United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation has delivered to Dutch-based Miramap and put into service another shipment of next-generation microwave radiometers, i.e. devices designed to survey the condition of dikes and to prevent floods.

Advanced instruments gives the user a faster access to data on hidden soil erosions and flooding threats that cannot be otherwise detected by visual means.

"The Netherlands has been historically plagued by floods, as a large portion of the country is below sea level and is prone to regular flooding”, says Director of the Innovative Development Department at United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation Alexander Kalinin. “The Government is keen on keeping its waterworks, including dikes, under continuous watch. The microwave metering solutions developed by our concern Vega can rise up to this challenge. Dutch researchers are mounting such radiometers on drones and all-terrain vehicles, which makes it possible to inspect difficult-to-access areas and dikes out of reach to any other vehicles.

Until recently, previous-generation Ranet-21 radiometers have been supplied to the Netherlands that the Dutch-based company has used in its survey work for the last seven years. The latest Ranet -21M instruments are one-fourth of their original size and weight, which saves power consumption and extends the unattended operation time. The smaller size permits several radiometers to be bundled together into a single unit and obtain data on more than one route per run. Processed data are referenced to the location map and saved for the subsequent comparative analysis of the condition of dikes and adjacent areas.

Following the request from foreign partners, the Russian team has set up the instruments on a turnkey basis, including on-site tests in the Netherlands and has performed hardware adaptation to the partners' software having its own peculiar features.

"The Netherlands has already been provided with several generations of radiometers that, according to the customer, have performed at top level in terms of information content, reliability and ease of use”, said a department head at Vega concern, Principal Design Engineer of Ranet Radiometers Igor Sidorov. “With our Dutch colleagues we have discussed and thrashed out the issue of patenting joint research findings in Russia and in the EU”.

Microwave radiometers are designed to measure thermal radiation intensity at surface, providing the basis for obtaining data on ground humidity. Instruments are also capable to establish the groundwater level, monitor the hydrographic situation along the pipelines route and also discover underground leaks in dikes and below motorways. Radio meters can be applied to monitor fire-hazard situations in forests, to detect oil slicks, to assess above-water plant life and to map ice floes.