Design Optimization of Fully Digital, Wideband FMCW-Based Ground Penetrating Radar System
Loading...
Authors
Ross, Anthony David
Issue Date
2023
Type
Thesis
Language
Keywords
FMCW , Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave , Fully Digital , GPR , Ground Penetrating Radar , Radar
Alternative Title
Abstract
Since its invention, ground penetrating radar (GPR) has been widely used in civilian and military settings. GPR is, in general, always used to detect subsurface objects. Some examples of detected objects could be: rebar in concrete, boulders, landmines, air pockets or voids, geological horizons, and humans under avalanches. The primary selling point of GPR is its ability to peer under the Earth’s surface without having to dig to see what is beneath it. Though it has many possible applications, there are limitations to its development: high cost, complex structures, power consumption, difficult data interpretation, and licensing frequencies to operate on. Therefore, novel ideas are needed to reduce the burden of these constraints. In this thesis, a novel approach to the design of a traditional frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) GPR is presented. First, the principles of GPR and FMCW are introduced. Second, the steps taken to develop a working FMCW radar. Putting budget above all else, a powerful system was developed that was novel, fast, accurate, flexible, and relatively low in cost. As a result of using third-party equipment, the radar had to be developed with a high sampling analog-to-digital converter as well as without a trigger signal leading to unique computational issues. Third, the GPR prototype was tested in a controlled environment. This consisted of a wooden crate with a metal guide rail moving the GPR antennas. To better grasp the concepts at work, a look into how Maxwell’s equations govern electromagnetic interactions and the creation of a GPR simulation with MATLAB was also done.