Radar Cross Section Analysis of Two Wind Turbines via a Novel Millimeter- Wave Technique and Scale Model Measurements

A novel, low cost, highly accurate, millimeter-wave RCS characterization method is developed and presented in this paper. In order to develop and verify the validity of the proposed method, full scale models and scale models of the horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) and Crossflow turbines have been simulated and compared for a case study. The RCS of a scaled Crossflow turbine model was then experimentally verified using the novel method presented at frequencies of 76-81GHz. The proposed method utilizes the AWR1843BOOST evaluation board and DCA1000EVM real-time high-speed data capture card from Texas Instruments. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first RCS analysis of a scaled model performed at the mm-wave frequencies of 76-81GHz. This novel method is quick, simple, and fully automated, while maintaining high accuracy. Additionally, this has been achieved at a low cost using commercially available off the shelf parts. Good agreement was observed between the simulated and experimental results. Comparing the RCS data of the two turbines, it appears that the Crossflow turbine geometry offers a lower RCS and Doppler spectrum contamination as compared with a traditional horizontal axis wind turbine structure. These results are necessary and useful in allaying the increasing concerns regarding wind turbine radar interference, which have appeared as a result of the widespread adoption of wind power generation in recent years.