Beaufort Scale Exhibit

An interactive exhibit designed and built for Jersey Maritime Museum to show the stages of the
Beaufort scale of wind speed (force 1 - 12)

The exhibit is electro-mechanically activated by a large button. Once started, the exhibit cycles through a pre-set program lasting one minute, triggering the effects in sequence.

The effects simulate Beaufort’s descriptions of wind speed e.g. Force 1 Smoke drifts with the wind, small ripples at sea. Force 7 whole trees sway, heavy seas with breaking waves along the direction of the wind.

The exhibit is controlled via a microprocessor which triggers the effects as the sea drum revolves. The effects are created using a variety of different mechanisms:

a mains operated motor controls the sea drum
synchronous motors are used to control the trees and smoke
a 12V dc motor controls a boat
the rest of the effects are controlled by 12V dc solenoids that magnetically latch

Our involvement consisted of mechanical design, electronic design, software programming and final production of the exhibit to fit into an existing lower case (polycarbonate cover and stainless ends were manufactured by us).

	Beaufort Wind Scale Jersey Maritime Museum
	Interactive Exhibit to show the various stages in the Beaufort wind scale with animated trees, boat and sea.