As an important raw material, the accurate measurement of coal storage is directly related to the continuity of production and economic benefits. Therefore, it becomes especially important to use high-precision and stable measuring equipment to monitor the coal pile in real time. Radar level meter is the primary choice for coal pile measurement because of its non-contact measurement, high accuracy and good environmental adaptability.

The physical characteristics of coal, as a granular material, include irregular shapes, varying particle size distributions, and susceptibility to humidity and temperature variations influenced by environmental factors. These characteristics make the surface of the coal pile appear uneven and change with time. In addition, coal piles are susceptible to dust generation under the effect of wind, which affects the field operation environment and measurement accuracy. For these characteristics of the coal pile, the radar level meter utilizes the propagation characteristics of electromagnetic waves for measurement. Its working principle is to transmit microwave signals to the surface of the coal pile and receive the reflected signals. By calculating the time difference or frequency difference between transmission and reception, the distance between the radar antenna and the surface of the coal pile can be determined, and then get the height information of the coal pile. Due to the use of microwaves, the radar level meter is able to work stably in dust, steam and various climatic conditions, which is especially important for environmentally susceptible materials such as coal piles.

In practice, the challenges faced by radar level meters come mainly from irregularities in the surface of the coal pile and variations in the dielectric constant. Irregularities in the surface of the coal pile may lead to scattering of the microwave signal, affecting the quality of the echo. The variation of dielectric constant can be caused by factors such as humidity, temperature and particle size of the coal, which can directly affect the propagation speed of the microwave and hence the accuracy of the measurement results. To overcome these challenges, modern radar level meters typically utilize frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) technology, which provides higher measurement accuracy and better immunity to interference. Meanwhile, measurement errors caused by irregularities in the surface of the coal pile can be effectively reduced by multipath suppression technology and advanced signal processing algorithms. In addition, some high-end radar level meters also have self-calibration function, which can automatically adjust the parameters according to the actual measurement conditions to ensure long-term stability and reliability.

Radar level meter shows significant advantages in coal pile measurement. Through the in-depth analysis of the characteristics of the coal pile and the continuous optimization of the radar level meter technology, it can realize the accurate measurement of the height of the coal pile, providing strong technical support for the material management of the energy industry.