Measuring system for magnetic underground measurements (MAGNUM)

Supracon develops in partnership with the Institute of Photonic Technology , the University of Technology Illmenau (TU Ilmenau), the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU Jena) as well as the JenControl limited a geomagnetic prospection system for ground analysis.

The development project is supported by the Thuringian Development Bank as part of the promotion of future technologies in the Free State of Thuringia and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.

The research project ends in 2010.
 

Project objectives

Aim of the project is the development of a new method of ground analysis with the following features:

• quick mapping in vehicle mode
• high sensitivity applying the best sensors available
• high spatial resolution (centimeter), plus accurate localisation by differential GPS
• three dimensional ground information
• investigation of near-surface phenomena

The measuring unit maps gradients of the Earth's magnetic field. The system uses Superconducting Quantum Interference Detectors (SQUIDs) with extremely high magnetic field sensitivity compared with conventionally available sensors. local changes in the earth magnetic field caused by different susceptibility of the material underneath are detected. Sources of such differences can be for example geological structures, voids or buried objects.
 

Task distribution in the cooperation

The measuring instrument itself is developed at IPHT in cooperation with the Supracon AG.
The result of the measurement, a centimeter-precise map of magnetic field gradients over the ground, will be further processed and interpreted. The necessary software is developed by the project partners from the universities of Jena and Illmenau . Two different concepts are being worked on-the pattern matching by the help of neural networks on the one hand and the localisation of sources by solving the inverse problem for magnetic signals on the other. The company JenControl limited combines the data acquisition and processing by two interpretation algorithms in an user friendly software.
 

Already during the development phase we closely cooperate with potential customers in order to guarantee a market orientation.