Skip to main content

Biral RWS-20 weather sensor is made for the road

British meteorological instrument manufacturer Biral has launched what it says is “a very competitively priced” transportation road weather sensor (RWS-20). The sensor monitors visibility and obstruction to vision for road transport applications. It has been manufactured to allow easy integration with any road weather information system but it has been developed specifically for the harsh roadside environment. The RWS-20 is based upon Biral’s SWS range of visibility sensors, sharing many of its advanced tec
March 22, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Biral’s RWS-20 weather sensor is made specifically for harsh road conditions
British meteorological instrument manufacturer 8558 Biral has launched what it says is “a very competitively priced” transportation road weather sensor (RWS-20)

The sensor monitors visibility and obstruction to vision for road transport applications.

It has been manufactured to allow easy integration with any road weather information system but it has been developed specifically for the harsh roadside environment. The RWS-20 is based upon Biral’s SWS range of visibility sensors, sharing many of its advanced technical features. It uses the compact forward scatter measurement principle and remains accurate in all weather conditions, ensuring local light sources, headlights or flashing signs do not impact its operation or reliability.

The RWS-20 has a measurement range of to 7.5km for use in road applications where fog, rain, spray and snow can create dangerous driving conditions. The optical windows and sensor hoods contain heating for use in harsh weather conditions throughout the year. Both optical windows have systems for lens contamination monitoring, ensuring the visibility output is constantly compensated to maintain accuracy whilst reducing routine maintenance duties.

The unit also has self-test capabilities, along with automatic alerts for cleaning the optical windows. The product has a serial data output of RS232, RS422 or RS485, while providing analogue voltage visibility outputs (0- 10V) or the extinction coefficient (EXCO).

The RWS-20 features optional relays which directly connect to road-side signage and other control systems, allowing intelligent communication and operation of local warning signs.

Biral is based in Bristol, UK. Its products range from sensors - measuring wind, temperature, precipitation, visibility, solar radiation and other standard parameters – to complete weather stations. Biral is also a specialist in the design, manufacture and supply of particle analysis and climate research instruments for science, industry and the environment.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Chicago Pneumatic adds new CPPG inverters for AC power below 3kW
    March 7, 2017
    Chicago Pneumatic has added four CPPG inverter models for contractors needing a clean and reliable source of AC power below 3kW. The models – on show at CONEXPO-CON/AGG - have a recoil starter for fast powering up and, thanks to noise dampening canopies, are near-silent, according to the company. Operating noise levels are as low as 65dB or 63dB.
  • Workzone safety protects workforce and drivers
    February 15, 2012
    Highway construction work zones are dangerous places, and anything that can improve safety is welcomed as Patrick Smith reports. The safe and efficient flow of traffic through work zones is a major concern to transportation officials, industry, the public, businesses, and commercial motor carriers. This is the view of the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which has developed the Highway Work Zone Safety Program to reduce the fatalities and injurious crashes in work zones, and to enhance traffic oper
  • Carmix mixes it up with Promix for mobile cement plant
    December 4, 2015
    Concrete batch mixing company Carmix has developed what amounts to what the company calls a portable analysis laboratory, the Promix Promix is a measuring instrument composed of a stainless-steel gauge housed inside a cement mixer. It is powered by a solar panel and has a display in the driver’s cabin that receives information in real time.
  • Gill Instruments improves performance of 3-axis anemometers
    June 9, 2015
    Gill Instruments has improved the sonic temperature performance of the company’s 3-axis anemometer range to an accuracy of greater than ±1% in readings between -18°C and +30°C. The improvement has been achieved by using the US National Physical Laboratory’s advanced sound profiling facility as well as research using in-house computational fluid dynamics - CFD modelling - to examine transducer production. Anemometers are used throughout the meteorological research and industrial industries. They simultane