Novel E - Field Sensor for Projectile Detection

The development of a novel and inexpensive sensor network for detecting the electrostatic field (ESF) of a charged bullet was explored in this paper. The principle method used to measure the ESF of the passing object was based on a voltage-controlled variable capacitance. This method utilized a varactor pair and sinusoidal input signal to produce a significant change in voltage proportional to the minute change in capacitance caused by the passing object’s ESF. A wired network was used to propagate the measurements to a central data acquisition unit (DAQ). The DAQ processed the data from the senor array. The results from the DAQ report the passing objects coordinated in relation to the designated central location. This paper describes the sensors, and presents results using measured (live-fire) data.