System and method employing single line guided surface electromagnetic (em) waves for wireless sensing

A wireless sensing method, comprising:

• receiving an RF interrogation signal in an RF launcher coupled to a first end of a single conductor and providing the RF integration signal to the conductor;
• communicating the RF interrogation signal on the conductor as a number of first electromagnetic (EM) waves propagated on an outer surface of the conductor;
• receiving the RF interrogation signal in a wireless sensor located remotely from the RF and positioned near the conductor based on the number of first EM waves and in response to the RF interrogation signal generating a backscattered RF signal;
• propagating a number of second EM waves on the outer surface of the conductor based on the backscattered RF signal;
• and
• receiving the backscattered RF signal in an interrogator based on the number of second EM waves.

A sensing system, comprising:

• a single conductor provided in a surrounding medium;
• an RF signal generator structured and configured to generate an RF interrogation signal;
• an RF launcher coupled to a first end of the conductor, the RF launcher being structured and configured to receive the RF interrogation signal and provide the RF interrogation signal to the conductor, the conductor being structured and configured to communicate the RF interrogation signal on the conductor as a number of first electromagnetic (EM) waves propagated on an outer surface of the conductor;
• and
• an interrogator coupled to the RF launcher, the surrounding medium being structured and configured to receive the RF interrogation signal based on the number of first EM waves and in response to the RF interrogation signal cause a backscattered RF signal to be generated, the backscattered RF signal being generated in response to a local disturbance in a dielectric property of the surrounding medium, wherein the conductor is structured and configured to propagate a number of second EM waves on the outer surface of the conductor based on the backscattered RF signal, and wherein the RF launcher is structured and configured to receive the number of second EM waves and provide the backscattered RF signal to the interrogator based on the number of second EM waves.

A wireless sensing method, comprising:

• receiving an RF interrogation signal in an RF launcher coupled to a first end of a single conductor provided in a surrounding medium and providing the RF integration signal to the conductor;
• communicating the RF interrogation signal on the conductor as a number of first electromagnetic (EM) waves propagated on an outer surface of the conductor, wherein the RF interrogation signal is received in the surrounding medium based on the number of first EM waves, wherein in response to the RF interrogation signal a backscattered RF signal is generated, the backscattered RF signal being generated in response to a local disturbance in a dielectric property of the surrounding medium;
• propagating a number of second EM waves on the outer surface of the conductor based on the backscattered RF signal;
• and
• receiving the backscattered RF signal in an interrogator based on the number of second EM waves and identifying a crack, void, localized corrosion or localized degradation in the surrounding media based on the backscattered RF signal.