Detection of ground-laid wire using ultraviolet C-band radiation
View Patent ↗A system for tracing wire includes an electrical exciter adapted to apply a voltage to a ground-laid wire to generate a corona at an outer surface of the ground laid wire, at least a portion of the corona including ultraviolet c-band radiation, and an ultraviolet c-band detector to detect the ultraviolet c-band radiation to trace at least a portion of the path of the ground-laid wire.
1. A system for tracing wire, comprising:
an electrical exciter adapted to apply a voltage to a ground-laid wire to generate a corona at an outer surface of the ground laid wire, at least a portion of the corona including ultraviolet c-band radiation; and
an ultraviolet c-band detector to detect the ultraviolet c-band radiation to trace at least a portion of the path of the ground-laid wire.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet c-band detector includes an ultraviolet c-band camera that provides a detection image comprising:
a visual scene detection component; and
a ultraviolet c-band detection component representing at least a portion of the path of the ground-laid wire.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the ultraviolet c-band detection component is adapted for viewing in the visual light range.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical exciter is an alternating current exciter, a direct current exciter, a plasma exciter, an inverter, a radio-frequency exciter, or a taser.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the applied voltage is in the range of about 1,000 volts to about 3,000 volts.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wire includes a first conductor and a second conductor and the electrical exciter includes a first terminal coupled to the first conductor and a second terminal coupled to the second conductor.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wire includes a first conductor and the electrical exciter includes a first terminal coupled to the first conductor and a second terminal coupled to ground.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the wire further includes second conductor and the first terminal is further coupled to the second conductor.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wire is command wire for a munitions device.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet c-band detector is a solid state device, a gas-filled device, or an ultraviolet c-band camera.
11. A method for tracing a wire, comprising:
electrically exciting a ground-laid wire to generate a corona at an outer surface of the ground-laid wire, at least a portion of the corona including ultraviolet c-band radiation; and
tracing at least a portion of a path of the ground-laid wire by detecting the ultraviolet c-band radiation using an ultraviolet c-band detector.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ultraviolet c-band detector includes an ultraviolet c-band camera that provides a visual scene detection component and an ultraviolet c-band detection component representing at least a portion of the path of the ground-laid wire.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the ultraviolet c-band detection component is adapted for viewing in the visual light range.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein electrically exciting the wire includes applying a voltage to the wire in the range of about 1,000 volts to about 3,000 volts.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wire includes a first conductor and a second conductor and electrically exciting the wire includes applying a voltage using an electrical exciter including a first terminal coupled to the first conductor and a second terminal coupled to the second conductor.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wire includes a first conductor and electrically exciting the wire includes applying a voltage using an electrical exciter including a first terminal coupled to the first conductor and a second terminal coupled to ground.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the wire further includes second conductor and the first terminal is further coupled to the second conductor.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wire is command wire for a munitions device.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ultraviolet c-band detector is a solid state device, a gas-filled device, or an ultraviolet c-band camera.
20. The method of claim 11 , wherein tracing the wire includes:
positioning the ultraviolet c-band detector to trace a first portion of the path; and
positioning the ultraviolet c-band detector to trace a second portion of the path.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the first and second portions of the traced path define the entire path of the wire.
22. The method of claim 11 , wherein tracing the wire includes tracing the entire path of the wire in a single detection from a detection distance.