Radar Interferometric Tomography for Opaque Particle Flows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for measuring particle concentrations in opaque particle-laden flows face challenges such as particle overlap, ghost particles, and hardware damage, leading to measurement uncertainties and limitations in high concentration environments.
Innovation Solution
The use of a radar system configured to process reflected electromagnetic signals through tomographic methods, allowing for the measurement of path-integrated concentrations in optically opaque multiphase flows, overcoming the limitations of existing diagnostics in high particle concentration environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If optical diagnostics are used to measure particle concentrations, then measurement capability is available for dilute conditions, but measurements fail at volume fractions above 0.1% to 0.01% due to opacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces optical diagnostics with radar-based electromagnetic wave technology. Instead of using light to measure particle concentrations, the system transmits electromagnetic waves through the particle-laden flow and measures the scattered signals. This substitution of the measurement mechanism (from optical to electromagnetic radar) enables measurement in opaque, high-concentration environments where optical methods fail, while maintaining measurement precision across a broader range of concentration conditions.
2Measurement precision
If classical intrusive instrumentation is used in particle-laden flows, then direct measurements can be obtained, but hardware is damaged or jammed through erosion, impact, or triboelectric charging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces electromagnetic waves as an intermediary medium to perform measurements without direct contact between particles and instrumentation. The radar system transmits electromagnetic waves that pass through the particle-laden flow, and the scattered waves carry information about particle concentrations. This intermediary approach allows direct measurement capability while eliminating harmful interactions between particles and hardware, as the electromagnetic waves interact with particles without causing erosion, impact damage, or triboelectric charging.
3Measurement precision
If laser and phase Doppler anemometry are used for particle measurements, then velocity and size can be measured, but measurement uncertainties increase with concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental measurement parameter from optical scattering (laser-based) to electromagnetic wave scattering (radar-based). By operating at radar frequencies rather than optical frequencies, the system measures particle concentrations and velocities through different physical interactions. This parameter change allows measurements to be performed with consistent reliability across a wide range of concentrations, avoiding the increased measurement uncertainties that plague laser and phase Doppler anemometry at high particle concentrations.
4Measurement precision
If high-speed and high-resolution cameras are used for concentration measurements, then imaging capability is improved, but particle overlap and ghost particles occur at high concentrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces camera-based imaging systems with radar-based electromagnetic wave measurement. Instead of capturing images that suffer from particle overlap and ghost particle artifacts at high concentrations, the system uses electromagnetic wave scattering measurements to directly quantify particle concentrations. This substitution eliminates the imaging quality degradation that occurs when particles overlap in camera views, providing accurate concentration measurements even in dense particle-laden flows.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables accurate measurement of particle concentrations at high repetition rates, several orders of magnitude higher than optical techniques, with improved cost-effectiveness, power efficiency, and safety compared to traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
A radar system is configured to process reflected electromagnetic signals
Implementation Method 2
radar interferometric tomography for opaque particle-lade flows
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a reflector and a radar system positioned opposite from the reflector with an area under test therebetween having a particle-medium mixture. The radar system includes an antenna to emit, at the reflector, a series of chirps within a first electromagnetic signal and to receive a second electromagnetic signal that includes reflected chirps that bounce off the reflector. An ADC converts the second electromagnetic signal to a digital signal containing phase, frequency, and amplitude information. A processing device is to process the digital signal to: detect raw phase data of reflector peaks to be tracked over the reflected chirps; unwrap the raw phase data into a continuous phase-based signal; correct for phase non-linearities within the continuous phase-based signal; and generate, from the corrected continuous phase-based signal, a path-integrated particle number density for the particle-medium mixture.