How do you determine the contents of an artillery shell without opening it, especially if you suspect that it may contain chemical warfare (CW) agents? You can use the DSA520, a portable acoustic device based on the principle of Swept Frequency Acoustic Interferometry (SFAI). The DSA520 uses broadband ultrasound sensors to excite a target through a range of frequencies while collecting information on resonance points, the speed of sound, attenuation of sound vs. frequency and density. After cleverly processing this data it is possible to accurately determine the properties of the fluid inside the container. One application of this technique is in monitoring for chemical weapons treaties compliance.

Indus Instruments worked with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to develop the DSA520 and later generation DSA620 and DSA660 devices. The SFAI technique is not limited to detection of chemical warfare agents and has many possible uses in food processing, pharmaceuticals, biological measurements and industrial applications. In tests, the DSA520 device was able to distinguish Coca-Cola from Pepsi and determine the octane ratings of gasoline!