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Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter February 24, 2022

Performance demonstration for humanitarian demining

Test and evaluation of mine searching equipment in detecting mines

  • Christina Müller

    Christina Müller (Nockemann from 1989 to 1998) was born in 1953 in Dresden, Germany. She studied there physics at the Technical University and made her PHD in the field of theoretical solid state physics in 1982. After a phase of teaching and research at the university she worked in the practical development of material testing procedures in the electronic industry. Since 1985 she has been working in NDT beginning with the develoment of ultrasonic probes for nuclear power plants in the former GDR. In 1988 she started to work with BAM in the division for NDT in the field of signal processing, modeling and 3D data reconstruction. In international co-coopeartion she developed basic principles for reliability assessment of NDT and is since 1992 the head of the laboratory VIII.33 “Reliability of NDT”. She was the chairperson of the DGZfP committee for “Reliability and Validation of NDT” from 1994–1998. Foundation member of the ASNT committee for “Reliability of NDE”. Since 2001; she is concerned with the reliability of demining systems. She took part in test trials in Afghanistan in 2002 and contributed to the prescription for test and evaluation of metal dectors in the CWA 14747: 2003.

    , Martina Scharmach

    Martina Scharmach was born in 1961 in Berlin, Germany. She studied technology of electronic modules at the Ingenieurschule Hermsdorf/Thüringen. After work as engineer in electronics at the academy of science in the former DDR she has been employed at BAM since 1992 as engineer in the field of NDT. She has over ten years special experience in evaluation of reliability of NDT systems.

    , Mate Gaal

    Mate Gaal was born 1974 in Croatia. He studied physics with specialization in theoretical physics at Zagreb University. Since February 2003 he has been working at BAM, Materials Protection and Nondestructive Testing Department, Laboratory for Reliability of NDT. He is curently working on his PHD (BTU Cottbus and University of Zagreb) devoted to the improvement of reliability of demining. He already contributed essentially to the scientific planning and evaluation of three big metal detector test trials.

    , Dieter Guelle

    Dieter Guelle born 21. 05. 1942 in Berlin, Germany, former officer, last rank colonel. From 1995 up to 2001 working in humanitarian demining in Mozambique. Involved in testing and assessing different demining equipment (mechanical clearance techniques, detectors, and protective equipment). Presently working for the International Test and Evaluation Program’s Secretariat (ITEP), Head of the Secretariat.

    He built up in Mocambique national capacity in survey and quality assurance that is now used as advisors in other countries. Was involved in adopting the international mine clearance standards to Mozambican standards and introduced the mine clearance information system in Mozambique working for the Mozambican National Demining Commission. In ITEP he is concentrating on co-ordinating international efforts in humanitarian demining in promising projects and standards that should influence on safety and effectiveness in humanitarian demining.

    , Adam Lewis

    Adam M Lewis was born in London in 1964, studied physics at Cambridge and completed a PhD in electromagnetic methods for non-destructive evaluation at University College London in 1991. He worked for THORN-EMI and Matra Marconi Space before joining the European Commission in December 1997, initially at DG XII in Brussels. Since December 1999, he has worked at the JRC Ispra, Italy on technology for Humanitarian Demining.

    and Alois Sieber

    Alois J. Sieber was born in Brüx, Sudetenland (RFA) on April 13, 1947. He received his M.S. degree in Physics from the Technical University of Karlsruhe in 1971, his Ph.D. in 1973 from the university of Tübingen and his Habilitation in 1985 from the University of Stuttgart on Remote Sensing. Since 1991 he has been working at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, Ispra, Italy as the Head of the „Humanitarian Security“ unit at IPSC and of the European Microwave Signature Laboratory. From 1986, he is Senior Lecturer at the University of Stuttgart and from 1977 Member of the Institute for Radio Frequency Technology, DFVLR. His research interests are in remote sensing, radar imaging, subsurface sensing and numerical techniques in electromagnetics.

From the journal Materials Testing

Abstract

Because the demining process is always connected with a danger for human beings, it is necessary to make sure the proper functioning of mine searching equipment in detecting mines. Detecting a hidden target by penetrating physical interaction of rays or waves is similar to non-destructive testing. The non-destructive testing profession developed procedures to check the reliability of testing. These procedures, like the performance demonstration where the successful detections are statistically evaluated against false call rates and their implementation in an industrial standard (ASME section XI appendix VIII) are used as a template. A first adoption to demining was accomplished in the prescription for blind trials in the CEN workshop agreement CWA 14747: 2003 for test and evaluation of metal detectors. Within an ITEP project a number of blind trials were carried out to learn about the necessary statistical basis of those trials to achieve true, reproducible and repeatable results to give guidance for the selection and improvement of metal detectors. The special focus in this first investigation was on the influence of the human factor due to the different degree of experience of the operators and the influence of the soil.

Summary

Zuverlässigkeit in der Minenprüfung: Da der Prozess der Entminung immer mit einer Gefahr für Menschenleben verbunden ist, ist es wichtig sicherzustellen, dass die Minensuchgeräte in der Anwendung zuverlässig funktionieren. Der Prozess der Minenortung und die zertörungsfreie Prüfung sind einander ähnlich indem sie die physikalische Wechselwirkung mit Wellen oder Strahlen benutzen um verborgene Objekte aufzuspüren. In der zerstörungsfreien Prüfung wurden bereits Vorgehensweisen entwickelt um die Zuverlässigkeit der Prüfungen zu ermitteln. Diese Vorgehensweisen wie beispielsweise die „Performance Demonstration“(der praktische Leistungsnachweis), bei dem die erfolgreichen Findungen(Treffer) gegenüber den Falschanzeigenraten statistisch ausgewertet werden und deren Implementation in einem industriellen Standard (ASME Section XI Appendix VIII) dienten hierbei als erprobte Muster. Eine erste Überführung zur Minensuche fand mit der Beschreibung der Durchführung von Blindtests im CEN CWA 14747: 2003 innerhalb des Standards zur Bewertung von Metalldetektoren statt. Um diese Anleitung praktisch zu hinterlegen wurden im Rahmen eines ITEP Projektes verschiedene Blindversuche mit Feldcharakter organisiert, die Auskunft über die notwendige statistische Basis geben sollten um wahre, reproduzierbare und wiederholbare Ergebnisse zu erzielen, die für die Auswahl und Verbesserung von Metalldetektoren benutzt werden können. In dieser ersten Untersuchung war besondere Aufmerksamkeit auf den Einfluß des menschlichen Faktors bezüglich des Grades der Erfahrung der Minesucher und den Bodeneinfluss gelegt worden.

About the authors

Christina Müller

Christina Müller (Nockemann from 1989 to 1998) was born in 1953 in Dresden, Germany. She studied there physics at the Technical University and made her PHD in the field of theoretical solid state physics in 1982. After a phase of teaching and research at the university she worked in the practical development of material testing procedures in the electronic industry. Since 1985 she has been working in NDT beginning with the develoment of ultrasonic probes for nuclear power plants in the former GDR. In 1988 she started to work with BAM in the division for NDT in the field of signal processing, modeling and 3D data reconstruction. In international co-coopeartion she developed basic principles for reliability assessment of NDT and is since 1992 the head of the laboratory VIII.33 “Reliability of NDT”. She was the chairperson of the DGZfP committee for “Reliability and Validation of NDT” from 1994–1998. Foundation member of the ASNT committee for “Reliability of NDE”. Since 2001; she is concerned with the reliability of demining systems. She took part in test trials in Afghanistan in 2002 and contributed to the prescription for test and evaluation of metal dectors in the CWA 14747: 2003.

Martina Scharmach

Martina Scharmach was born in 1961 in Berlin, Germany. She studied technology of electronic modules at the Ingenieurschule Hermsdorf/Thüringen. After work as engineer in electronics at the academy of science in the former DDR she has been employed at BAM since 1992 as engineer in the field of NDT. She has over ten years special experience in evaluation of reliability of NDT systems.

Mate Gaal

Mate Gaal was born 1974 in Croatia. He studied physics with specialization in theoretical physics at Zagreb University. Since February 2003 he has been working at BAM, Materials Protection and Nondestructive Testing Department, Laboratory for Reliability of NDT. He is curently working on his PHD (BTU Cottbus and University of Zagreb) devoted to the improvement of reliability of demining. He already contributed essentially to the scientific planning and evaluation of three big metal detector test trials.

Dieter Guelle

Dieter Guelle born 21. 05. 1942 in Berlin, Germany, former officer, last rank colonel. From 1995 up to 2001 working in humanitarian demining in Mozambique. Involved in testing and assessing different demining equipment (mechanical clearance techniques, detectors, and protective equipment). Presently working for the International Test and Evaluation Program’s Secretariat (ITEP), Head of the Secretariat.

He built up in Mocambique national capacity in survey and quality assurance that is now used as advisors in other countries. Was involved in adopting the international mine clearance standards to Mozambican standards and introduced the mine clearance information system in Mozambique working for the Mozambican National Demining Commission. In ITEP he is concentrating on co-ordinating international efforts in humanitarian demining in promising projects and standards that should influence on safety and effectiveness in humanitarian demining.

Adam Lewis

Adam M Lewis was born in London in 1964, studied physics at Cambridge and completed a PhD in electromagnetic methods for non-destructive evaluation at University College London in 1991. He worked for THORN-EMI and Matra Marconi Space before joining the European Commission in December 1997, initially at DG XII in Brussels. Since December 1999, he has worked at the JRC Ispra, Italy on technology for Humanitarian Demining.

Alois Sieber

Alois J. Sieber was born in Brüx, Sudetenland (RFA) on April 13, 1947. He received his M.S. degree in Physics from the Technical University of Karlsruhe in 1971, his Ph.D. in 1973 from the university of Tübingen and his Habilitation in 1985 from the University of Stuttgart on Remote Sensing. Since 1991 he has been working at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, Ispra, Italy as the Head of the „Humanitarian Security“ unit at IPSC and of the European Microwave Signature Laboratory. From 1986, he is Senior Lecturer at the University of Stuttgart and from 1977 Member of the Institute for Radio Frequency Technology, DFVLR. His research interests are in remote sensing, radar imaging, subsurface sensing and numerical techniques in electromagnetics.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the German Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Col. Detlef Schröder) and the German Ministry of Defense (Col. Manfred Merk) as well as the BAM’s Presidential Board for sponsorship and support of the project. We are indebted to the fruitful partnership with the CROMAC testing facilities in Beknovac and the WTD52 in Oberjettenberg as well as the Humanitarian Security Unit of the JRC Ispra, especially Tom Bloodworth. We are grateful for the hands-on support of all colleagues from WTD52, BAM and CROMAC and to Ute Böttger (DLR) for scientific discussion directly in the field. We would especially like to thank all the soldiers of the German army and the deminers of Croatia for their brave work.

References

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Published Online: 2022-02-24

© 2003 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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