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Chapter 7.
Range Measurement Applications

Figure 7.1: Industrial range measurement applications

Probably one of the greatest visions of the process industry has been a truly
wire-and-retire non-contact, non-intrusive continuous level measurement
instrument, a single technology that can be used in every application, a device
that is self-calibrating and maintenance-free, that is easy to install onto any
vessel with any process connection. At the same time this device should offer an
accuracy to within 1mm, it must be low-cost and capable of paying for itself in
under three months while able to operate in excess of 20 years. SA Instrumentation and
Control, May 1998
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7.1. Introduction
In the past non-intrusive measurement technologies struggled to cope with common
industrial situations:
Dust
Fumes and vapours
Air currents
Angle of repose
Foam
Fixed vessel intrusions
Agitator blades

7.2. Acoustic Level Measurement

This is also known as ultrasonic level measurement even when the frequency of
operation is within the audible range. Operation depends on measuring the elapsed
time between sending a sound pulse and receiving an echo and is probably the most
widely accepted non-contact technology in use today

Applications range from levels in silos, flow in open channels, blocked chute
detection to liquid level in tanks. However performance is limited by the presence of
changing concentrations of fumes and vapours, pressure changes, vacuum, high
temperatures, large temperature changes, excessive dust and foam on a liquid surface.

7.2.1. Propagation Velocity and Measurement Accuracy

Because the accuracy of ultrasonic technology relies on a knowledge of the speed of
sound in the medium, every unforseen change in that speed affects the accuracy of the
measurement.

In air at 20C, the speed of sound is 344m/s and it changes by 0.17% for every 1C
change in temperature. Most measurement systems incorporate a temperature sensor
that is used to compensate automatically for this variation.

The relationship between the molecular weight and the speed of sound is as follows

R(273 + T )
c= (7.1)
M

where: c- Velocity of sound (m/s)

R Universal gas constant 8134.3 (J/Kmol)
T Temperature (C)
M Molecular weight (kg/Kmol)
- Adiabatic exponent

The Molecular weight of the gas is calculated from its chemical formula and the
atomic number of its constituent elements. For example Toluol (C7H8) has a
molecular weight M = 712 + 81 = 92 kg/Kmol
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The adiabatic exponent can be estimated as follows:
1.66 for monatomic gases (He, Ne, Ar)
1.40 for diatomic gases (H2, O2, N2)
1.33 for triatomic and more complex gases (NH3, CH4, C7H8)
1.286 for very long molecules

For Toluol at 50C, the speed of sound is

1.33 8314.3 (273 + 50)

c= = 197 m / s .
92

The speed in mixtures of gases can be calculated using the molecular weight of the
gas mixture.

Problems still arise if the medium is not homogeneous in which case ultrasonic
technology is the incorrect choice for that application. For example a change from 0%
to 100% relative humidity produces a speed change of 0.3% at 20C, and a change in
pressure of 30bar similarly produces a speed change of 0.3%.

7.2.2. Absorption
Absorption loss is a complex function of frequency and will be discussed in Chapter
9. As a rule of thumb a 3dB decrease in signal level occurs every 2m at 45kHz and
only every 100m at 10kHz. To cater for this, long-range transducers have been
developed that operate at frequencies as low as 5kHz.

Attenuation is greater in some gases than in others with CO2 being particularly bad.
Mixtures of gases will generally exhibit an attenuation that is proportional to their
respective concentrations. Attenuation is also proportional to humidity, but this is
generally solved for all but the most marginal cases by the selection of an appropriate
transducer.

Attenuation by dust is dependent on its distribution and density. Light dust distributed
evenly throughout a long measuring range may be much more detrimental than heavy
dust confined to a small part of the range.

Decreases in pressure reduce the sound intensity and transducer performance due to
mismatch losses and thus reduces performance, In contrast to this, with an increase in
pressure, the increased mismatch losses are partially compensated for by the increased
sound intensity. Hence most acoustic systems can tolerate increases in pressure better
than they can tolerate a decrease.

7.2.3. Obstructions
Fixed obstructions such as support members can produce high-strength echoes that
can cause some instruments to malfunction. However, most modern instruments allow
false echoes to be identified and marked during commissioning.

Some rejection schemes depend on blanking segments of the span, while others form
a time varying sensitivity profile with low sensitivity at the false echo regions. The
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latter technique is more reliable as it does not hide the true target echo. However it is
difficult to strike a balance between false readings and detection probability.

Modern instruments are generally capable of producing a database of echoes when the
vessel is empty. This database is continuously updated and is used as a template to
identify the true target.

7.2.4. Air Currents

Since the medium is the carrier of the acoustic wave, bulk movement of the medium
will displace the acoustic wave. In open environments, air currents can cause the
beam to be deflected, and an incorrect path length to be measured, while in confined
environments, air currents are generally circulatory, and so will not cause sustained
bending. If, however, the flow becomes turbulent, significant disruption of both the
transmitted pulse and the echo can result in severe attenuation.

Doppler shift due to fluctuations in the air flow velocity can distort the echo phase
and result in significant mismatch with the transducer resulting in reduced sensitivity.

7.2.5. Vibration
Low frequency vibration can cause shifts in the carrier frequency that result in
reduced sensitivity.

Vibration frequencies close to the transducer resonant frequency can cause severe
degradation of the signal quality if the vibration is transmitted to the sensing element
of the transducer as it can mask echoes.

Vibration damping is generally employed to isolate acoustic transducers if they are

mounted on moving structures.

7.2.6. Target Properties

All materials will partially reflect, partially absorb and partially transmit the incident
acoustic pulse.

The proportion of energy reflected is a function the ratio of the characteristic

impedance of the solid target to the air. Because this is related to the propagation
velocity, hard dense targets tend to reflect well (as their propagation velocity is high),
while soft light targets tend to transmit or absorb

Z = .c , (7.2)

where - Material density (kg/m3),

c- Speed of sound in the material (m/s).

The following list gives the acoustic impedance of a few common materials.
Zair = 400
Zwater = 1.4106
Zglass = 13.1106
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While material properties are important at a microscopic level, the acoustic pulse
interacts with a relatively large area of the target, so the strength and quality of an
echo from the target will depend on its geometry.

With regard to geometry, there are two characteristics that are important:
Small scale granularity,
Large scale angle of repose and undulation.

Granularity
Granular particles scatter the reflected wave in all directions which is essential for an
echo return if the material is lying at an angle to the normal. If, however, the particle
size is comparable to /4, then significant cancellations can occur.

As a rule of thumb, the acoustic wavelength should be chosen to exceed the grain size
by a factor of four

Angle of Repose and Undulations

If the material surface lies at an angle to the incident acoustic wave, the echo will be
reflected away from the transducer towards the walls of the vessel. This can result in
the echo return following a zig-zag path and an incorrect range reading.

In general, however, surface granularity effects with solids ensure that sufficient
energy is scattered back in the direction of the transducer to obtain an accurate
reading. For targets with steep angles of repose, the width of the beam that strikes the
target can include will cover a wide range of distances, and so it is difficult to decide
on the correct one. In this instance, it is important to understand the target material,
and to use the highest possible frequency to minimise the beamwidth and hence spot
size on the target.

7.2.7. Transducer Effects

Most systems use a single piezoelectric transducer to perform the transmit and receive
function as the cost of the transducer represents a significant portion of the system
price.

Modern systems apply a high voltage (>100V) sinusoidal signal to generate the
transmit pulse. This allows precise control of the pulse and improved efficiency.

Transmitter frequency selection follows the following basic principles:

Liquids &simple solids 30kHz
Agitated liquids & dust free solids 20kHz
Steam, foaming liquid, dusty solid 10kHz
Steam, foaming liquid, powders etc 5kHz

Amplitudes of received pulses vary between about one volt down to fractions of
micro-volts depending on the target range and losses.

The received signal is amplified, demodulated (detected) and filtered to produce an

envelope which is further processed to identify a target echo.
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The emitted pulse envelope is generally rectangular, however, it takes a finite time for
the transducer to stop oscillating. This is known as the ring-down time.

During this time, the high amplitude oscillations would mask any echoes, so there is a
period after transmission during which no target can be reliably detected. This is
known as the blanking distance and is typically between 1 and 10ms (0.17 to 1.7m
range)
Transmit pulse

Target echo
Ring-down

Figure 7.2: Salient features of an acoustic pulse

7.2.8. Transducer Mounting and Placement

Figure 7.3: Transducer mounting configurations

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7.3. Acoustic Systems

The following section includes a few of the major producers of acoustic measurement
systems and their specifications where applicable.

7.3.1. Hawk Range Master System Specifications

Figure 7.4: Hawk acoustic measurement system

Amplifier and Transducer selections are made according to the maximum
operational range required from the unit

Table 7.1: Hawk amplifier and transducer selection

Maximum Transducer Amplifier Model & Blanking Distance
Range (m) Model Operating Range (m)
10 TD-30 RMA 10 (0-15m) 0.3m
20 TD-20 RMA 20 (0-30m) 0.4m
75 TD-10 RMA 100 (0-100m) 1.0m
125 TD-05 RMHA 125 (0-125m) 1.2m
System accuracy is 0.2% of full range
System resolution if 0.1% of full range

7.3.2. Milltronics AiRanger System Specifications

Figure 7.5: Milltronics acoustic measurement system

Amplifier and Transducer selections are made according to the maximum
operational range required from the unit
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Table 7.2: AiRanger specifications
Maximum Transducer Frequency Beamwidth Blanking
Range (m) Model (kHz) (deg) Distance (m)
7.5 ST-25 C 44 12 0.3m
15 ST-50 44 5 0.3m
30 LR-21 21 5 0.9m
60 LR-13 13 5.5 1.2m

7.3.3. Vega Vegason System Specifications

Figure 7.6: Vega acoustic measurement system

Vegason-50 Range 0.25 to 15m
Vegason-70 Range up to 30m
Vegason-80 Range up to 60m

7.4. Short Range Radar Level Measurement

For short range level measurement (R<30m), microwave radar sensors are very
common as they will operate through pressure windows (typically vacuum to 64bar)
into tanks.

Applications involving high pressure and temperature usually involve measuring

liquid levels and not solids or slurries, so very few instruments are designed to
measure the latter.

7.4.1. Propagation Velocity and Measurement Accuracy

It can be assumed that the propagation velocity is both known and constant.

c
v= m/s, (7.3)

where: v Velocity (m/s),

c Speed of light 2.997925108 (m/s),
- Relative dielectric constant.

In contrast to ultrasonics, errors caused by changes in propagation velocity due to

variations in temperature, pressure or medium are almost non-existent for radars.
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Table 7.3: Vapour content effect on velocity

Vapour Content Temperature Dielectric Velocity Error at 30m
(C) Constant (108 m/s) (m)
Air 0 1.000590 2.997925 0
Helium 140 1.000068 2.997823 +0.00104
Hydrogen 100 1.000264 2.997529 +0.00403
Oxygen 100 1.000523 2.997141 +0.00797
Nitrogen 100 1.000580 2.997055 +0.00885
Ammonia 0 1.007200 2.9871904 +0.10953
Benzene 400 1.002800 2.993736 +0.04265
Carbon Dioxide 100 1.000985 2.996449 +0.01501
Water 100 1.007850 2.986226 +0.11940

7.4.2. Absorption
The absorption of electromagnetic radiation by the gaseous medium is very small and
can be ignored for most industrial applications.

Particles suspended in the medium such as water droplets or dust can however have a
significant effect depending on their size (compared to the wavelength) and their
dielectric and conductivity properties. This will be examined in a later lecture

Absorption effects are proportional to frequency, and become particularly severe as

the wavelength approaches the size of the suspended particle. This is generally only a
problem for laser systems.

7.4.3. Target Properties

DIELECTRIC
CONSTANT % REFLECTION
The radar reflectivity characteristic is inversely
related to its relative dielectric constant
100
STEEL
Reduced reflection from low dielectric
materials allows the radar to penetrate foam
290
layers above liquids. It also allows the tracking
90

WATER 80
of water levels in tanks containing
80
hydrocarbons
27 70 SOLIDS WITH
WATER
As with acoustics, for solid targets, the particle
ALCOHOLS
size and angle of repose will have an effect on
14 60
the echo strength, so most of the discussion in
8 50 ALUMINIA
the section above is applicable here.
GYPSUM Liquid level radars often rely on the fact that
5 40
PHENOLIC
RESINS only one smooth high reflectivity target will be
CEREALS
SAND
visible to measure ranges to sub millimetre
3 30 PAPER
RUBBER accuracy. This is useful in custody transfer
OILS ASPHALT

2 20
SUGAR applications (petrol & oil).

FLY ASH &
hYDRO-
CARBONS
CEMENT Pulsed radars are good for high dielectric
1.4 10
SOAP constant materials r >8
POWDERS
COAL
1 0

LIQUIDS GASES SOLIDS

Figure 7.7: Dielectric effects at X-band

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7.4.4. Transducer Effects
Unlike the acoustic devices, radar units do not use a common transducer for the
transmitter and receiver, though they generally use a common antenna.

Most existing short range sensors operate at 5.8 or 10GHz. However, the next
generation of radar systems at 24GHz offer the advantages of smaller size and
narrower beamwidth.

The transmitter is generally based on a solid state oscillator (FET or HEMT) with the
whole circuit (transmitter and receiver) built on microstrip line. Some low-cost
modules still use iris coupled cavity based Gunn oscillators and diode mixers.

For long range applications (>100m), the frequency of choice will be even higher; at
35, 77 or 94GHz as a narrow beamwidth becomes even more important. In this case
the circuitry is still brass block and waveguide, though MMIC technology is starting
to appear at 77GHz.

Horns are the most common antennas and are mounted within the pressure vessel
beyond a transparent pressure window in the throat. The use of inert dielectric rod
(PTFE) antennas in clean industries such as dairy is also quite common, and parabolic
reflector antennas are available from some manufacturers for specialist applications.

Major manufacturers of short-range time-of-flight radar equipment with moderate

accuracy include Milltronics, Endress+Hauser and Vega, while SAAB, Enraf and
Krohne make high accuracy frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar
units for custody transfer applications.

7.4.5. Milltronics IQ Radar Specifications

Operates at 5.8GHz (USA 6.3GHz) and

transmits a 1.5ns pulse every 2us.
It will take reliable measurements of liquids
and slurries with r > 3 at ranges from 1 to
15m.
Temperature 40 to +200C, Pressure 1-16bar
Accuracy +/-0.3% of range
Repeatability +/-10mm
Time transformation is used

Figure 7.8: Milltronics radar

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7.4.6. Endress+Hauser Micropilot FMR-130 Radar Specifications

Pulsed time of flight principle

operating at 5.8GHz.
Effective radiated power (ERP)
1W avearge.
Maximum range 18m (with a
33m option)
Typical accuracy +/-5mm
Repeatability +/-3mm
Processing speed 44 samples per
second.
Beamwidth rod antenna 23
Beamwidth horn antenna 45

Figure 7.9: Endress radars

7.4.7. Vega Vegapuls Radar Specifications

Pulsed time of flight principle

Operational frequency 5.8GHz
Pulse width 1ns
Pulse repetition frequency 3.6MHz
Accuracy <0.1%
Uses time transformation processing

Figure 7.10: Vega radar

7.4.8. SAAB TankRadar PRO Radar Specifications

Frequency Modulated Continuous

Wave (FMCW) principle
Centre frequency 10GHz
Swept bandwidth 1GHz
Self calibrating 6 times per second
with internal delay line reference
Range 0 to 50m
Accuracy +/-5mm
MIP mode measures phase shift as the
surface changes to improve accuracy
to +/-0.1mm
Figure 7.11: SAAB radar
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7.4.9. Krohne BM70A Radar Specifications

FMCW perinciple
Operates at 9GHz
Swept band 8.5 to 9.9GHz
Linearity correction using oscillator
reference. Correction to 98%
Accuracy not specified (BM70 specified as
<0.5% of measured value)
Range 0.5 to 40m (options up to 100m)
Repeatability < 0.5 error of measurement
Resolution 1mm
Permittivity r >=1.5
Pressure up to 64bar (option 400 bar)

Figure 7.12: Krohne radar

7.4.10. Other radars

Apex
Operates using the FMCW principle
Centre frequency 25GHz
Sweep band 2GHz (24-26GHz)
Accuracy +/-5mm over range 0.5 to 10m
Accuracy +/-0.05% over range 10 to 30m
Repeatability +/-1mm
Resolution +/-0.4mm
Beamwidth 22.9, 13.7 and 10.5 for different horn antennas
Full vacuum to 10bar

Enraf Smart radar

Based on a combination of pulsed and phase shift methods
Operational frequency 10GHz
Synthesised pulse (phase shift at different frequencies to obtain superior
results). Accuracy <+/-1mm
Designed for Tank farm operations

Trolex
Range to 20m
Resolution 1mm

TN-Technologies RCM
FMCW mode of operation
Range 0.3 to 34m
Accuracy +/-3mm
Repeatability +/-3mm
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7.5. Long Range Radar Level Measurement

For longer range operation (100 to 400m) in dusty or humid environments, millimetre
wave radar offers the only viable option for two reasons.
Dust and vapour penetration is superior to laser or ultrasonic devices
The beamwidth is sufficiently narrow to avoid illuminating the walls and
so superior to microwave-radar devices

Most of the characteristics of millimetre wave radar are similar to those of microwave
radar, and so will not be repeated here.

Figure 13: Beamwidth effects on echo shape

The Dusty Ranger is a W-Band (94GHz) radar developed by us at AMS in South

Africa primarily to measure range in dusty orepasses and silos

The photograph gives an

indication of the dust
level in a typical orepass

Note the dust that has

accumulated on the radar
in less than a week

Figure 7.13: Dust accumulation on a radar

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Table 7.4: Specifications of the orepass radars
Short Range Version Long Range Version
Pulsed FM principle FMCW principle
Range 7 120m Range 5 350m
Frequency 94GHz Frequency 94GHz
Transmit power 10mW Transmit power 10mW
Pulswidth 30ns Swept bandwidth 150MHz
Antenna beamwidth 1.5 Antenna beamwidth 0.75
Resolution 4.5m Resolution 1m
Accuracy +/-1m Accuracy +/-1m

A new radar has been developed at the ACFR which replaces both the short and long
range units with a single FMCW radar that can be configured for either requirement.

Figure 7.14: Orepass radar developed at the ACFR

7.5.1. Other Long Range Radar Developments

A low frequency radar was developed for LKAB (Sweden) that utilised the
waveguide characteristics of a narrow pass to propagate the EM wave more than
400m. However this technique required that the radar frequency be tuned for every
pass.

The University of Cape Town in South Africa developed an X-Band (10GHz) orepass
radar that was unsuccessful because of clutter returns from the sides of the pass.

A Russian company ELVA-1 also has a 94GHz radar on the market. It operates using
the FMCW principle and has specifications very similar to the ACFR unit.

7.6. Laser Level Measurement

Using low-cost mature technology, laser range finders provide the most cost-effective
method to measure long range in benign environments.

Because the operating wavelength is about 1m, even a small aperture (50mm) can
produce a beam with a divergence of <0.1, this allows for high angular resolution
and long range measurements to be made with low effective radiated power (ERP).
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High-speed modulation of laser diodes is possible so good range resolutions can also
be achieved using short pulses and the split-gate discriminator discussed in Chapter 5.

7.6.1. Propagation velocity and measurement accuracy

Propagation velocity will be similar to that of the lower frequency EM sensors.
However, as laser systems are generally used in air, it can be assumed that the
velocity will be a constant 2.997925108 m/s

Measurement accuracy is a function of the sensor electronics rather than the

environment

7.6.2. Absorption
The maximum range achievable with a laser range finder depends strongly on the
visibility.

Range performance is generally specified for clear air (20km visibility), while at
lower visibility, the maximum range is reduced due to atmospheric attenuation. This
is shown for Riegl lasers in the graph.

Absorption is a function of both the material type and the size of particles (this is dealt
with in more detail in Chapter 8).

Figure 7.15: Effect of mist and fog on laser radar detection range
These visibility curves are calculated for water, however, as a first approximation they
can be used for suspended dust particles if the particle diameters are similar. As a rule
of thumb, the performance of IR lasers is similar to sensors operating in the visible
region If you can see a target, the laser can probably measure its range.
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7.6.3. Target properties
The amount of light that is returned from a targets surface is characterised by its
reflection coefficient and its surface properties.

Diffuse Reflection Specular reflection Retro Reflection

Figure 7.16: Target reflective characteristics

The reflection coefficient is a function of frequency, so the tables reproduced later

for microwave and 10m infrared will not be the same as those for 0.9m infrared
shown in the table.

For a diffuse scatterer, the reflection coefficient cannot exceed 100%, but for a
specular scatterer, the reflection coefficient can be many times this value.

Table 7.5: Reflectivity values for various materials

Diffusely Reflecting Material Reflectivity (%)
White paper Up to 100
Cut clean dry pine 94
Snow 80-90
Beer foam 88
White masonry 85
Limestone, clay Up to 75
Newspaper with print 69
Tissue paper 2-ply 60
Deciduous trees Typ 60
Coniferous trees Typ 30
Carbonate sand (dry) 57
Carbonate sand (wet) 41
Beach sand and bare desert Typ 50
Rough wood pallet (clean) 25
Smooth concrete 24
Asphalt with pebbles 17
Lava 8
Black neoprene 5
Black rubber tyre wall 2
Specular Reflecting Material
Reflecting foil 3M2000X 1250
Opaque white plastic1 110
Opaque black plastic1 17
Clear plastic1 50
1 Measured with the beam perpendicular to the surface to achieve maximum reflection
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The operational range of a laser sensor is generally specified for a target with 80%
diffuse reflectivity. For other reflectivities it can be determined using the graph below.
The mechanisms that cause this attenuation are considered in more detail in Chapter
8.

Figure 7.17: Effect of target reflectivity on laser radar range

7.6.4. Transducer effects

Most low cost laser range measurement devices operate using the pulsed time of flight
principle. A low power ( 2mW) pulsed laser diode operating in the infrared ( 1m)
transmits a short pulse ( 10-20ns) through a collimating lens towards the target. The
light is scattered by the target and a small portion is reflected back towards the sensor.

Optics

Diode
Digital Laser Target
Micro
Signal
Controller
Processor
Photo
Diode
Receiver
Display

Figure 7.18: Schematic diagram of a laser radar

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Generally, to limit receiver saturation (or even damage) a separate receive aperture
focuses the reflected radiation onto a narrow band fast light sensitive diode (PIN
diode or avalanche photodiode).

7.6.5. Last Pulse Processing

Under conditions of poor visibility, partial reflections may be received from a number
of false targets before the true target range is reached. To cater for this eventuality,
Riegl has introduced a processing scheme that allows the user to select the last or next
to last return.

Targets can only be distinguished in range if they are separated by between 2 and 5m
(depending on the echo size).

Figure 7.19: Last pulse processing

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7.7. Industrial Laser Ranging Systems

There are many manufacturers of laser based industrial measurement sensors, so two
manufacturers (Riegl and Laser-M) were chosen as being representative of the range
of devices available

7.7.1. Riegl LD90 Industrial Distance Sensor

Pulsed time of flight

Range 150m (>80%), 50m >10%),
1000m (retro reflector)
Accuracy +/-25mm
Repeatability +/-50mm (175ms int time)
Repeatability +/-10mm (2s integ time)
Output resolution (quantisation) 5mm
Divergence 2mrad (0.1)
Figure 7.20: Riegl LD90

7.7.2. Riegl FG21 Laser Tape

Pulsed time of flight

Range: Masonry 2km,
Trees 1.5km, Retro
reflectors 3km
Wavelength 0.9m
Accuracy +/-1m
Resolution 1m
Beam divergence 2mrad
(20cm per 100m)
Acquisition time 0.5s typ
Figure 7.21: Riegl FG21

7.7.3. Laser-M LM4-LR-120 Industrial Distance Sensor

Pulsed time of flight

Wavelength Infrared with visible
alignment pointer
Range 10-120m
Resolution 0.6m (0.5% of max)
Update up to 12 per sec
Available in low and high power
versions

Figure 7.22: Laser-M LR-120

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7.8. Recreational Laser Ranging Systems

In the past few years, a number of low-cost laser range finders have become available
for the recreational market (mostly golf and hunting). These systems are all based on
pulsed time of flight techniques, and offer remarkable performance.

Table 7.6: Recreational laser range finder specifications

Figure 7.23: Bushnell Yardage Pro Sport and the image taken through the viewfinder
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7.9. Selection of the Correct Sensor

The following should be considered when making a decision with regard to which
sensor would be suitable for a particular industrial application.

Measurement Accuracy
Rough, when to fill or empty only
Accurate, volume or depth at any time

Conditions at Vessel
Internal construction and obstructions
Diameter
Depth
Wall material
Heating coils
Indoor or outdoor location
Vibration
Number of filling/emptying orifices

Measurement Medium
Temperature
Pressure
Composition
Steam or vapour
Foam
Fumes
Dust

Target Characteristics
Suspended solids
Interfaces (water/oil)
Corrosiveness
Reflectivity
Dielectric constant
Conductivity
Particle size
Angle of repose
Figure 7.24: Cost effective sensor selection for an orepass
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7.10.Short Range Sensors

7.10.1. The Polaroid/SensComp Ultrasonic Sensor
Probably the most common of the ultrasonic sensors used for robotic applications is
the Polaroid 6500 ranging module and an appropriate transducer.

The ping is generated by supplying the electrostatic transducer with 16 low-high-

low transitions between +200 and 200V at about 50kHz.

Under normal conditions the receiver is blanked for a short period (2.38ms) to reduce
the possibility of false alarm. This defines the minimum range of operation.

The reflected signal excites the transducer which must have a resonance at about
50kHz, and it generates a small voltage which is fed into a stepped-gain amplifier.

The gain of the amplifier is increased exponentially to compensate for the 1/R2
propagation loss up to a maximum range of 10m

Threshold detection is used to detect an echo. This is output as a digital bit and the
time of flight is determined by measuring the time from the initiation of the ping to
the received echo.

Figure 7.25: Polaroid/SensComp ultrasound sensor

The current consumed by this sensor is quite low (<100mA) except when it is
transmitting during which time the current drawn rises to 2A. This induces large
transients on the DC power line that can cause problems.

The Polaroid 6500 ranging module can use a

number of different transducers a selection of
which are shown in this picture (Series 9000,
Instrument Grade and Series 7000)

The Instrument Grade unit is the most accurate and offers the narrowest beamwidth. It
operates at about 50kHz.

The Series 7000 has a slightly wider beam which can be useful for unscanned
applications while the Series 9000 offers an oval beam pattern and is designed to
withstand harsh environments where it may be exposed to water, salt etc. it operates at
a frequency of 45kHz.
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Navigation Application of Polaroid Sonar

Most indoor robots use ultrasound sensors as one of their localisation sensors because
they are low cost, have a reasonable operational range and a good range resolution.
Their main drawback is a wide beamwidth which results in poor angular resolution.

Figure 7.26: Various indoor robots showing the arrays of Polaroid sensors

From a navigation perspective, this poor angular resolution has a major impact on the
performance of these sensors. Because many indoor walls, and other structures, are
smooth in relation to the wavelength of the ultrasound they exhibit specular behaviour
(see Chapter 8). This means that strong returns only occur if the beam is orthogonal to
the surface or it is aiming into a corner.

Early researchers tried to construct line segments from which the internal structure of
the space could be reconstructed as shown in the following figure, but because of the
wide beam pattern and the specular behaviour this was not particularly successful in
matching to external plans.

Figure 7.27: Scanned ultrasound image of a room

More robust methods of using sonar data include occupancy grids in which the sonar
returns are used to confirm the occupancy of individual grid elements in a dense 2D
array. Unfortunately, because of the relatively slow speed of sound, building up such
grids is very time consuming.

Since the advent of high speed scanned LIDAR, the use of ultrasound has been
relegated to low cost or niche applications.
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7.10.2. The Micropower Impulse Radar
The microwave equivalent of Polaroid ultrasonic sensor is the Micropower Impulse
Radar (MIR) which was developed by the Lawrence Livermore laboratory in 1993.

Figure 7.28: Micropower impulse radar module and schematic block diagram

A pseudo random noise generator generates randomly spaced pulses at an average

PRF of 2MHz +/-20% with a Gaussian distribution. The interval between pulses can
range from 200 to 625ns. The pulses have a constant width which on-off modulates
a transmitter centred at either 1.95 or 6.5GHz.

Because the pulse width, , is very short, the approximate bandwidth of the radiated
signal is very wide, about 500MHz at a centre frequency of 1.95GHz as shown in the
figure below.

Figure 7.29: Micropower impulse radar timing diagram and spectrum

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The same pulse generator that generates the transmit pulses is used to gate the
receiver after a predetermined delay td. Only echoes received during that particular
time window are detected. Because the average duty cycle of the transmitted pulses is
<1%, and since the modulation spacing is random, any number of identical MIR
sensors can be operated in close proximity without significant interference.

Integration of some 10000 received pulses is conducted prior to detection and

ranging, so even if some interference is experienced it is unlikely to compromise the
performance of the radar.

The low duty cycle of the radar ensures that the power consumption is very low
(50W) with the result that two AA batteries should power it for a number of years.
In addition the effective radiated power (measured using a broadband bolometer) has
been found to be about 1W which is more than 1000 times lower than the
international safety standard of 1mW/cm2 for continuous whole body exposure.

Because of the wide bandwidth and low frequency, the MIR signals will penetrate the
human body and so can be used to monitor both heart and arterial movement. Non
contact respiration monitoring is another application. Because the sensitive area can
be gated, the system would be ideal as a monitor for individual patients in ICU, a
terrorist behind a wall or as a cot alarm to monitor babies who might be susceptible to
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The following figure shows the experimental
results of body detection through a wall.

Figure 7.30: Using MIR to detect movement through a wall

Ground Penetrating Application

(The HERMES (High-Performance Electromagnetic Roadway Mapping and

Evaluation System) Bridge Inspector is a radar-based sensing system mounted in a
trailer.

HERMES uses 64 MIR modules mounted underneath a trailer pulled by a vehicle at

traffic speeds. The sensors, assembled into an array about 2m wide, are spaced about
30mm apart. They send out UWB pulses with frequencies ranging from 1 to 5
gigahertz, penetrating concrete to a depth of up to 300mm. As the pulses propagate
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through the bridge deck, the echoes are recorded by a computer inside the trailer and
compiled into a three-dimensional map of the deck.

Figure 7.31: (a) HERMES trailer, (b) Interior showing the array of 64 modules and (c) an image
showing where potential delamination may have occurred

Other Applications

Other applications include range meters, intrusion alarms, level detectors, automation,
robotics, human speech analysis, weapons and novelty products.
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7.11.Orepass Radar Development: Case Study

Radar Le ve l 1

7.11.1. Requirement

To measure the range from 10m to the bottom

of a 300m deep 6m diameter ore pass so that
an estimate (accurate to 1%) can be made of
the amount of ore available.
A typical pass configuration is shown in the
diagram
The pass will be filled with loose rock, which
may be dry or wet, and there will be lots of
dust.
A grizzly (coarse grid) at the top of the pass
ensures that rocks do not exceed 1m in
diameter.
The radar should be capable of operating
while rock is being tipped into the pass
S to p P u llin g The range measurement update rate should be
sufficiently high to monitor the progress of the
rock as it falls down the pass
Crusher Lev el 3 Blasting takes place within 50m of the radar
St at io n
and the concussion wave that travels through
the development is intense.
Figure 7.32: Orepass schematic diagram

7.11.2. Selection of a Sensor

This was discussed previously. Dust attenuation makes the laser option unworkable
and the long range eliminates ultrasonic techniques. Radar is the only viable option.

7.11.3. Range Resolution

The rock surface will not be regular, large rock diameters and the angle of repose of
the rock surface will result in reflections occurring over at least 1.5m in range.

To obtain a measurement accuracy of 1% over a 300m deep pass requires a resolution

of 3m or better.

We select a range resolution of 2m, which is quite well matched to the target size (to
maximise the radar cross section) and is also less than the required measurement
accuracy.

To obtain a range resolution of 2m, the transmitted pulse width and the range gate
size R must both be 2m.
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7.11.4. Target Characteristics

The pile of rock may be wet or dry. It can be shown that the radar cross section, , is
a function of the relative dielectric constant r:
2
1
=k r (7.4)
r + 2

For the rock the r = 2.25 and for water it is 801. The ratio of the RCS for wet and dry
rock targets is water/rock = 0.9282/0.0865 = 10.7 (10.3dB).

The pile of rock can be described as a number of facets of various sizes and facing in
different directions. Scattering from the various facets may add constructively or
destructively and thus a large variation in the reflectivity (cross section per unit area)
can be expected.

Without going into details regarding scattering from rough surfaces, we can glean
from the literature that the mean reflectivity o will be about 10dB, when the rock is
dry.
Probability

-25 -10 +5
Reflectivity (dB)

Figure 7.33: Rock reflectivity distribution

Because we can expect both deep fades and large specular returns, we will assume a
log-normal distribution with the tails extending 15dB on either side of the mean as
shown in the figure above.

7.11.5. Clutter Characteristics

The walls of the pass are made of the same material as the target; they are also very
rough so we can assume the same variation in reflectivity.

Because the grazing angle is much lower, we can assume a slight reduction in the
mean reflectivity to 15dB.

7.11.6. Target Signal to Clutter Ratio (SCR)

For adequate detection probability, the target to clutter ratio requirements can be
determined in a similar manner as the signal to noise ratio requirements. We assume
that at least 13dB is required for adequate Pd and Pfa.

1
This is not true at 94GHz where the dielectric constant of water is much lower
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The maximum mean target cross section is the product of the mean reflectivity and
the beam footprint = oA. This occurs when the beam fills the pass.

R Clutter Area

Target Area

(a) (b)
Figure 7.34: Diagrams showing (a) target and clutter areas and (b) beamwidth effect on echo

To simplify the calculations we convert everything to dB. The target area in dB is just
10log10(A)=10log10(d 2/4) = 14.5dBm2.

The mean target RCS, tar = 14.5-10 = 4.5dBm2.

The clutter area within the same gate as the target echo is a cylinder of the pass with
diameter d and height equal to the gate size R.

The clutter area is 10log10(.d.R) = 10log10(37.7) = 15.8dBm2.

The mean clutter RCS, clut = 15.8-15 = 0.8dBm2

The target to clutter (SCR) ratio is 4.5-0.8 = 3.7dB, which is much too low for a good
probability of detection. It is not possible to use integration to improve the effective
SCR because the target returns are correlated in the same way as the signal returns.

The logical alternative is to ensure that the beamwidth is sufficiently narrow that no
reflections are returned from the walls of the pass.

7.11.7. Antenna Beamwidth

At a range of 300m antenna footprint must not exceed 6m

3dB = 6/300 = 0.02 rad (1.15). For a slight safety margin, make the beamwidth 1.

7.11.8. Antenna Size and Radar Frequency

The beamwidth in degrees and the antenna diameter (for a circular aperture) are
related by the following empirical formula:

70
d= (7.5)
3dB
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If we consider the size of the antenna that will be required as a function of the
operational frequency, we can select an appropriate frequency.
The smaller the antenna the easier it is to mount and align the radar.
Components costs are proportional to frequency
Propagation losses increase proportional to frequency
Table 7.7: Antenna diameter as a function of operational frequency
f (GHz) (m) d (m) Comment
10 0.03 2.1 Much too large
35 0.0086 0.6 Too large
77 0.0039 0.27 ok
94 0.0032 0.22 ok

It can be seen from the table that a frequency of 77 or 94GHz would be satisfactory.

7.11.9. Radar Configuration

The proposed radar configuration is shown below:

Pulsed IMPATT
Oscillator

Pulse 94GHz
Generator
250mm Diameter
Cassegrain Antenna
Amplifier Mixer
Successive
Detection Matched
Log Amp Filter 300MHz

93.7GHz Circulator

Gunn
Oscillator
Figure 7.35: Pulsed radar schematic diagram

7.11.10. Component Selection

Antenna Options

Antennas are available with diameters of 200, 250 and 300mm. We select a 250mm
diameter antenna for operation at 94GHz
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Select a 250mm diameter Cassegrain antenna from
Millitech or a 250mm horn lens from Flann Microwave.

At 94GHz the characteristics of the two antennas are

similar

Gain = 46dB, E = 0.8 H = 0.9

Cassegrain antenna sidelobes will be marginally higher

than those of the horn lens.

Figure 7.36: Cassegrain antenna

We can confirm these specifications by calculation. For an aperture efficiency A =0.7

(typical for a Cassegrain antenna)

4 A A
G= = 42432 (46.2dB) (7.5)
2

70
= = = 0.89 (7.6)
d

Radar Transmitter

Pulsed time of flight with an uncompressed pulse width of 2m

2R
= = 13.3ns (7.7)
c

The lowest cost option will be a pulsed radar based on a non-coherent solid state
Gunn or IMPATT diode based transmitter.

The off-the-shelf options from Millitech are

as follows:
Pulsed Gunn = 20ns to 1000s with
a maximum duty cycle of 50% and Pt
= 0.1W (20dBm). Typical chirp
100MHz

Pulsed IMPATT = 50ns or 100ns

with a PRF between 10 and 75kHz
and Pt = 12W (40.8dBm). Typical
chirp 100MHz

Figure 7.37: Pulsed IMPATT transmitter

Neither transmitter meets the 13.3ns pulse width requirement. However, we select the
Gunn option as being the closest at 20ns (3m), which is still equal to the specified 1%
without using interpolation methods to improve the measurement resolution.
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Receiver Options

The receiver configuration could be one of the following:

RF amp Mixer IF Amp Matched Filter (G = 20dB DSB NF = 6dB)
Mixer IF Amp Matched Filter (L = 8dB DSB NF = 7dB)

Amplifiers at 94GHz are still extremely expensive ($15k each), so the small noise
figure advantage is not justified.

We will use the 2nd option

Local Oscillator

Not much choice. A mechanically tuned Gunn

oscillator with an output power Pout = 40mW
(16dBm) is adequate.

Figure 7.38: Gunn local oscillator

Duplexer

Options include the following:

3dB Directional Coupler, 20dB directivity, 1.6dB Tx insertion loss and 4.6dB
Rx insertion loss
Junction Circulator, 20dB isolation, 0.8dB insertion loss for both Tx and Rx
paths.

From both insertion loss and isolation (directivity) the circulator is either superior or
equal to the coupler. The coupler can handle higher powers, but the circulator is good
to 5W peak that is fine for our application.

The circulator is also smaller and lighter than the coupler.

Figure 7.39: Circulators

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Matched Filter

Assuming a rectangular transmit pulse and 2 cascaded single tuned stages, he

optimum . will be 0.613 with a loss in SNR of 0.56dB. For = 20ns, the optimum
bandwidth = 30.65MHz.

Because the transmitter chirps about 100MHz during the pulse period, using a filter
with a bandwidth of only 30MHz would result in a significant loss of received power
10log10(30/100) = 5dB.

It is very difficult to make a matched filter for the uncontrolled transmitter chirp as it
is extremely non-linear and is a function of a number of factors that are difficult to
control.

We will use a compromise filter with a bandwidth of 50MHz that will have a loss of
about 3dB compared to a matched filter.

The IF Frequency

The IF frequency is selected according to the following:

Amplifier components easy to obtain and low cost
The matched filter with a bandwidth of 50MHz is easy to construct
Detectors are available at that frequency

A typical amplifier would have the following specifications

Band 200-400MHz
Gain 30dB
Noise Figure 1.5dB

The Transmit and Local Oscillator Frequencies

For the selected IF centre frequency of 300MHz, the transmitter is tuned to operate at
94GHz and the LO at 93.7GHz.

We do not have an image filter, so the Transmitter could just as well operate at
93.4GHz.

Dynamic Range Requirements

The system dynamic range requirements are as follows:

Target RCS variation 30dB due to physical characteristics
Target RCS variation 10dB due to wet/dry surface
Because the area illuminated and hence the RCS is proportional to R2, the
range dependent change in signal level Srec as predicted using the radar range
equation is a function of R-2.
Dynamic Range = 20log10(Rmax/Rmin) = 30dB

The total echo dynamic range is 30+10+30 = 70dB

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Detector Options

The following detector options are considered

Envelope Detector with an STC controlled variable gain amplifier to minimise
the dynamic range requirements of the rest of the system.
Successive detection Log Amplifier (SDLA) with an instantaneous dynamic
range of greater than 70dB and no STC requirements.
STC & Square Law Detector Option
Voltage Controlled
Square Law
Amplifier
Detector

IF Amp
Matched Baseband
Input Filter Output

Control
Voltage
Gain Ramp From the PRF
Generator Generator

SDLA Option
Matched Successive
Amp Detection
Filter Log Amp

Figure 7.40: Detector options

Because of the uncertainties in the overall design (RCS levels etc), the SDLA is
selected because its performance is more robust than the detector. It is also easier to
interface to the post-detection electronics.

A Pascal SDLA has a DC voltage output proportional to the input power.

The specifications are as follows:

Dynamic Range >70dB

Output Voltage V

Tangential Sensitivity 75dBm

Pulse rise time 3ns Slope

Pulse Decay time 6ns 25mV/dB

Transfer Function 25mV/dB

Output level 2V for a 0dBm input
signal -70 0
Input Power dBm

Figure 7.41: SDLA transfer function

7.11.11. Signal to Noise Ratio

Transmitted power Ptx = Posc Lline Lcirc = 20-0.4-0.8=18.8dBm

SSB Noise Figure. If we use the formula which includes the mixer loss Lm = 8dB and
an IF amplifier with a noise figure of 1.5dB as well as line losses Lrec = Lline +Lcirc =
0.4+0.8 = 1.2dB

NFrec= Lrec + Lm + NFIF = 1.2+8+1.5 = 10.7dB

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Matched Filter Loss Lmatch = 3dB is added to the noise figure making the total noise
figure NFtot =13.7dB.

7.11.12. Output Signal to Noise Ratio

The received power is calculated using the radar range equation which is re written in
dB terms:

2
Pr = Pt + 2G + 10 log10 + 40 log10 R dBm (7.8)
(4 )3
At the maximum operational range of 300m, and using the mean RCS of 4.5dBm2, the
received power is:

Pr = 18.8 + 2x46 82.9 + 4.5 99 = -66.6dBm

The noise power in dBm for a bandwidth of 50MHz

Pn = 10 log10 (kT ) + NFtot = -127+13.7+30 = -83.2dBm

The signal to noise ratio SNR = -66.6 (-83.2) = 16.6dB

However, because of fluctuations in the target RCS, the minimum predicted single
pulse SNR may be 15dB lower than this:

SNRmin = 16.6-15 = 1.6dB

7.11.13. Required IF Gain

We want the minimum signal into the SDLA to equal 70dBm so that we can make
use of the full dynamic range of the device.

The actual signal power after down conversion for the minimum predicted RCS at the
longest range would be:

Pif = Pr-Lrec-Lm 15 = -66.6-1.2-8 -15 = -90.8dBm

A minimum IF gain of 21dB would be required.

7.11.14. Detection Probability and Pulses Integrated

Assuming that we need a detection probability Pd = 0.95 and a very low false alarm
probability Pfa = 10-12, then we require an effective SNR of 16.3dB

To achieve a post detection integration gain of 16.3-1.6 = 14.7dB we need to integrate

N pulses. Where N = 10(14.7/8) = 68 pulses.

Note that this is not altogether true as the formula was derived for a square law
detector and we are using a SDLA. To compensate, we will integrate an additional 60
pulses (N = 128)
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7.11.15. Measurement Update Rate
For a maximum unambiguous range of 300m, we can operate the radar at a maximum
PRF of c/2Rmax = 500kHz. With 128 pulses integrated, the update rate for
measurement output is reduced to 3.9kHz.

7.11.16. Monitoring Rock Falling Down the Pass

We assume that the rock that enters the pass accelerates due to gravity until it hits the
bottom.
There is no terminal velocity due to air resistance
There is no terminal velocity due to friction from the walls of the pass

By the time the rock reaches 300m down it will be travelling at 76m/s. At an update
rate of 3.9kHz, the rock will have moved all of 20mm between samples.

The Doppler shift will be fd = 2v/ = 39kHz which is a very small fraction of the
50MHz IF bandwidth, so can be ignored.

7.12.Prototype Build and Test

A prototype pulsed radar unit was built as described

Figure 7.42: The prototype orepass radar

PULSED OREPASS RADAR: RANGE ECHO PROFILE
9000

Bang Pulse
8000

7000

6000
Amplitude (mV)

5000

4000
Echo
3000

2000

1000

0
-50 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Range (m)

Figure 7.43: Orepass echo profile obtained using a pulsed W-band radar
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RANGE ECHO PROFILE SNAPSHOTS: MINE5 RANGE ECHO PROFILE SNAPSHOTS: MINE5
9000 9000

8000 8000

7000 7000

6000 6000
Amplitude (mV)

Amplitude (mV)
5000 5000

4000 4000

3000 3000

2000 2000

1000 1000

0 0
0 50 100 150 200 250 0 50 100 150 200 250
Depth (m) Depth (m)

RANGE ECHO PROFILE SNAPSHOTS: MINE5 RANGE ECHO PROFILE SNAPSHOTS: MINE5
9000 9000

8000 8000

7000 7000

6000 6000
Amplitude (mV)

Amplitude (mV)
5000 5000

4000
4000

3000
3000

2000
2000

1000
1000

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 0
Depth (m) 0 50 100 150 200 250
Depth (m)

RANGE ECHO PROFILE SNAPSHOTS: MINE5 RANGE ECHO PROFILE SNAPSHOTS: MINE5
9000 9000

8000 8000

7000 7000

6000 6000
Amplitude (mV)

Amplitude (mV)

5000 5000

4000 4000

3000 3000

2000
2000

1000
1000

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 0
0 50 100 150 200 250
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Depth (m)

RANGE ECHO PROFILE SNAPSHOTS: MINE5 RANGE ECHO PROFILE SNAPSHOTS: MINE5
9000 9000

8000 8000

7000 7000

6000 6000
Amplitude (mV)

Amplitude (mV)

5000 5000

4000 4000

3000 3000

2000
2000

1000
1000

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 0
0 50 100 150 200 250
Depth (m)
Depth (m)

Figure 7.44: Pulsed radar snapshots of rock falling down a pass.

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