Spectroscopic impedance measurement front-end for applications in industrial processes

Matthias Flatscher; Markus Neumayer; Thomas Bretterklieber

doi:10.1515/teme-2019-0118

Article

Spectroscopic impedance measurement front-end for applications in industrial processes

Matthias Flatscher
Matthias Flatscher received the, B.Sc., Dipl.-Ing. and Dr.techn. degrees in electrical engineering from the Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), Graz, Austria, in 2012, 2014 and 2020, respectively. He is currently a Hardware Engineer at Samsung SDI Battery Systems. His current interests include electrical measurement technology, circuit design, power electronics, and model-based measurement signal processing.
, Markus Neumayer
Markus Neumayer received his Dipl.-Ing. and Dr.techn. degrees in electrical engineering from the Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), Graz, Austria, in 2008 and 2011, respectively. He is currently a Senior Scientist with the Energy Aware Measurement Systems Group, Institute of Electrical Measurement and Sensor Systems, TU Graz, where he is involved in instrumentation and measurement and signal processing. His current research interests include modeling of sensors and measurement systems, numerical methods, inverse problems, Bayesian methods and statistical signal processing.
and Thomas Bretterklieber
Thomas Bretterklieber received the Dipl.-Ing. degree in telematics and the Dr.techn. degree in electrical engineering from the Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), Graz, Austria, in 2001 and 2008, respectively. He is currently a Senior Scientist with the Energy Aware Measurement Systems Group, Institute of Electrical Measurement and Sensor Systems, TU Graz. His current research interests include the design of dependable measurement systems for harsh environments.

Published/Copyright: January 8, 2021

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From the journal tm - Technisches Messen Volume 88 Issue 3

Abstract

The determination and differentiation of various materials is of great interest in numerous applications. For this purpose, spectroscopic impedance measurement systems are applied. The frequency dependent impedance analysis enables a detailed material investigation and an assessment of its composition e. g. the moisture content. By applying impedance measurement systems in industrial environments conditions as high temperatures, high pressures or vibrations have to be considered. In this paper we present a front-end topology intended to be used for frequency spectroscopic based measurement systems, deployed in industrial environments. The impedance measurement capability of the proposed system is investigated by means of a realized prototype. We present results obtained for measurement frequencies up to 50MHz and address calibration strategies, which improve the robustness. The measurement electronics is also characterized over the environmental temperature range.

Zusammenfassung

Die Bestimmung und Unterscheidung verschiedener Materialien ist in zahlreichen Anwendungen von großem Interesse. Zu diesem Zweck werden spektroskopische Impedanz-Messsysteme verwendet. Die frequenzabhängige Impedanzanalyse ermöglicht eine detaillierte Materialuntersuchung und eine Beurteilung ihrer Zusammensetzung, z. B. des Feuchtegehalts. Die Information über den Feuchtegehalt von verarbeiteten Materialien ist von großem Interesse in industriellen Anwendungen, und dient der Prozessoptimierung. Bei der Anwendung von Impedanz-Messsystemen in industriellen Umgebungen muss das Auftreten von hohen Temperaturen, hohen Drücken oder Vibrationen berücksichtigt werden, welche im industriellen Umfeld üblich sind. In diesem Artikel stellen wir ein Frontend vor, dass für frequenzspektroskopisch basierte Messsysteme im industriellen Umfeld verwendet werden soll. Ein realisierter Prototyp wird auf seine Fähigkeit Impedanzen zu bestimmen untersucht. Wir präsentieren Messergebnisse für Frequenzen bis zu 50MHz und diskutieren Kalibrierstrategien zur Erhöhung der Robustheit. Des Weiteren wird die Auswirkung von Umgebungstemperaturänderungen auf die Messelektronik untersucht.

Keywords: Impedance; spectroscopy; transmission lines; radio frequency; electrical tomography

Schlagwörter: Impedanz; Spektroskopie; Übertragungsleitungen; Hochfrequenz; Elektrische Tomographie

Funding source: Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft

Award Identifier / Grant number: 6833795

Funding statement: This work is funded by the FFG Project (Bridge 1) TomoFlow under the FFG Project Number 6833795 in cooperation with voestalpine Stahl GmbH.

About the authors

Matthias Flatscher

Matthias Flatscher received the, B.Sc., Dipl.-Ing. and Dr.techn. degrees in electrical engineering from the Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), Graz, Austria, in 2012, 2014 and 2020, respectively. He is currently a Hardware Engineer at Samsung SDI Battery Systems. His current interests include electrical measurement technology, circuit design, power electronics, and model-based measurement signal processing.

Markus Neumayer

Markus Neumayer received his Dipl.-Ing. and Dr.techn. degrees in electrical engineering from the Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), Graz, Austria, in 2008 and 2011, respectively. He is currently a Senior Scientist with the Energy Aware Measurement Systems Group, Institute of Electrical Measurement and Sensor Systems, TU Graz, where he is involved in instrumentation and measurement and signal processing. His current research interests include modeling of sensors and measurement systems, numerical methods, inverse problems, Bayesian methods and statistical signal processing.

Thomas Bretterklieber

Thomas Bretterklieber received the Dipl.-Ing. degree in telematics and the Dr.techn. degree in electrical engineering from the Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), Graz, Austria, in 2001 and 2008, respectively. He is currently a Senior Scientist with the Energy Aware Measurement Systems Group, Institute of Electrical Measurement and Sensor Systems, TU Graz. His current research interests include the design of dependable measurement systems for harsh environments.

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Received: 2019-09-01

Accepted: 2020-12-19

Published Online: 2021-01-08

Published in Print: 2021-03-26

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https://doi.org/10.1515/teme-2019-0118

Keywords for this article

Impedance; spectroscopy; transmission lines; radio frequency; electrical tomography