SunGuard: LoRaWAN-Enabled ARG Station with Integrated UV Sensor

September 12, 2023 September 12, 2023

Sruthy S

A rain gauge station equipped with a UV (Ultraviolet) sensor is a weather monitoring system designed to measure and record both precipitation (rainfall) and the intensity of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. It is helpful for various applications, including weather forecasting, environmental monitoring, and agriculture.

The Rain Gauge Station – Model generates real-time data to help in flood warning, reservoir management, and any other application that calls for timely rainfall information. When there is a chance of flooding, the information from the Rain Gauges helps emergency management experts make decisions that can save both lives and property. These stations are typically used in weather, meteorology, and mesonet applications.

The Rain Gauge station has been constructed using the Davis Rain Gauge sensor. Rainwater flows into the collector cone, passes through a debris-filtering screen, and accumulates in the tipping spoon of the rain gauge. When the spoon accumulates a quantity of water equivalent to the collector's measuring increment (0.01" or 0.2 mm), it tips, triggering a switch closure. The rainwater drains through screened drains located at the collector's base. This collector is engineered for long-lasting, precise, and trouble-free performance. Its aerodynamic design minimizes rain catch reduction caused by strong winds. Both the body and base of the collector are constructed from durable, UV-resistant plastic.

UV sensor - Overexposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a risk to public health. Therefore, it is vital to provide information to the public about the level of solar UV radiation. The UV-Index (UVI) is the relevant quantity, expressing the erythemally weighted irradiance to a horizontal plane on a simple scale. As solar UV irradiance is strongly variable in time and space, measurements within a network provide the best source of information, provided they can be made available rapidly.

The UV sensor is designed to measure the intensity of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. It can detect various UV wavelengths, which are essential for assessing UV exposure and potential harm to living organisms. UV sensors are sensitive to changes in solar radiation, which can be used to monitor variations in UV levels throughout the day.

A rain gauge station with a UV sensor using LoRaWAN technology offers the advantage of long-range, low-power communication, making it a cost-effective and efficient solution for remote environmental monitoring and weather data collection.