplex 2-wire as well as a SDI-12 interface, Lufft visibility sensors are equipped with several interfaces and can thus be easily integrated into any measurement network.

To the overview of the Lufft visibility sensors

ViewMondo is the name of our flexible Lufft Road & Runway Management Software, that collects different types of data, checks the data for plausibility and evaluates data and recommendation out of the data in according to your needs. For the airport and aviation application, Viewmondo can support airport operators with the plugin "SnowTam" in creating  TALPA/RCAM/RwyCC report with a digital and efficient workflow. 

Curious about most efficient ways in runway weather control? Watch our on demand webinar about the latest measurement technology for runway weather detection and how to apply this in your TALPA applications/workflows supported by ViewMondo - our Road & Runway Management Software.

Don't miss out our free Webinar about latest Technology of Mobile Runway Pavement Sensors:

WATCH WEBINAR NOW

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