Why Precise Humidity & Temperature Measurement is Key in Offshore Applications

How to ensure operational safety, efficiency and predictability

It’s a long-standing belief held by many people around the world that the British are obsessed by the weather. Although this may be a little unfair, it’s certainly true that when two Brits meet, one of the first topics of conversation will be the state of the weather; indeed, a survey carried out a few years ago found that around 90% of Brits discussed the weather at least once every six hours.

But it’s not just the Brits who want to know what the forecast will hold. According to the research company Statista , global revenue in the weather market – essentially weather apps – will be worth $2.7 billion by 2027, while research by YouGov found that a rapidly growing proportion of Americans - well over 50% in 2022 - used weather apps multiple times each day.

For most people, the weather forecast is interesting and potentially useful in planning their activities. For professionals working in demanding industrial applications, however, the accuracy of each forecast is critical for operational safety and efficiency.

This is especially true in the offshore sectors, where weather monitoring stations are widely used to provide essential data for maritime operations, oil and gas exploration, renewable energy production and scientific research. Activities such as safely planning helicopter flights to offshore oil rigs, erecting wind turbines and routing cargo vessels all depend on a precise and detailed understanding of forthcoming weather conditions.

The importance of temperature & humidity measurement

Weather stations used offshore typically incorporate a range of sensors and data processing systems, often networked globally via GPS and satellite, to provide extremely detailed real-time monitoring and highly accurate short- and long-term predictive modelling.

A key factor throughout is the ability to precisely measure both temperature and humidity, as these are fundamental for reliable weather forecasting. For example, temperature measurements help meteorologists understand the distribution of heat within the atmosphere and, thus, the temperature gradients that drive atmospheric circulation and influence the evolution of wind patterns, storm formation and weather systems over time.

Similarly, humidity measurement indicates the volume of water vapor in the air. This is a critical factor for understanding how cloud formations, precipitation and severe weather events such as thunderstorms and hurricanes will develop. Accurate humidity measurements essentially help to forecast these phenomena by indicating potential areas of instability in the atmosphere.

Temperature & humidity measurement solutions for offshore weather stations

By definition, any weather-monitoring instrument used offshore has to be sufficiently robust to withstand the toughest conditions. These include extremes of temperature, gale-force winds, snow, ice and salt spray. Yet, at the same time, these devices have to be sensitive enough to detect subtle changes in temperature or humidity, provide dependable measurements that are consistent over extended periods, and be small and lightweight to allow them to be easily packaged within a compact weather station.

This is clearly a challenge for sensor manufacturers, but one which we’ve overcome with the development of our latest HC2A-S3A combined temperature and humidity temperature probe.

In common with many of our humidity sensors, this device uses a proven three-layer sensor construction, with a moisture-detecting dielectric material sandwiched between two charged electrodes. Changes in humidity affect the impedance of the dielectric material and, thus, the current that flows across the sensor. The HC2A-S3A takes this concept a step further, with the addition of specialized coatings and bonding technologies that protect the sensor element from extreme conditions without affecting its performance, in terms of accuracy, hysteresis and speed of response to environmental changes.

This construction has the advantage of minimizing sensor drift, which has now been reduced to under 1% rh/year, in clean air, with an accuracy of ±0.8% rh at 23°C, and a response time of less than 15 seconds. Temperature measurement ranges from -100 to +200°C, with an accuracy of ±0.1°C and long-term stability that is better than 0.1°C /year. Additionally, we have been able to package the sensor assembly, together with the associated signal conditioning electronics and external analog and digital communication ports in a small, lightweight enclosure.

The HC2A-S3A is one of our many sensors and systems for use in demanding offshore applications. Throughout, each instrument is backed by comprehensive global customer sales and technical support services.

With 60 years of experience in the development of temperature and humidity technology, we are application experts for all humidity and temperature measurement in demanding applications. If you would like to discuss your requirements, then please contact our team today. 

Did you know

It is now generally accepted that climate change is significantly altering our global weather patterns, leading to more extreme and unpredictable conditions.

For example, rising temperatures are increasing water evaporation into the atmosphere. This is leading to more severe and frequent storms, hurricanes and heavy rainfall events. Conversely, some parts of the world are now experiencing prolonged droughts as higher temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns disrupt local climatic conditions.

The polar regions are particularly affected. The Arctic is now warming twice as fast as the global average, causing ice melt and altering ocean currents. This is influencing weather systems worldwide, leading to temperature fluctuations and extreme weather events, while warmer oceans are fueling stronger tropical storms and hurricanes.

All of which increases the need for effective, accurate and detailed weather monitoring, especially precise measurement of temperature and humidity, if we are to successfully model and cope with changing climate patterns.

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