ANALYSIS AND MEASUREMENT OF ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SOIL

A report submitted towards the progress of project

By

Kuldip Singh (Roll No. 11EC63R20)

Master of Technology
In

RF & Microwave Engineering

Under the guidance of

Prof. Amitabha Bhattacharya

Department of Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Kharagpur Kharagpur-721302, West Bengal, India September 2012

CONTENTS
ABSTRACT 1. 2. 3. Introduction Past Work Forward Modelling of GPR Signal and Calibration Results Scope of Future Work References 4 5 6

4. 5. 6.

9 9 10

ABSTRACT

The reconstruction of permittivity profile of an soil ( inhomogeneous dielectric) will be carried out by an appropriate algorithm using multifrequencies reflection coefficients.To estimate accurately , the analysis and measurement of the subsurface electric properties from groundpenetrating radar (GPR) signals using inverse modeling is obstructed by the appropriateness of the forward model describing the GPR subsurface system. In this realization, a calibration procedure is necessary. This work introduces the principle and the implementation of this calibration.The following method is based on an ultra wide band (UWB) stepped-frequency continuouswave(SFCW) radar combined with an off-ground monostatic transverse electromagnetic horn antenna. This radar configuration enables realistic and efficient forward modeling. We included inthe initial model: 1) the multiple reflections occurring betweenthe antenna and the soil surface using a positive feedback loop in the antenna block diagram and 2) the frequency dependence of the electric properties using a local linear approximation of the Debye model. The calibration model was validated in laboratory using experimental set up in which TEM Horn antenna is placed above a metal plate with different hieghts. Also the measurement results are in some extent disturbed by reflections from surrounding objects in air. After the calibration metal plate may be replaced by a layer of sand of some thickness and the required reflection coefficient is calculated by the ratio of two different measurement of S11(w)( ratio of S11 obtained from the sand layer to the S11(w) obtained with metal plate on the ground). Model inversion for the dielectric permittivity further demonstrated the accuracy of the method. This may partly be achieved through a better characterization of the antenna transfer functions and by performing measurements in an environment without close extraneous scatters.

1. Introduction

Ground Penetrating Radar : A Microwave Technique to Detect Buried Objects Ground Penetrating Radar is a microwave technique to detect mines/ any buried object under earth. It is also known as ground probing radar, earth sensing radar, subsurface radar and geo radar. GPR is a high resolution technique used to evaluate the depth and location of buried objects and to investigate the presence and continuity of natural subsurface conditions, without drilling, digging, thus GPR is used to locate the buried objects such as landmines, pipes , cables and reinforcement, location of subsurface cavities , fractures in bedrock, as well as ground water and moisture etc. The GPR operates by transmitting an electromagnetic wave radiating from a transmitting antenna down into the ground. The electromagnetic wave is reflected back by the various buried objects or distinct contrast between different materials that have contrasting dielectric properties such as boundary between different media ( e.g. boundary between soil and landmine) , the reflection are resulted by the abrupt change in the dielectric properties along the path. These electrical properties include relative permittivity, relative permeability and conductivity. However not all provide the useful information to the GPR. Conductivity effect the penetrating depth of EM wave due to absorption of the wave in the medium. Soil with high moisture content increases electrical conductivity, thus decreasing the penetrating depth, whereas due to lack of magnetic content in the soil, relative permeability provides hardly any useful information because it offers little contrast in the path of radiated EM pulse. On the other the hand, relative permittivity which correspond to dielectric contrast of the medium provides the highest level of contrast in the reflected wave, thus resulting in good characterization of ground. In addition to the contrast the boundary between the two materials need to be sharp. The reflected wave is captured by the receiving antenna and recorded on a digital storage device. GPR is a time dependent geophysical technique that can provide a good three dimensional subsurface image which is useful in interpreting specific target and can also provide accurate depth estimates for many common subsurface objects. Performance of GPR is dependent on surface and subsurface conditions and its specification include requirements for information about reflections, investigation, resolution. The resolution of image increases with the operating frequency but at high freq., the penetration of the incident wave can be poor. At low freq. penetration is more but image resolution is less. So, the design of GPR system must take a tradeoff between the quality of image and depth of penetration. The optimal design for maximizing the image quality while ensuring sufficient depth changes with the environmental conditions, sol

types, size and location of object to be targeted. In general, a GPR image is strongly affected by the soil inhomogeneity and it is complicated to extract landmines from the cluttered image. To overcome this shortcoming there is a requirement of developing a detection algorithm which can construct the permittivity profile of the soil from the spectral reflection coefficients.

2. Past Work
This project has been taken as the continuation project of the last academic session.In the past work ,an algorithm is written in Matlab in order to reconstruct the permittivity profile of an inhomogeneous dielectric by multifrequency measurement of reflection coefficient using. In that that approach the radar-antenna-subsurface system is modeled and based upon that approach an experimental setup is designed. That experimental setup used an off ground TEM Horn antenna in monostatic mode. Using forward modeling and model inversion, reflection coefficients were obtained.Further work left is to validate the inhomogeneous model and algorithm used in this work.

3. Forward modeling of GPR Signal and Calibration 3.1. Introduction

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is an increasingly used near-surface remote sensing tool to detect buried objectsand to characterize the subsurface structure and properties in a wide variety of applications. The following method is based on an ultra wide band (UWB) stepped frequency continuous wave (SFCW) radar combined with a TEM Horn antenna to be used off the ground in momostatic mode, i.e., asingle antenna is used for both transmission and reception. Forward modeling is based on linear system response functions and on the exact solution of the 3-D Maxwell equations for wave propagation in a horizontaliy multilayered medium representing the subsurface.

3.2. Ground penetrating Radar System

In the context of developing an integrated tool for mapping simultaneously the depth-dependent dielectric permittivity andelectric conductivity of the shallow subsurface, the use of SFCW radar possesses advantages over commonly used time domain technology. Whereas a time domain sends a single short duration pulse with a given pulse repetition freq. into the ground and then pickup the backscattered signal as a function of time , a SFCW radar sends a freq. modulated wave with astepped sweep over a determined frequency range. A large bandwidth is needed for a better depth resolution and to obtain the more information from the subsurface. Here TEM Horn antenna is used in monostatic mode and operating in the UWB of 2-4 Ghz.Commonly used antenna have a low directivity and therefor must be in contact with soil. TEM Horn antenna have a high directivity and are therefor

appropariate to be used for off the ground , which facilitates real time field data acquisition.

3.3. Forward Modelling of GPR Signal

An UWB SFCW radar system can be emulate using a vector network analyser(VNA). So, the GPR signal to be modelled consists of the frequency dependent complex ratio S11(w) between the returned signal and the emitted signal. Both subscripts in S11(w) denote that , respectively , the emiited and received signals pertain to the same port of the VNA, since only one antenna is used as emitter and receiver. The proposed model for describing the radar signal is founded on three main assumptions. First, the soil surface is assumed to be in the far field of the antenna, which can then be modelled as a point source and receiver. Second the surface is described by a horizontally multi-layered configuration. This approx. is presumed to be valid given the monostatic mode and high directivity of the antenna. As a result, the picked up signal has only propagation along the antenn vertical axial direction and therefoe the antenna modelling does not require the knowledge of the source radiation pattern.

3.3.1. Transfer Functions Equation in Frequency Domain

The antenna, being a casual time invariant linear system , can be modelled as asimple linear system composed of elementary model components in series and parallel,all of which characterized by its own frequency response function accounting for a specific electromagnetic phenomenon. The block diagram represented in fig. 3.1 for describing the antenna can be represented by the transfer function given by following equation

(3.1) S11(w) measured by the VNA can be related to the frequency response Gxx(w) of the multi-layered medium in the frequency domain as above.

Where Y(w)( and X(w) are respectively , the received and emitted sigals at the VNA refrence plane, Hi(w), Ht(w), and Hr(w) and Hf(w) are respectively the retuen loss, transmitting, receiving, and feedback loss transfer functionsof the antenna; and is the transfer function of theair-subsurface system modeled as a multilayered medium.This relationship is referred to as the antenna equation in thefrequency domain. Due to the variations of impedance between the antenna feedpoint, antenna aperture, and air, multiple wave reflections occurwithin the antenna. The return loss transfer function Hi(w) represents the part of this ringing, measured at the reference plane,that is independent of the backscattered electromagnetic field Gxx(w). Hi(w) can thus be measured directly by performing S11(w) measurements in free space conditions for which Gxx(w) =0. The transmitting and receiving transfer functions describe the antenna gain and phase delay between the measurementpoint and the source and receiver virtual point. Equation (3.1) can be simplified by defining H(w) = Ht(w).Hr(w) ,reducing by this way the number of transfer functions to be determined. The remaining unknown H(w) can be readily determined by performing a S11(w) measurement with the antenna situated above the metal seat, where the thoeritical transfer function Gxx(w) is known. The positive feedback loop with transfer function Hf(w), similarly to Hi(w), accounts for the variations ofimpedance between the antenna feed point, antenna aperture,and air, which creates a part of the backscattered field to bereflected again toward the subsurface. This leads to multiplewave reflections between the antenna and the subsurface. The transfer functions and can be determined by solving a system of two equations as (3.1), pertaining to twodifferent model configurations, to two unknowns. This systemis solved analytically as

(3.2)

(3.3)

where subscripts and denote the two different model configurations.In this study, we consider configurations with the antenna situated at different heights above a metal sheet, since in this case, the model configurations are well known. The Green functions Gxx(w)a and Gxx(w)b can, therefore, be computed, and functions S11(w)a and S11(w)b can be readily measured.

3.4. Experiment Set up and Procedure to Measure the Data

The TEM Horn antenna used can be connected to the reflection port of the VNA via an N type 50 ohm impedance coaxial cable. VNA can be calibrated at the connection between the antenna feed point and the cable using a 50 ohm OSM (open, short, match).

Experimental layout for Calibration

Thus establishing a refence calibration to which the frequency dependent complex ratio S between the retuened and emitted signal to be measured sequencially at 201 stepped freq. over the range of 2-4 GHz. The frequency response functions , Hi(w), Ht(w), and Hr(w) of the antenna can be determined as described in sec 3.3.1

5. Results
The results / data obtained from the calibration experiment when simulated in the Matlab code, verify the calibration model. The output of the code shows a well shape returned pulse for returned pulse with calibration as comparison to returned pulse without calibration. The experiment is done with TEM Horn antenna with largest dimension of 34 cm. and far field distance is given by

For 2 GHz far field distance is 154 cm and we get good results in the range of 130 cm to 150 cm because at more height there are reflections from surrounding which effects the result.

6. Scope of the Future work

To verify the validation the inhomogeneous model taken in the previous work and also to understand and to verify the algorithm taken in the past work using experimental results and theoretical calculations.Designing the new experimental setup for the same and simulating the results in Matlab.

References:
[1] S. Lambot, E. C. Slob, I. van den Bosch, B. Stockbroeckx, andM. Vanclooster, Modeling

of ground-penetrating radar for accuratecharacterization of subsurface electric properties, IEEE Trans. Geosci.Remote Sens., vol. 42, no. 11, pp. 25552568, Nov. 2004 [2] S. Lambot, E. C. Slob, I. van den Bosch, B. Stockbroeckx, B. Scheers,and M. Vanclooster, Estimating soil electric properties from monostaticground-penetrating radar signal inversion in the frequency domain,Water Resource Research, vol. 40, pp. 112, 2004. [3] S. Lambot, E. C. Slob, I. van den Bosch, B. Stockbroeckx, B. Scheers,and M. Vanclooster, GPR design and modeling for identifying theshallow subsurface dielectric properties, in Proc. 2nd Int. WorkshopAdvanced Ground Penetrating Radar, A. Yarovoy, Ed., Delft, The Netherlands, 2003, pp. 130135. [4] G. G. Gentili and U. Spagnolini, Electromagnetic inversion in monostatic ground penetrating radar: Tem horn calibration and application, IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens., vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 19361946,2000. [5] D. Daniels, Surface Penetrating Radar. London, U.K.: Inst. Elect.Eng., 1996. [6] Faming LIU, Calibration of the mono-static stepped-frequency GPR with a Vivaldi UWB antenna Department of Geotechnology, Delft University of Technology
Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands,2008

[7] C. A. Balanis, Antenna Theory: Analysis and Design. New York:Wiley,2005, pp. 699805.