Noise Optimization Design of Frequency-Domain Air-Core Sensor Based on Capacitor Tuning Technology

• Main Authors: Shengbao Yu, Yiming Wei, Jialin Zhang, Shilong Wang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-12-01
• Series: Sensors
• Subjects: frequency-domain electromagnetic method; coil sensor; low noise; amplification circuit
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/1/194

In the semi-aviation frequency-domain electromagnetic measurement, the induction air-core coil and the differential pre-amplifier circuit introduce noise, which affects the sensor and results in receiving weak signals and improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the system. In response to this problem, by analyzing the physical structure of the air-core coil sensor and the mechanism of the amplification circuit, combined with the simulation and experimental tests of voltage noise, current noise, resistance noise and other noise components, analyzed that the thermal noise is the main component of the sensor noise in the system frequency band, but directly removing the matching resistor increases the instability of the circuit, causes the coil to work in an underdamped state, and generates a time domain oscillation at the resonant frequency, source impedance analysis and analysis of differential pre-amplifier circuit in the frequency-domain detection method, abandoning the matching resistance scheme and magnetic flux negative feedback scheme. The matching capacitor is added to make the receiver detect the frequency range in the 1−10 kHz range. In normal operation, the noise level reaches 10 nV level, which not only increases the stability of the circuit, but also reduces the noise of the sensor. It has far-reaching significance for the detection of weak frequency signals.