Radar future

THE SUN IS A RADAR

COMPACT RADAR SENSORS ARE EXPLOITING THEIR ADAPTABILITY TO PROVIDE RELIABLE MEASUREMENTS FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR, JOHN LEADBETTER, VEGA MANAGING DIRECTOR, EXPLAINS.

The executive summary of Infrastructure Australia’s 2019 Infrastructure Audit begins with a simple phrase: a future of uncertainty. While Australia stands in a position of strength in many fields, the statutory body suggests the infrastructure sector is facing an unprecedented period of ambiguity.

Compounding issues of a changing climate, a reordering of the global economy and growing populations are fundamentally altering the way people engage with infrastructure, the audit suggests.

This, according to Infrastructure Australia, means the time is right to

“RADAR TECHNOLOGY HAS UNDERGONE SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT IN RECENT DECADES. WHILE RADAR SENSORS WERE USED MAINLY BY THE MILITARY IN THE PAST, THEY ARE NOW USED IN EVERYDAY APPLICATIONS, EVEN IN HOMES.”

change processes, extract value from the country’s infrastructure network and prioritise projects with proven benefits for cities and regions. As a parallel, the Federal Government is injecting significant funds into the roads sector, in an attempt to counteract any apparent “uncertainty”.

To keep up with forecast project demand, John Leadbetter, VEGA Managing Director, says construction companies and material manufacturers need to invest in reliable and advancing technology. In particular, he says radar technology is a critical component of road construction and associated material

The new compact instrument series is complemented by VEGAMET controllers that can visualise all measured values.

and chemical processing.

“Radar technology has undergone significant development in recent decades. While radar sensors were used mainly by the military in the past, they are now used in everyday applications, even in homes,” Mr. Leadbetter says.

At the same time, radar technology has taken a giant leap forward in industrial applications, he says, particularly in level measurement. In many of these applications, however, sensors have historically struggled with build-up, which increases dead zones and affects the reliability of the measurement signal.

When German technology company VEGA introduced its VEGAPULS sensor range with 80GHz operating frequency a few years ago, Mr. Leadbetter says a new sensor era began.

“Thanks to more precise focusing of the transmitted signal, the received measurement and interference signals can be better separated. This makes the measuring process much more reliable,” Mr. Leadbetter says.

“Many measuring tasks that had once been considered impossible became commonplace thanks to this technology.”

VEGA’s 80GHz radar sensor series started with VEGAPULS 69, which is designed for continuous measurement of bulk solids under widely different process conditions.

“When compared to ultrasonic measuring instruments, radar sensors are unaffected by temperature fluctuations, vacuum or high pressures and insensitive to contamination,” he explains.

Fast Fact: Radar sensors can also be used in confined spaces and installations. Due to the high focusing of the 80 GHz technology, the radar beam can be aligned almost precisely to the medium to be measured. This means that there are no interference signals even with installations such as pipes or pumps, in narrow shafts or with deposits on walls. Compared to ultrasonic sensors, no interference signal suppression is necessary.

“THE VEGAPULS 64 SENSOR IS WELL SUITED TO LEVEL MEASUREMENT AND POINT LEVEL DETECTION IN READY-MIXED ASPHALT SILOS, BITUMEN TANKS AND MIXING TOWERS.”

Mr. Leadbetter adds that the VEGAPULS 69 is ideal for level measurement in extremely high silos, large bunkers and segmented vessels.

“The non-contact radar sensor is ideal for use in diverse applications, such as building materials, rocks, aggregates and cement, as well the chemical industry, in wastewater management and in recycling,” Mr. Leadbetter says.

Within an infrastructure context, the VEGAPULS 69 has a range of applications, including level measurement and point level detection in cement production clinker silos.

“The VEGAPULS 64 sensor is well suited to level measurement and point level detection in ready-mixed asphalt silos, bitumen tanks and mixing towers,” Mr. Leadbetter adds.

VEGA is once again breaking new ground, Mr. Leadbetter says, adding a new compact instrument series to its portfolio of radar sensors late last year.

“The series is especially suitable for price-sensitive applications or in auxiliary process loops in process automation,” he says.

“VEGA developed a new radar microchip especially for this purpose, characterised by its extremely small size and low energy consumption.”

Mr. Leadbetter says the new microchip is optimised for the reflection properties of different material, with integrated function monitoring that reduces maintenance costs.

Ideal for measuring liquids, the sensors are available as a compact version with a cable connection compartment, and as a standard version with fixed cable connection compartments.

“Like the previous sensors of the VEGAPULS series, they deliver reliable measured values without effect from external conditions such as temperature fluctuations or soiling,” Mr. Leadbetter says.

“The sensors can suppress interference caused by ambient conditions right up to the antenna. What’s more, they output standardised signals directly.”

Mr. Leadbetter says the sensor’s ability to provide reliable measurement right up to the antenna system is a core advantage of VEGA’s new range.

He adds that the feature is particularly significant in storage and buffer tanks that ensure the supply of bulk material for ongoing processes.

“Compact radar sensors can exploit their strengths in tanks as they can be installed in very confined spaces and small process fittings. Since they have no dead zone, the sensors can measure dependably right up to the top of the container,” Mr. Leadbetter says.

The sensors can deliver accurate measuring results even with strong outgasses from the medium, Mr. Leadbetter says, regardless of the type of material or process condition.

“Since all of the new sensors have explosive atmospheres approval, they can also be used with flammable material,” he says.

VEGA’s new instrument series is complemented by VEGAMET controllers, which feature a large graphic display that can be used to visualise all measured values.

“All the instruments can be easily adjusted via Bluetooth with a smartphone or tablet, making parameterisation, display and diagnostics considerably easier, especially in harsh environments or hazardous areas,” he adds.

According to Mr. Leadbetter, VEGA’s consistent innovation in the 80GHz space could potentially move industry towards a universal measuring principal.

“VEGAPULS 64 detects liquids with unwavering accuracy, even with condensate or build-up on the antenna. Plus, since the sensor can be equipped with the smallest antenna of its kind, there’s hardly any mounting location where it wouldn’t fit,” he says.

“This is an instrument for universal application.”