The aim of this project is to develop new instruments capable of electromagnetic exploration of intermediate conduction (carbon fiber (CF)) and non-conducting targets (voids). Specifically, the project investigates the response of carbon fiber and voids in the high frequency electromagnetic induction (HFEMI) response regime. “High Frequency” in this context is defined to be the frequency range above the traditional or “low” range for EMI instruments (LFEMI in the range DC to 100kHz). For low frequency EMI, typically used to detect and discriminate metallic targets, most soils are effectively transparent. However, we have found that for a higher frequency range (HFEMI, 10kHz-15MHz) bodies with intermediate conductivities (greater than 10 S/m, e.g. carbon fiber with 100’s or 1000’s of S/m) can be detected and located. At these high EMI frequencies, soils are not completely transparent, but their response is weak, especially in the presence of a strong responder (like metal or CF). As a result, for nearly all soils, because soils typically have a nonzero conductivity, discrete nonconducting voids in soils (from buried wood, plastic, and rubber) can be detected and located using HFEMI.
Project's related publications
1. Fridon Shubitidze, Benjamin E. Barrowes, Irma Shamatava, Detection and identification of buried explosive hazards using high frequency EMI sensing”, International GeoScience and Remote Sensing Conference, Valencia Spain, July 23-July 27, 2018.
2. Ben Barrowes, Dan Glaser, Mikheil Prishvin, Kevin O’Neill, and Fridon Shubitidze, “High- Frequency Electromagnetic Response from Short and Long Wires for IED and Tunnel Detection”, SAGEEP-2018, Nashville, Tennessee, March 25-29, 2018.
3. John B. Sigman, Benjamin B. Barrowes, Kevin O’Neill, Yinlin Wang, Janet E. Simms, Hollis H.Bennett Jr., Donald E. Yule, and Fridon Shubitidze, “High-frequency electromagnetic induction sensing of non-metallic materials”, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING, 2017.
4. Benjamin Barrowes, Danney R. Glaser Mikheil Prishvin Kevin O’Neill, and Fridon Shubitidze, Short and long wire detection using high-frequency electromagnetic induction techniques, SPIE- 2018, Orlando Florida, April-15-19, 2018.
5. Fridon Shubitidze , Benjamin E. Barrowes, John Ballard, Ron Unz, Adam Randle, Steven L. Larson,Kevin A. O’Neill, “High Frequency EMI Sensing for Estimating Depleted Uranium Radiation Levels in Soil”, SPIE-2018, Orlando Florida, April-15-19, 2018.
6. Fridon Shubitidze , Benjamin E. Barrowes, John B. Sigman, Yinlin Wang, Janet E. Simms, Hollis J. Bennett, Don E. Yule, Steven L. Larson, Kevin A. O’Neill. “Ultra-wide-band EMI Sensing for Subsurface Deplete Uranium Detection and Classification”, SPIE: Defense and commercial sensing, Anaheim, CA, April 9-14, 2017.
7. Benjamin E. Barrowes, John B. Sigman, YinLin Wang, Kevin A. O’Neill, Janet E. Simms, HollisJ. Bennett, Don E. Yule, Fridon Shubitidze. “Void and Landmine Detection Using the HFEMI Sensor”, SPIE: Defense and commercial sensing, Anaheim, CA, April 9-14, 2017.
8. John B. Sigman, Benjamin E. Barrowes, Kevin O’Neill, Yinlin Wang, Janet E. Simms, Hollis H. Bennett Jr., Donald E. Yule, Fridon Shubitidze, “A hybrid coil system for high frequency electromagnetic induction sensing”, SPIE: Defense and commercial sensing, Anaheim, CA, April 9-14, 2017.
9. B. E. Barrowes, J. B. Sigman, K. O’Neill, J. E. Simms, H. J. Bennett,D. E. Yule, F. Shubitidze,“Detection of Conductivity Voids and Landmines using High Frequency Electromagnetic Induction”, pp: 118-123, 2016 XXIst International Seminar/Workshop on Direct and Inverse Problems of Electromagnetic and Acoustic Wave Theory (DIPED 2016), 26-29 September 2016, Tbilisi, Georgia.
10. John B. Sigman, “Ultra-wideband EMI sensing: Non-metallic target detection and automaticclassification of unexploded ordnance”. PH.D Thesis, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 2017.