A micro-wind sensor based on mechanical drag and thermal effects

A micro-integrated wind measurement sensor is introduced that is sensitive to both low and high velocity and has both mechanical and thermal parts. The mechanical part, which is based on measuring the drag force, is sensitive and accurate to high velocity. The thermal part, including two hot wires, is sensitive and accurate to low velocity. By removing the thermal effect of the mechanical part and reducing the strain effect of the thermal part, the stability and accuracy of the designed sensor is enhanced. After integration, a wind sensor is obtained that is sensitive and accurate to velocities over a wide range. The direction is measured using two integrated sensors positioned perpendicular to each other. Wind direction is calculated using a specially designed algorithm that takes advantage of the merits of the mechanical and thermal parts. The results indicate that the direction determination precision is improved.