An electromagnetic imaging system for metallic object detection and classification

PhD ThesisElectromagnetic imaging currently plays a vital role in various disciplines, from engineering to medical applications and is based upon the characteristics of electromagnetic fields and their interaction with the properties of materials. The detection and characterisation of metallic objects which pose a threat to safety is of great interest in relation to public and homeland security worldwide. Inspections are conducted under the prerequisite that is divested of all metallic objects. These inspection conditions are problematic in terms of the disruption of the movement of people and produce a soft target for terrorist attack. Thus, there is a need for a new generation of detection systems and information technologies which can provide an enhanced characterisation and discrimination capabilities. This thesis proposes an automatic metallic object detection and classification system. Two related topics have been addressed: to design and implement a new metallic object detection system; and to develop an appropriate signal processing algorithm to classify the targeted signatures. The new detection system uses an array of sensors in conjunction with pulsed excitation. The contributions of this research can be summarised as follows: (1) investigating the possibility of using magneto-resistance sensors for metallic object detection; (2) evaluating the proposed system by generating a database consisting of 12 real handguns with more than 20 objects used in daily life; (3) extracted features from the system outcomes using four feature categories referring to the objects’ shape, material composition, time-frequency signal analysis and transient pulse response; and (4) applying two classification methods to classify the objects into threats and non-threats, giving a successful classification rate of more than 92% using the feature combination and classification framework of the new system. The study concludes that novel magnetic field imaging system and their signal outputs can be used to detect, identify and classify metallic objects. In comparison with conventional induction-based walk-through metal detectors, the magneto-resistance sensor array-based system shows great potential for object identification and discrimination. This novel system design and signal processing achievement may be able to produce significant improvements in automatic threat object detection and classification applications.Iraqi Cultural Attaché, Londo

Metal-Detector Handbook for Humanitarian Demining

Abstract not availableJRC.G-Institute for the Protection and the Security of the Citizen (Ispra

The NASA SBIR product catalog

The purpose of this catalog is to assist small business firms in making the community aware of products emerging from their efforts in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. It contains descriptions of some products that have advanced into Phase 3 and others that are identified as prospective products. Both lists of products in this catalog are based on information supplied by NASA SBIR contractors in responding to an invitation to be represented in this document. Generally, all products suggested by the small firms were included in order to meet the goals of information exchange for SBIR results. Of the 444 SBIR contractors NASA queried, 137 provided information on 219 products. The catalog presents the product information in the technology areas listed in the table of contents. Within each area, the products are listed in alphabetical order by product name and are given identifying numbers. Also included is an alphabetical listing of the companies that have products described. This listing cross-references the product list and provides information on the business activity of each firm. In addition, there are three indexes: one a list of firms by states, one that lists the products according to NASA Centers that managed the SBIR projects, and one that lists the products by the relevant Technical Topics utilized in NASA's annual program solicitation under which each SBIR project was selected

On-line monitoring of water quality parameters

Chapter one summarises the development of UK legislation for the protection of the aquatic environment, and highlights current EC legislative requirements for water quality. The need for on-line water quality monitoring and the alternative instrumental approaches to it are discussed, together with the philosophy of "easy care instrumentation" and water industry requirements for online analysers. A simple spectrophotometric FI system is proposed for the on-line determination of a range of water quality parameters.The following chapter details instrumentation used in the FI system, emphasising the solid-state photometric detector.Development of an FI manifold for the determination of aluminium in potable and treated waters is covered in the next chapter. The method, based on complexation of aluminium with pyrocatechol violet is compared with a standard Driscoll procedure. Details of the construction and testing of a fully automated FI instrument are also given.Chapter four describes the development of a modular automated FI monitor with a PC compatible STEbus based computer system. Successful operation of this monitor is illustrated by its application to the determination of residual coagulants (aluminium and iron). Full details of software routines for control, processing and validation are given together with results from a tap water trial for dissolved aluminium.The FI determination of residual iron by its complexation with ferene S, and the application of the optimised method in the STEbus based monitor is detailed in chapter five.In the final chapter the use of on-line FI oxidation procedures for the determination of dissolved organic carbon are examined. The oxidation of a wide range of organic species to carbon dioxide using a silver catalysed persulphate reaction, enhanced with UV irradiation and a stopped-flow procedure is described. The sequential determination of inorganic and organic carbon without separation of the fractions is also investigated

ANALYTICAL APPLICATIONS OF THE PEROXYOXALATE CHEMILUMINESCENCE REACTION

The overall objectives of this thesis were to investigate the potential of the peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence (POOL) reaction for the quantitative detection of target analytes in non-aqueous matrices and to compare quantitative performance with fluorescence detection. The target analytes investigated were polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and aliphatic amines. These were selected as an important class of compounds in engine exhaust emissions and a detergent additive in diesel fuel respectively. Chapter one outlines the challenges of analysing petroleum products and engine exhaust emissions and discusses the potential of luminescence techniques, particularly chemiluminescence (CL), for the quantification of trace components. The chapter also reviews the technique of flow injection (FT) as a means of sample delivery for CL detection and as a potential technique for field deployment. Liquid chromatography techniques are described as a means of separation of complex matrices, e.g. fuels and engine exhaust particulates, in the laboratory prior to CL detection. The luminescence properties of several PAHs were investigated in Chapter Two. Optimum excitation and emission wavelengths for eleven PAHs in four different solvents were determined using a batch fluorescence technique. A FI approach was used to determine PAH concentrations using fluorescence and POCL detection. Two aryl oxalates; bis(2,4-dinitophenyl)oxalate and bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)oxalate were compared for their suitability for PAH determinations and an investigation of the key variables (e.g. concentration of aryl oxalate and hydrogen peroxide, mobile phase composition and pH) affecting POCL was performed. Recommendations for the optimum conditions for the determination of PAHs by POCL detection were determined, A comparison between a photodiode based detection device and a low power (12V) photomultiplier tube was also described. In Chapter Three the procedure of using POCL detection as a post column liquid chromatography (LC) detector for PAHs has been considered. The performance of the POCL detection system was compared with wavelength programmed fluorescence. Both reversed and normal phase LC was investigated and the suitability of POCL detection with each approach was discussed. Additionally the procedure for the LC separation and analysis of SRM 1649 (Urban Dust/Organics) and SRM 1650 (Diesel Particulate Matter) was described. The relative performance of fluorescence and CL detection are discussed. Chapter four describes the principles of multivariate calibration of spectrophotometric data, and three commonly applied techniques (PCR, PLSI and PLS2). Fluorescence data was obtained for synthetic mixtures of PAHs containing two, three, four and five components. A procedure whereby individual spectra were 'glued' together before undergoing data analysis has been developed and the results obtained discussed. POCL emission spectra for five PAHs were acquired using a two-dimensional charge coupled device (CCD). The sensitivity of the CCD system toward POCL detection of PAHs and a multivariate investigation using benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[k]fluoranthene has been described. The potential of the fluorescence and CL approaches used has been discussed. Chapter five describes the aryl oxalate sulphorhodamine-101 CL reaction and its application to the determination of amines. A FI optimisation of the reaction parameters is presented together with some quantitative data for the detection of a homologous series of amines and dodecylamine (a commonly added detergent compound in diesel fuels). The application of the technique toward the detection of dodecylamine in a diesel fuel matrix and the potential as a field deployable technique was also considered.Shell Research Limited, Shell Research and Technology Centre, Thornton, Cheste

Artificial Neural Network and Wavelet Features Extraction Applications in Nitrate and Sulphate Water Contamination Estimation

This work expounds the review of non-destructive evaluation using near-field sensors and its application in environmental monitoring. Star array configuration of planar electromagnetic sensor is explained in this work for nitrate and sulphate detection in water. The experimental results show that the star array planar electromagnetic sensor was able to detect nitrate and sulphate at different concentrations. Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) is used to classify different levels of nitrate and sulphate contaminations in water sources. The star array planar electromagnetic sensors were subjected to different water samples contaminated by nitrate and sulphate. Classification using Wavelet Transform (WT) was applied to extract the output signals features. These features were fed to ANN consequently, for the classification of different levels of nitrate and sulphate concentration in water. The model is capable of distinguishing the concentration level in the presence of other types of contamination with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.0132 or 98.68% accuracy