Remote detection of chemicals by millimeter-wave spectroscopy
This paper discusses the development and field testing of a remote chemical detection system that is based on millimeter-wave (mm-wave) spectroscopy. The mm-wave system is a monostatic swept-frequency radar that consists of a mm-wave sweeper, a hot-electron-bolometer detector, and a trihedral reflector. The chemical plume to be detected is situated between the transmitter/detector and the reflector. Millimeter-wave absorption spectra of chemicals in the plume are determined by measuring the swept-frequency radar return signals with and without the plume in the beam path. The problem of pressure broadening, which hampered open-path spectroscopy in the past, has been mitigated in this work by designing a fast sweeping source over a broad frequency range. The heart of the system is a Russian backward-wave oscillator (BWO) tube that can be tuned over 225--315 GHz. A mm-wave sweeper that includes the BWO tube was built to sweep the entire frequency range within 10 ms. The radar system was field-tested at the DOE Nevada Test Site at a standoff distance of 60 m. Methyl chloride was released from a wind tunnel that produced a 2-m diameter plume at its exit point. The mm-wave system detected methyl chloride plumes down to a concentration of 12 ppm. The measurement results agree well with model-fitted data. Remote or standoff sensing of airborne chemicals is gaining importance for arms control and treaty verification, intelligence collection, and environmental monitoring.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., Energy Technology Div., IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 290799
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/ET/CP-97111; CONF-980731-; ON: DE98058859; TRN: AHC29901%%3
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 43. international symposium on optical science, engineering, and instrumentation, San Diego, CA (United States), 19-24 Jul 1998; Other Information: PBD: [1998]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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