High to very high-frequency metal/anomaly detector

Abstract

Typical metal detectors work at very low to low frequencies. In this paper, a metal/anomaly detector design that operates in the high to very high frequency range is presented. This design uses a high-Q tuned loop antenna for metal/anomaly detection. By measuring the return loss or voltage standing wave ratio a frequency notch can be detected. Tuning to the optimal location of the notch can be accomplished by monitoring the phase response. This phase monitoring technique can be used to ground balance the detector. As a metal object is moved along the longitudinal axis of the loop antenna a substantial shift in the frequency of the notch is detected. For metal targets, the frequency shift is positive, and for ferrite and other targets, the frequency shift is negative. This frequency shift is created by the proximity of the target causing a change in the impedance of the antenna. Experiments with a prototype antenna show long-range detection with low power requirements. The detector requires only one loop with one winding which is used for both transmit and receive. This allows for a metal/anomaly detector with a very simple design. The design is lightweight and, depending on loop size, significantly increases detection depth performance. In the full paper, modeling and further experimental results will be presented. Performance results for various types of soil and for different types of targets are presented.