LPSD18…Series Sunshine Duration:

The LPSD18 series is a line of sunshine duration sensors. These sensors are designed to measure the amount of sunshine or solar radiation that reaches the earth’s surface.

The LPSD18 series sensors use a silicon photodiode detector to measure the intensity of the sun’s radiation. The sensor’s housing is designed to protect the detector from direct sunlight and other sources of interference, such as reflections from nearby surfaces. The sensor’s measuring range is from 0…2000 W/m2 and it has a temporal resolution of 1 second.

One of the key features of the LPSD18 series sensors is their ability to measure sunshine duration. This is a measure of the amount of time that the sun’s radiation exceeds a certain threshold. This threshold is known as the “sunshine threshold.” The LPSD18 series sensors are able to measure sunshine duration with a temporal resolution of 1 second and a temporal accuracy of better than ±2%.

The LPSD18 series sensors are well suited for a wide range of applications, including solar energy research, meteorological measurements, and crop growth studies. They have been used in many field experiments and have been proven to be reliable and robust instruments for measuring sunshine duration and solar radiation.

Furthermore, these sensors can be connected to an datalogger or other data acquisition system, which will enable the user to collect and store large amounts of data. This can be useful for long-term monitoring or for performing detailed analysis of the data. Additionally, many LPSD18 series sensors come with software that allows for easy data visualization and analysis.

The LPSD18 series sensors are widely used for meteorology, solar energy, and meteorological research. They provide accurate, high-resolution measurements of sunshine duration and solar radiation, and are a valuable tool for those who need to measure and analyze the amount of sunshine and solar radiation that reaches the earth’s surface.

The Sunshine Duration sensor LPSD18 measures sunshine status and duration. The WMO (World Meteorological Organization) defines the sunshine duration as the time during which the direct solar radiation exceeds the level of 120 W/m².

The LPSD18 performs the measure of radiation with an array of photodiodes arranged in a particular geometry which allows obtaining an accurate measurement in any weather conditions. This solution avoids the use of mechanical moving parts and ensures high reliability in time. The instrument, besides indicating the presence of the sun as required by WMO, measures also direct radiation (SRD), therefore it can be used as a low-cost alternative to a pyrheliometer, which use is bound to a solar tracker. The instrument is available in three versions, which difference depends on the type of output:

• LPSD18.1  – RS485 MODBUS RTU output and volt-free contact output
• LPSD18.2 – RS485 MODBUS RTU output, analog voltage output 0…1 Vdc, which corresponds to 0…2000 W/m² of direct radiation, and digital output voltage
• LP SD18.3 SDI12 output and volt-free contact output

The LPSD18 is equipped with a heating element separately powered and galvanically isolated, which prevents the formation of condensation on the glass surface onto which the sensitive elements are.

For cold climates, the above-mentioned versions are available with a second heating element (option R, LP SD18.xR), which prevents the formation of ice and prevents snow from settling.

Application and features of LPSD18…Series Sunshine Duration: