This article presents an overview of airflow velocity measurement methods applied to renewable energy. Basic measurement methods used in this field are discussed: tachometric, ultrasonic, and calorimetric anemometry. The principle of operation and basic properties of anemometers are presented, and based on publications from the last decade, a systematic review of development directions and trends in this field is made. The aim of the article is to familiarize people dealing with renewable energy problems, in particular wind energy, with the current state of knowledge in the field of anemometric measurements, properties of individual types of measuring devices, as well as directions of development of measurement tools. This will allow for the optimization of processes in the field of wind energy, in particular in the selection of the location of the energy facility, implementation of investments and control, diagnostics, and monitoring during operation. The selection of metrological tools adequate to the problem also allows for ensuring an appropriate level of work safety and environmental and ecological harmony and supporting the process of sustainable development.

Computationally Efficient Methods of Approximations of the S-Shape Functions for Image Processing and Computer Graphics Tasks: The paper describes a number of methods for approximation of the S-shape functions, frequently used in computer graphics or image processing. The main focus is on efficient software and hardware implementations. We present original code for the high and low level languages which implement different approximations of the S-shape functions. Additionally we introduce the FixedFor<> template class which fills the gap of efficient representation of different length fixed-point data formats in C++.

This article presents an innovative design of a tachometric anemometer for measuring wind velocity and direction, which does not contain electronic components and systems or power supply systems in the measurement area. This device can be used in extremely unfavourable environmental operating conditions, in locations exposed to direct atmospheric discharges, in conditions requiring restrictive and intrinsic safety, in special military applications, and in measurements in the presence of extreme electromagnetic fields. An innovative optical–mechanical transducer is used in the anemometer. This transducer generates a light pulse signal, the frequency of which is a function of the flow velocity, and the duty cycle is a function of the wind direction. This signal is transmitted via optical fibre from the sensor assembly to the measuring station, located outside the measurement area. The design of the device is simple, durable, and resistant to environmental conditions.

Hot-wire measurements of velocity vector components use a sensor with three orthogonal wires, taking advantage of an anisotropic effect of wire sensitivity. The sensor is connected to a three-channel anemometric circuit and a data acquisition and processing system. Velocity vector components are obtained from measurement signals, using a modified algorithm for measuring velocity vector components enabling the minimization of measurement errors described in this paper. The standard deviation of the relative error was significantly reduced in comparison with the classical algorithm.