Radar Measurement of Mass Loading of Small Volume Scatterers

Inhalt:
The measurement of mass loading of volume scatterers with small particles (clouds, aerosols, experimental powder etc.) based on radar back scattering is presented. A calculating model and the design of a coherent solid-state bistatic CW radar at 3 mm wavelength are presented. To provide coherent signal processing, a transceiver based on IMPATT generators with stabilizing resonators and a double channel receiver is used. Also a calibration procedure of the radar for separate transmitting and receiving antennas is presented. It is shown that the developed radar is capable of the detection of small amounts of experimental powder with particle dimensions down to about 5 micrometers, and that it allows remote sensing of the mass loading of volume scatterers.