HVS Free Space Microwave
Materials Measurement System

The free space microwave and millimeter (mm-wave) measurement system is a highly robust system for characterizing electromagnetic properties of materials. There are many commercial and military applications for the free space measurement system. For instance, the system has been used to measure: EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) shielding materials (for shielding personnel and electronics from harmful radiation), complex dielectric permittivity of ceramics, coatings for all types of printed circuit applications, and moisture content of rice and grain at agricultural facilities. The Department of Transportation has even found the system useful for developing improved asphalt for highway construction and non-destructive, in situ testing of pavement condition. With the advent of composite structures and coatings in modern day aircraft, aerospace industries are focusing more interest in materials characterization. More specifically, the permittivity, permeability, and the chirality parameter (which describes electromagnetically active materials) must be measured in order to understand a material's electromagnetic properties. The HVS free space system can fully measure these properties over a wide frequency range. This set-up will appeal to customers who need only to characterize small sections of an aircraft. An accurate cross-sectional measurement can be obtained from a panel of an aircraft, or if an electromagnetic coating is applied to the panel, material properties can be measured immediately.