An integrated millimeter wave radar system for the measurement of particle streams

粒子流的表征在不同领域都很重要。今天的一个中心话题是城市中高浓度的颗粒物，这主要是由工业、交通和家庭的燃烧过程造成的。空气动力学直径不超过10微米（PM10）的颗粒被归类为颗粒物。除了控制本地的大气微粒物质（例如在交通路口）外，直接在微粒物质的源头进行排放控制（例如在烟囱）是有意义的，以便能够在产生阶段就以调节方式进行干预。另一个重要的应用领域是工业过程分析，例如，烟雾发展或流量的计量记录可用于过程优化和控制。在其他可能的应用中，火山研究也是一种可以想象的情况，在这种情况下，将对产生的火山灰云的颗粒浓度和组成进行调查。存在各种测量方法，每种方法在某些应用中都有优点和缺点。本文从理论上和实践上讨论了基于雷达技术的传感器，其集成电路在高频毫米波范围内。94 GHz和300 GHz，它们能够表征气溶胶流动，包括粒子质量电荷、粒子速度、质量流率、粒子大小和粒子类型。使用新开发的300 GHz集成电路进行多静态操作的新概念将进行研究和实验测试。在研究粒子流散射特性的基础上，找出发射单元和接收单元的最佳布置条件。此外，将开发基于300 GHz硅锗技术的新型强大MMIC雷达传感器，这些传感器将耦合在一起以实现相干多静态操作。

The characterization of particle streams is important in different areas. A central topictoday is the high level of particulate matter in cities, which is largely caused by combustion processes in industry, traffic and households. Particles with an aerodynamic diameter of no more than 10 micrometres (PM10) are classified as particulate matter. In addition to local atmospheric particulate matter controls (e.g. at traffic junctions), it makes sense to carry out emission controls (e.g. at chimneys) directly at the source of the particulate matter in order to be able to intervene in a regulating manner already at the generation stage. Another important field of application is industrial process analysis, in which the metrological recording of smoke development or flow rate, for example, can be used for process optimization and control. Among other possible applications, volcanic research is also a conceivable scenario in which the resulting ash clouds are to be investigated with regard to their particle concentration and composition. Various measuring methods exist, each of which has advantages and disadvantages for certain applications. This proposal deals both in theory and in practice with sensors based on radar technology with integrated circuits in the high-frequency millimetre wave range at approx. 94 GHz and 300 GHz, which are able to characterize aerosol flows with regard to particle mass charge, particle velocity, mass flow rate, particle size and particle type. New concepts for multistatic operation using newly developed integrated circuits at 300 GHz will be investigated and experimentally tested. Based on the investigation of the scattering behaviour of particle streams, the aim is to find the optimal conditions for the arrangement of transmitter and receiver elements. In addition, new, powerful MMIC radar sensors based on silicon-germanium technology at 300 GHz are to be developed, which will be coupled together for coherent multistatic operation.