Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-Based Vector Magnetic Survey System for Geophysical Exploration

地球物理学家使用磁场测量来确定地下的位置和矿产资源。这些磁力测量通常是标量的，只测量磁场的强度，而不测量磁场的方向。矢量测量，包括磁场的强度和方向，更难获得，因为这种方法需要磁力计传感器能够测量磁场的强度和方向，以及每次测量时传感器的方向知识。虽然不常见，但矢量测量对于识别一些矿产目标至关重要。目前，大多数矢量磁力测量和许多非矢量磁力测量依靠昂贵的有人驾驶飞机携带磁力计，并在大范围内进行磁力测量。磁测业已迅速转向使用无人驾驶飞行器(UAV)进行标量磁测。无人机能够飞得更低，比有人驾驶的飞机间隔更小，从而提高了测量分辨率，而且操作成本要低得多。然而，目前在加拿大还没有已知的基于无人机的系统能够进行矢量磁场测量。阿尔伯塔大学这一提议背后的团队已经开发出一种最初为空间卫星设计的矢量磁强计，现在正在寻求将其与加拿大无人机集成，以创建一种用于进行高分辨率矢量磁力测量的低成本系统。该传感器的太空飞行传统使其具有极低的体积、质量和功率消耗，同时保持极高的测量分辨率，使其非常适合与无人机集成。由于对电动汽车和其他可再生技术至关重要的许多金属的强劲和不断增长的需求，对包括磁力测量在内的地球物理测量服务的需求正在增加。这项研究产生的磁力测量系统将降低成本并提高可用于资源勘探的磁力数据的质量，帮助加拿大为可持续的未来做出贡献。

Magnetic field measurements are used by geophysicists to determine where and what mineral resources lay underground. These magnetic surveys are typically scalar, measuring only the strength of the magnetic field, but not it's direction. Vector measurements, which include both the strength and direction of the magnetic field, are more difficult to obtain as this method requires a magnetometer sensor capable of measuring the strength and direction, as well as knowledge of the sensor's direction when each measurement is made. While uncommon, vector surveying is critically important for identifying some mineral targets. Most vector magnetic surveys and many non-vector surveys currently rely on expensive piloted aircraft to carry magnetometers and make magnetic measurements over a wide area. The magnetic surveying industry has shifted rapidly towards using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for conducting scalar magnetic surveys. UAVs are able to fly lower to the ground and make measurements with tighter spacing than piloted aircraft which improves survey resolution, in addition to being much less costly to operate. However, currently there is no known UAV-based system capable of making vector magnetic measurements available in Canada. The team behind this proposal at the University of Alberta has already developed a vector magnetometer that was originally designed for space satellites, and is now seeking to integrate it with a Canadian UAV to create a low cost system for conducting high resolution vector magnetic surveys. The space flight heritage of this sensor has driven it to have exceptionally low volume, mass and power draw while retaining extremely high measurement resolution, making it ideally suited for integration with a UAV. Demand for geophysical surveying services, including magnetic surveys is increasing due to strong and growing demand for many metals critical to electric vehicles and other renewable technologies. The magnetic surveying system resulting from this research will reduce costs and improve the quality of magnetic data that is available for resource exploration, helping Canada contribute to a sustainable future.