Development of a Low-Cost, Portable NQR Spectrometer for RDX Explosives Detection

Nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) technology is a promising approach to detect so-called minimum metal landmines, as it can look directly for their explosive content. Conventional commercially available NQR devices, however, are large and expensive, and they require a transmitter power amplifier with a power generator, which is not suitable for outdoor use and mass production. Here we present a small and inexpensive portable device developed for detecting landmines using NQR. The device uses a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and low-impedance transmission and reception circuits that include a dual supply class-D power amplifier powered by conventional batteries to ensure sufficient magnetic field excitation for mine detection. The pulse width modulation signals that are fed into the power amplifier have been designed to protect the low impedance transmit-receive switch circuit from the high voltage. The system has been tested successfully in the laboratory with 100g of explosive RDX at a distance of 10cm from the antenna, corresponding to a plausible anti-personal (AP) mine scenario. Detection was achieved with a signal to noise ratio (SNR) similar to 2 in 2/3 of the time that a previous prototype required (120 sec). Moreover, the new device can detect RDX explosives with a measurement time and SNR comparable to mine detectors built with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components, but at lower cost and smaller form factor.

Automated summary

Nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) technology is utilized in a small, portable device designed to detect landmines, offering a cost-effective and efficient solution. The device includes a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and a low-impedance transmission and reception circuits for mine detection, with successful testing in the laboratory using 100g of RDX explosive. Detection was achieved with a signal to noise ratio (SNR) similar to existing mine detectors, but at a lower cost and smaller form factor, demonstrating its potential for practical application.