Measurement of snow water equivalent using drone-mounted ultra-wide-band radar

The use of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-mounted radar for obtaining snowpack parameters has seen considerable advances over recent years. However, a robust method of snow density estimation still needs further development. The objective of this work is to develop a method to reliably and remotely estimate snow water equivalent (SWE) using UAV-mounted radar and to perform initial field experiments. In this paper, we present an improved scheme for measuring SWE using ultra-wide-band (UWB) (0.7 to 4.5 GHz) pseudo-noise radar on a moving UAV, which is based on airborne snow depth and density measurements from the same platform. The scheme involves autofocusing procedures with the frequency–wavenumber (F–K) migration algorithm combined with the Dix equation for layered media in addition to altitude correction of the flying platform. Initial results from field experiments show high repeatability (R > 0.92) for depth measurements up to 5.5 m, and good agreement with Monte Carlo simulations for the statistical spread of snow density estimates with standard deviation of 0.108 g/cm3. This paper also outlines needed system improvements to increase the accuracy of a snow density estimator based on an F–K migration technique

Using Silver Nano-Particle Ink in Electrode Fabrication of High Frequency Copolymer Ultrasonic Transducers: Modeling and Experimental Investigation

Published version. Source at http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/s150409210.High frequency polymer-based ultrasonic transducers are produced with electrodes thicknesses typical for printed electrodes obtained from silver (Ag) nano-particle inks. An analytical three-port network is used to study the acoustic effects imposed by a thick electrode in a typical layered transducer configuration. Results from the network model are compared to experimental findings for the implemented transducer configuration, to obtain a better understanding of acoustical effects caused by the additional printed mass loading. The proposed investigation might be supportive of identification of suitable electrode-depositing methods. It is also believed to be useful as a feasibility study for printed Ag-based electrodes in high frequency transducers, which may reduce both the cost and production complexity of these devices

High frequency copolymer ultrasonic transducer array of size-effective elements

Source at https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-665X/aa91b7.A layer-by-layer deposition method for producing dual-layer ultrasonic transducers from piezoelectric copolymers has been developed. The method uses a combination of customized and standard processing to obtain 2D array transducers with electrical connection of the individual elements routed directly to the rear of the substrate. A numerical model was implemented to study basic parameters effecting the transducer characteristics. Key elements of the array were characterized and evaluated, demonstrating its viability of 2D imaging. Signal reproducibility of the prototype array was studied by characterizing the variations of the center frequency (≈42 MHz) and bandwidth (≈25 MHz) of the acoustic. Object identification was also tested and parameterized by acoustic-field beamwidth as well as proper scan step size. Simple tests to illustrate a benefit of multi-element scan on lowering the inspection time were conducted. Structural imaging of the test structure underneath multi-layered wave media (glass plate and distilled water) was also performed. The prototype presented in this work is an important step towards realizing an inexpensive, compact array of individually operated copolymer transducers that can serve in a fast/volumetric high frequency (HF) ultrasonic scanning platform

UAV-BORNE UWB RADAR FOR SNOWPACK SURVEYS

Source at https://hdl.handle.net/11250/2649630In this report we summarize the capabilities and technical characteristics of our UAV-borne UWB radar system, designed for conducting snow surveys. We developed an ultrawideband snow sounder that is capable of imaging snow stratigraphy with a 5 cm range resolution. The radar can be carried by an octocopter UAV in order to carry out airborne snowpack surveys. During a demonstration on Andøya, we showed that the radar was capable of resolving snow stratigraphy in wet snow conditions, as well as detecting a buried person under 1.5 m of wet snow. In this report, we present the results of the demonstration in detail. We furthermore discuss capabilities and incapabilities of our radar system and offer a list of future steps to bring it to an operational status

Performance of an Ultrasonic Imaging System Based on a 45-MHz Linear PVDF Transducer Array: A Numerical Study

New designs of high-resolution ultrasonic imaging systems that operate in the 30–100MHz region, for example, those based on linear transducer systems, are currently being investigated for medical purposes. Acoustic waves with frequencies in this range can detect microscopic structures in human tissue but will typically only penetrate a few mm because of large attenuation. However, this is sufficient for a diagnostic ultrasound scan of human skin. The signal-to-noise ratio and the focusing properties of the scanner are critical factors in dermatology, which are determined by the transducer design. A linear pulsed PVDF transducer array with a center frequency around 45MHz is studied by applying numerical simulations, based on the finite element method (FEM), of this electromechanical system. Tx-beamforming properties of linear arrays with one, three, five, and seven active elements are investigated at different depths. The image quality obtained from synthetic Rx-beamforming, using responses from five electrodes, is estimated from reconstructed images of 25–100 μm thick objects. The axial and lateral resolutions of these images are found to be similar with the Tx-beamforming resolution parameters estimated from the time-derivative of the pressure beams

Drone-Mounted UWB Snow Radar: Technical Improvements and Field Results

Drone borne radar systems have seen considerable advances over recent years, and the application of drone-mounted continuous wave (CW) radars for remote sensing of snow properties has great potential. Regardless, major challenges remain in antenna design for which both low weight and small size combined with high gain and bandwidth are important design parameters. Additional limiting factors for CW radars include range ambiguities and antenna isolation. To solve these problems, we have developed an ultra-wideband snow sounder (UWiBaSS), specifically designed for drone-mounted measurements of snow properties. In this paper, we present the next iteration of this prototype radar system, including a novel antenna configuration and useful processing techniques for drone borne radar. Finally, we present results from a field campaign on Svalbard aimed to measure snow depth distribution. This radar system is capable of measuring snow depth with a correlation coefficient of 0.97 compared to in situ depth probin

Radiometric temperature reading of a hot ellipsoidal object inside the oral cavity by a shielded microwave antenna put flush to the cheek

A new scheme for detection of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in children has recently been proposed in the literature. The idea is to warm bladder urine via microwave exposure to at least fever temperatures and observe potential urine reflux from the bladder back to the kidney(s) by medical radiometry. As a preliminary step toward realization of this detection device, we present non-invasive temperature monitoring by use of microwave radiometry in adults to observe temperature dynamics in vivo of a water-filled balloon placed within the oral cavity. The relevance of the approach with respect to detection of VUR in children is motivated by comparing the oral cavity and cheek tissue with axial CT images of young children in the bladder region. Both anatomical locations reveal a triple-layered tissue structure consisting of skin–fat–muscle with a total thickness of about 8–10 mm. In order to mimic variations in urine temperature, the target balloon was flushed with water coupled to a heat exchanger, that was moved between water baths of different temperatures, to induce measurable temperature gradients. The applied radiometer has a center frequency of 3.5 GHz and provides a sensitivity (accuracy) of 0.03 °C for a data acquisition time of 2 s. Three different scenarios were tested and included observation through the cheek tissue with and without an intervening water bolus compartment present. In all cases, radiometric readings observed over a time span of 900 s were shown to be highly correlated (R ~ 0.93) with in situ temperatures obtained by fiberoptic probes

Drone-Mounted Ultrawideband Radar for Retrieval of Snowpack Properties

Extracting snowpack parameters from snow cover on sea ice or land is a time-consuming and potentially high-risk task. Moreover, deriving such parameters by manually digging a snow pit evidently yields low area coverage. We, therefore, propose a practical solution to this problem by mounting an ultrawideband radar system onto an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to obtain information such as snowpack depth, density, and stratigraphy in order to increase personnel safety and extend coverage area. In this paper, we describe the development of radar system hardware and its mounting onto a UAV, as well as initial tests with this radar as a snow measuring device. Preliminary results from both ground and airborne testing show that the radar system is capable of obtaining snow depth information that corresponds well to in situ validation data with a correlation of 0.87. The radar system also works well while mounted on a UAV platform with little additional signal noise from vibrational and translatory movements

UAV-BORNE UWB RADAR FOR SNOWPACK SURVEYS. (8/2018)

In this report we summarize the capabilities and technical characteristics of our UAV-borne UWB radar system, designed for conducting snow surveys. We developed an ultrawideband snow sounder that is capable of imaging snow stratigraphy with a 5 cm range resolution. The radar can be carried by an octocopter UAV in order to carry out airborne snowpack surveys. During a demonstration on Andøya, we showed that the radar was capable of resolving snow stratigraphy in wet snow conditions, as well as detecting a buried person under 1.5 m of wet snow. In this report, we present the results of the demonstration in detail. We furthermore discuss capabilities and incapabilities of our radar system and offer a list of future steps to bring it to an operational status.publishedVersio