SBIR Phase I: Structural Imaging of High Temperature Furnace Walls

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目通过开发一种无线传感器来满足玻璃制造行业的主要需求，该传感器用于对玻璃熔窑墙壁进行3？]维成像，以识别玻璃熔体的耐火材料侵蚀和熔融玻璃泄漏。炉墙由绝缘材料和AZS(氧化铝，锆石，二氧化硅)耐火材料组成，这些材料在高温下损耗很高，非常分散。常规方法不可避免地会受到其系统动态范围的限制，因此最重要的熔融玻璃？]AZS回波实际上是不可见的，无论对测量结果进行数字处理的复杂性如何。该项目采取了从天线设计到成像算法再到传感器体系结构的整体方法，以满足炉墙的非常苛刻的要求。它的目标是(1)准确表征炉墙的衰减和色散特性；(2)与最小耦合匹配的最佳天线设计；(3)利用炉壁特性先验知识的高分辨率成像算法；以及(4)在这样的高温环境中具有尽可能高的动态范围的硬件架构。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力在于，它提供了一个3？]维传感器，使基于炉子实际情况的维护程序能够实现更长的高温炉子寿命，并在生产不发生重大中断的情况下进行知情的局部维护。这为玻璃制造业节省了大量的资金，因为建造一个熔炉需要数百万美元的初始资本投资，随后需要花费数百万美元来维护它。此外，由于熔化玻璃从熔炉中泄漏，过去曾发生过几起灾难性的事故。这些灾难性事故导致多名员工死亡、重大经济损失和严重的生产中断。因此，该项目将为玻璃制造行业提供更安全的制造环境，因为在该项目下开发的三维成像技术将评估玻璃泄漏的潜在区域和炉墙的结构健康状况。最后，这项研究还将带来在极高温度环境下通过色散和高损耗介质进行传感的新设计概念，从而为恶劣环境下的无线传感技术引入新的方法。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses a major need in the glassmanufacturing industry by developing a wireless sensor for 3?]D imaging of glass furnace walls to identifyrefractory erosion and molten glass leaks. The furnace walls are comprised of insulation and AZS(Alumina, Zirconium, Silica) refractories which are highly lossy and very dispersive at high temperatures.A conventional approach would inevitably be constrained by its system dynamic range, and thus themost important molten glass?]AZS echo would be virtually invisible regardless of the sophistication ofdigital processing on the measured results. This project takes a holistic approach from antenna design toimaging algorithm to sensor architecture in order to tackle very demanding requirements of the furnacewall. It aims to accomplish (1) accurate characterization of attenuation and dispersive properties of thefurnace walls (2) optimal antenna design to match with minimum inter?]coupling, (3) high resolutionimaging algorithm that leverages prior knowledge of wall properties, and (4) hardware architecture withthe highest possible dynamic range in such a high temperature environment.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is that it offers a 3?]D sensor that will enable amaintenance program based upon the real condition of the furnace to realize longer life span of hightemperature furnaces and make informed local maintenance without a major interruption in theproduction. This translates to significant financial savings for the glass manufacturing industry given themulti?]million dollar initial capital investment is required to build a furnace, followed by a multi?]milliondollar spending to maintain it. Further, several catastrophic accidents have occurred in the past due tomolten glass leaking from the furnaces. These catastrophic accidents resulted in death of severalemployees, significant financial damage and severe production disruption. Therefore, this project willenable safer manufacturing environment for the glass manufacturing industry since potential areas formolten glass leakages and structural health of furnace walls will be assessed with the 3?]D imagingtechnology being developed under this project. Lastly, this research will also lead to new designconcepts for sensing through dispersive and high loss media in extremely high temperatureenvironment, thus introducing new approaches for wireless sensing technologies in harsh environments.