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. 2022 Aug 25;22(17):6413.
doi: 10.3390/s22176413.

Calibration Uncertainty of Non-Catching Precipitation Gauges

Quentin Baire  1 , Miruna Dobre  1 , Anne-Sophie Piette  1 , Luca Lanza  2   3 , Arianna Cauteruccio  2   3 , Enrico Chinchella  2   3 , Andrea Merlone  4 , Henrik Kjeldsen  5 , Jan Nielsen  5 , Peter Friis Østergaard  5 , Marina Parrondo  6 , Carmen Garcia Izquierdo  6
Affiliations

Calibration Uncertainty of Non-Catching Precipitation Gauges

Quentin Baire et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

Precipitation is among the most important meteorological variables for, e.g., meteorological, hydrological, water management and climate studies. In recent years, non-catching precipitation gauges are increasingly adopted in meteorological networks. Despite such growing diffusion, calibration procedures and associated uncertainty budget are not yet standardized or prescribed in best practice documents and standards. This paper reports a metrological study aimed at proposing calibration procedures and completing the uncertainty budgets, to make non-catching precipitation gauge measurements traceable to primary standards. The study is based on the preliminary characterization of different rain drop generators, specifically developed for the investigation. Characterization of different models of non-catching rain gauges is also included.

Keywords: calibration; measurement; non-catching gauges; precipitation; uncertainty.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Uncertainty model for non-catching precipitation gauges.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Formation of a small drop from the nozzle in four steps. Step 1 (top left): before the piezo pulse; Step 2 (top right): the water is being ejected by the piezo pulse; Step 3 (bottom left): due to inverse pulse the connection with the drop is starting to break apart; Step 4 (bottom right): the drop is now free and being further accelerated by gravity.
Figure 3
Figure 3
DG2—double-syringe device for drop formation and detachment.
Figure 4
Figure 4
DG2—photogrammetric device for the verification of the generated drop size and velocity.
Figure 5
Figure 5
DG2—sample image of a single water drop in flight as released by the DG2 and captured three times in the same picture by the photogrammetric device (left-hand side). In the right-hand panel the same image is reported, after software processing elaboration, to show the equivolumetric circular shape of the drop (D1–D3, in red) and traveled distances (L1 and L2).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Influence of air temperature and humidity conditions on rain intensity measurement of one impact disdrometer, for different constant drop generator characteristics. On the top curve, the drop generator is set to produce series of 4.1 mm drops at 12.3 drops/s, in the middle figure, the values are 3.2 mm drops at 5 drops/s and the bottom figure show the results for values of 3.6 mm drops at 2.1 drops/s.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Influence of air temperature and humidity conditions on rain intensity measurement of three different models of optical transmission disdrometers, for different drop generator characteristics. On the top figure, the drop generator is set to produce 3.6 mm diameter drops at 2.1 drops/s, in the middle figure, the values are 4.5 mm drops at 2.8 drops/s and the bottom figure show the results for values of 4.1 mm drops at 12.3 drops/s.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Influence of air temperature and humidity conditions on rain intensity measurement of three different models of optical transmission disdrometers, for different drop generator characteristics. On the top figure, the drop generator is set to produce 3.6 mm diameter drops at 2.1 drops/s, in the middle figure, the values are 4.5 mm drops at 2.8 drops/s and the bottom figure show the results for values of 4.1 mm drops at 12.3 drops/s.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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