Detection Of Surface Elevation And River Flow Velocity Using A Milimeter Wace Fmcw Radar System

Abstract

Monitoring River water levels is a critical component of hydrological observation and early flood mitigation systems. Conventional monitoring approaches commonly rely on contact-based sensors, which require frequent maintenance and are vulnerable to environmental disturbances. To address these limitations, this study proposes a non-contact river water level monitoring system based on Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) millimeter-wave radar. The proposed system integrates an FMCW radar module with a Raspberry Pi as the central processing unit and is supported by a backup power supply to ensure continuous operation. The radar measures the distance between the sensor and the water surface, which is subsequently converted into water surface elevation information. Measurement data are processed in real time and transmitted to a cloud-based database, where they are visualized through a web-based monitoring interface. System evaluation includes functional testing of water level detection, power endurance assessment, and verification of data visualization and system performance. Experimental results demonstrate that the system is capable of detecting real-time variations in water surface elevation and maintaining operation during temporary power outages using the backup power supply. These results indicate that the proposed system is a viable alternative for non-contact and sustainable river water level monitoring and has potential for further development in hydrological monitoring and early flood mitigation applications.

Keywords: FMCW radar, millimeter waves, water surface elevation, river monitoring, non-contact system.