Sensors, Vol. 20, Pages 519: Analysis of Primary Field Shielding Stability for the Weak Coupling Coil Designs (Sensors)

As an electromagnetic field conversion tool in the transient electromagnetic method (TEM), the weak coupling coils reduce the mutual inductance of its transmitter and receiver coils by special structural optimization, so the detection signal can be protruded from the primary field interference generated by the transmitter coil; thus, this kind of coil design can significantly improve the signal-to-noise ratio. However, with the popularity of drag or aerial TEM exploration, the structural stability problem caused by bumps or windage leads to non-negligible primary field leakages, thereby reducing the detection reliability. This paper incorporates the primary field shielding stability as a key indicator of the weak coupling designs and proposes a calibration scheme for this stability assessment, based on which the shielding stability of five typical weak coupling coil designs is quantitatively compared, and the relationship between the primary field density and the shielding stability explored in this study may contribute to the selection and improvement of TEM coils.