A Wireless Sensor Network for the Real-Time Remote Measurement of Aeolian Sand Transport on Sandy Beaches and Dunes

Sensors

Fernanda Alquini¹  Duccio Bertoni²  Giovanni Sarti²  Irene Cappelli³  Alessandro Mecocci³  Alessandro Pozzebon³ 

[1] Department of Architecture and Urbanism, Faculty of Uniasselvi Group FAMEG, Guaramirim 89270-000, Brazil;Department of Earth Sciences, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy;Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy;

关键词: WSN;    ZigBee;    sand transport;    load cell;    IoT;    wind dynamics;    coastal dynamics;    environmental monitoring;   

DOI  :  10.3390/s18030820

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Direct measurements of aeolian sand transport on coastal dunes and beaches is of paramount importance to make correct decisions about coast management. As most of the existing studies are mainly based on a statistical approach, the solution presented in this paper proposes a sensing structure able to orient itself according to wind direction and directly calculate the amount of wind-transported sand by collecting it and by measuring its weight. Measurements are performed remotely without requiring human action because the structure is equipped with a ZigBee radio module, which periodically sends readings to a local gateway. Here data are processed by a microcontroller and then transferred to a remote data collection centre, through GSM technology. The ease of installation, the reduced power consumption and the low maintenance required, make the proposed solution able to work independently, limiting human intervention, for all the duration of the expected experimental campaign. In order to analyze the cause-effect relationship between the transported sand and the wind, the sensing structure is integrated with a multi-layer anemoscope-anemometer structure. The overall sensor network has been developed and tested in the laboratory, and its operation has been validated in field through a 48 h measurement campaign.

【 授权许可】

Unknown