WindAlert SYSTEM

The WindAlert System is the result of the European collaborative project named WEATHER: During 30 months, 11 partners (meteorological companies, universities and end-users) have collaborated by gathering their knowledge and researches in order to elaborate an operational system which offers a real-time protection for terrestrial transports (road and rail) against crosswind. This system bases on a meteorological risk analysis.

The W.E.A.T.H.E.R. PROGRAM ( Wind Early Alarm System for Terrestrial Transport Handling Evaluation of Risks ) is a Cooperative Research Project of the European Community , of a great interest for Road Traffic and High Speed Trains safety.

Since 2004, GEONICA along with other European companies and Universities aware of the gap between end-users requirements and existing technologies, cooperate in the WEATHER Project, putting together their experience and know-how on wind modelling, risk analysis, data-logger manufacturing, communications technologies, environmental monitoring and road surface state measurement, in order to develop a turnkey wind alarm system for road and rail managers. The specific solution developed by GEONICA for road traffic application, the WindAlert System, is described in the separate Brochure nº 9723.0015. There is also available another version of the WindAlert System for application in high speed trains.

A reliable analysis of risk needs a scientific characterization of whole parameters involved in a potential accident due to strong crosswind. So, it was essential to lean on unquestionable scientific authorities in the field, to take advantage of their scientific and technological expertise, and to order them new researches specifically dedicated to the WindAlert System design.

Then researches were conducted by:

University of Birmingham (UK) - School of Engineering - The head of Department, Pr Baker is the world specialist on cross-wind effects on vehicles.

Politecnico di Milano (Italie) - Pr Cheli - with the unique tool in Europe of the very wide wind-tunnel of Bovisa.

University of Nottingham (UK) - Department of Fluid Mechanics - Dr Wright and Dr Morvan have an international scientific reknown in the field of numerical methods in Fluid Mechanics and the department disposes of a huge capacity of computers and software.

Additionally, two end-users partners (Alstom Transport (France), and Lecineña (Spain)) were involved and participate to the definition of the product.

During 30 months, the WEATHER partners have conducted researches so that all the technical parameters involved to enable the security to strong crosswind have been distinguished and integrated in the WindAlert System.

Consecuently, the quality of the research works guarantees the reliability of the WindAlert product. The main technical progresses deal with the
following topics.