Omnidirectional rain gauge

The omnidirectional rain gauge according to claim 15, wherein

• the catchment unit comprises a plurality of funnels which have tubes of individually different diameters at the bottom parts, and are overlaid so that the tubes are inserted into one another in the order of the diameters;
• the plurality of overlaid funnels are partitioned by a plurality of partitions, which are radially arranged in a plurality of horizontal azimuth directions, to form a plurality of catchment cells;
• each of the plurality of partitions is shaped as semicircle following a virtual spherical outer circumference;
• and
• the diameters of the upper openings of the plurality of overlaid funnels are sized to follow the virtual spherical outer circumference.

The method for determining a predominant dropping direction of rainwater, according to claim 16, wherein

• the catchment unit comprises a plurality of conical cylinders which have individually different heights, and are overlaid so that bottom vertexes of the plurality of conical cylinders stand in a vertical straight line passing through the center of the virtual sphere;
• the overlaid plurality of conical cylinders are partitioned by partitions, which are arranged radially in a plurality of horizontal azimuth directions, to form a plurality of catchment cells;
• each of the plurality of partitions is shaped as semicircle following a virtual spherical outer circumference;
• and
• the diameter of each of top opening parts, which are opposite to the bottom vertexes, of the overlaid plurality of conical cylinders is sized to follow the virtual spherical outer circumference.

The method for determining a predominant dropping direction of rainwater, according to claim 16, wherein

• the catchment unit comprises a plurality of funnels which have tubes of individually different diameters at the bottom parts, and are overlaid so that the tubes are inserted into one another in the order of the diameters;
• the plurality of overlaid funnels are partitioned by a plurality of partitions, which are radially arranged in a plurality of horizontal azimuth directions, to form a plurality of catchment cells;
• each of the plurality of partitions is shaped as semicircle following a virtual spherical outer circumference;
• and
• the diameters of the upper openings of the plurality of overlaid funnels are sized to follow the virtual spherical outer circumference.

An omnidirectional rain gauge comprising:

• a catchment unit to catch rainwater;
• and
• a measurement unit to measure the amount of the rainwater caught by the catchment unit;
• wherein
• the catchment unit comprises a plurality of catchment cells, of which outer rims shape a virtual sphere, and which are arranged in horizontal azimuth directions and zenith direction;
• and
• the measurement unit, by dropping in a drop of water of a certain weight the rainwater caught by each of the plurality of catchment cells, detects the number of the dropping drops of water with respect to each of the plurality of catchment cells, and determines the amount of the rainwater caught by each of the plurality of catchment cells on the basis of the total detected number of the drops of water.

A method for determining a predominant dropping direction of rainwater, by using a rain gauge comprising a catchment unit to catch rainwater and a measurement unit to measure the amount of the rainwater caught by the catchment unit, wherein the catchment unit comprises a plurality of catchment cells, of which outer rims shape a virtual sphere, and which are arranged in horizontal azimuth directions and zenith direction, the method comprising:

• by the measurement unit,
• setting a unit period for measuring a rainfall amount;
• counting the number of rainwater drops with respect to each of the plurality of catchment cells of the catchment unit in the set unit period;
• determining the amount of the rainwater by multiplying the number of rainwater drops by a prescribed weight of a drop of the rainwater;
• determining the predominant dropping direction, in an azimuth direction and in a zenith angle, of the rainwater on the basis of a quantitative relation of rain water drops of each of the plurality of the catchment cells;
• geometrically correcting the predominant dropping direction to a rainwater collision amount against a virtual sphere which is circumscribed with the plurality of the catchment cells;
• converting the rainwater collision amount into a collision amount of the rainwater against a plane at the time of installation of the rain gauge to the plane;
• and
• further dividing the collision amount of the rainwater against the plane by a density of the rainwater to obtain the rainfall amount.