Performance evaluation of algorithms for SAW-based temperature measurement.

Area of Science:

• Sensor technology
• Electromagnetics
• Signal processing

Background:

• Standard temperature sensors fail under harsh conditions (high temperatures, radiation).
• Surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors provide reliable wireless temperature measurement in extreme environments.
• Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) and Frequency Stepped Continuous Wave (FSCW) radars are common interrogation methods for SAW sensors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the temperature accuracy and practical applicability of existing algorithms for FMCW/FSCW radar-based SAW sensor interrogation.
• To provide general rules of thumb for FMCW/FSCW radar-based range estimation.
• To analyze the theoretical performance limits using the Cramer-Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) for frequency and phase estimation.

Main Methods:

• Evaluation of known algorithms for FMCW/FSCW radar-based temperature sensing.
• Application of Cramer-Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) analysis for frequency and phase estimation.
• Validation of theoretical findings using simulated and measured data.

Main Results:

• Assessment of achievable temperature accuracy for different interrogation algorithms.
• Determination of practical limitations and applicability of the investigated methods.
• Provision of CRLB-based guidelines for optimizing radar-based range and temperature estimation.

Conclusions:

• FMCW/FSCW radar interrogation is a viable method for wireless temperature measurement using SAW sensors in demanding conditions.
• The study offers practical insights into algorithm selection and performance expectations.
• Theoretical analysis and experimental validation confirm the effectiveness of the proposed estimation rules.