Device and method for accurate wind measurement

1. A device for accurate wind measurement, the device comprising:

a bench carrying a camera having camera optics;

a moving object connected to said camera by a string;

said camera being generally directed downward and taking images of said object's movement while influenced by gravity and aerodynamic forces;

said camera being configured to stream the images to a digital signal processor or computer, and

said digital signal processor or computer being adapted to decode the images and compute the object location and spatial angles.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said object has a predefined aerodynamic shape, preferably spherical.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said string is of a low cross-section.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said string is of predefined length.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an upper side of said string crosses the centerline of the camera optics.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the string is at least indirectly connected to a tension sensor.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said DSP or computer is connected to any one or more in a group consisting of a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor and a compass.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said DSP or computer is connected to a GPS.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said DSP or computer is connected to a sensor adapted to measure the spatial angle between a centerline of the camera optics and the gravity force vector.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device is coupled to a mast.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device is coupled to a body of an aerial vehicle.

12. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device is coupled to a stabilization system.

13. The device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the stabilization system is coupled to a body of an aerial vehicle.

14. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the object is an anemometer.

15. A method for accurate wind measurement, the method comprising:

coupling the device of claim 1 to an aerial vehicle;

obtaining a first input of string length;

obtaining a second input of object weight;

obtaining a third input of tension force along said string needed to balance the object against the gravity and aerodynamic forces;

obtaining a fourth input from a sensor measuring at least one physical condition;

obtaining camera images depicting movement of the aerial vehicle and decoding said images based on said first input so as calculate the location of the object relative to spatial angles of the string that connects the object to the camera, and

calculating aerodynamic force based on said location in conjunction with the second, third and fourth inputs.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said fourth input is any one of: (i) a location from a GPS sensor, (ii) an azimuth from a compass, (iii) an altitude and air pressure from a pressure sensor, (iv) an ambient temperature from a temperature senor, (v) a spatial angle between the camera optics centerline and the gravity force vector.

17. A method of monitoring power production performance of a wind turbine, the method comprising;

positioning the device according to claim 1 in front of a rotor of said wind turbine;

measuring wind properties using the device in order to obtain first wind measurements;

comparing said first wind measurements with second wind measurements detected by conventional wind turbine wind measurement instruments;

determining wind turbine wind measurement bias based on differences between the first wind measurements and the second wind measurements; and

applying the wind properties measured by the device to a respective wind turbine power curve for said turbine in order to calculate power production loss due to wind turbine wind measurement bias.