Browsing by Author "Herrera, Brandon J., 1986-"
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
- Results Per Page
- Sort Options
Item A low-cost embedded network analyzer for the measurement of material properties.(2015-04-08) Herrera, Brandon J., 1986-; Jean, B. Randall.Many industrial processes involve the production of complex composite mixtures of multiple constituents that must be combined according to carefully controlled ratios. Inaccuracies in the control of the production processes can lead to out-of-specification mixtures with large variation in quality and properties and possibly an unusable end product. There is a persistent need for a measurement methodology and corresponding practical implementation that is sensitive to the changing constituent ratios having high accuracy and precision that can be used to provide the feedback information required for robust process control. However, the ratios of the individual components in some mixtures can be difficult to measure non-destructively with good accuracy and precision in a real-time, in-line industrial environment. Electromagnetic sensors that provide interrogation of the mixtures over the microwave frequency range have been put forward as a technology class that can meet the in-situ instrumentation requirements for a broad class of scientific and industrial applications. Vector Network Analyzers conveniently make these types of measurements in the scientific laboratory, but their costs are economically prohibitive for industrial applications. To lower instrument costs to a viable price point, a time domain system called a Pulse Dispersion Network Analyzer has been developed for embedded industrial process control of material properties. Several industrial applications are also presented.Item A low-cost pulsed Fourier transform network analyzer.(2011-09-14) Herrera, Brandon J., 1986-; Jean, B. Randall.; Engineering.; Baylor University. Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering.Characterizing the frequency response of a material or device over microwave frequencies is a common practice for an RF engineer. New industrial and consumer applications are being developed based on the measurement of the electrical response in the RF and microwave frequency region of various materials ranging from blood glucose to concrete mixtures. Current measurement instrumentation carries a minimum cost in the tens of thousands of dollars which reduces the economical viability of many new possible applications. This thesis documents the development a low-cost pulsed Fourier transform network analyzer which can be used to measure the electrical properties of materials. New silicon-germanium integrated circuits allow for the pulse system to be implemented for under $300.