Suppressing Cyclic Wind Turbine Radar Signatures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbines generate time-varying radar signatures that resemble weather or aircraft, causing clutter and reducing the effectiveness of radar systems, as their rotation and operational states result in non-zero Doppler signatures.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing state telemetry from wind turbines, such as rotation angle, yaw angle, and rotation rate, to determine and suppress their radar signatures through lookup tables or models, allowing radar systems to differentiate and remove these signatures from data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If wind turbines operate within radar line of sight, then wind energy generation is enabled, but radar clutter increases and operational effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by obtaining wind turbine state information (rotation angle, yaw angle, rotation rate) before radar observation, and pre-calculates the expected radar signature using lookup tables or models. This allows the radar system to proactively prepare suppression filters rather than reacting to clutter after it appears, thereby maintaining both wind energy generation and radar effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the harmful radar signature generated by wind turbines into a beneficial suppression pattern. By modeling the deterministic relationship between turbine state and radar signature, the system creates an expected signature that can be subtracted from actual radar returns, transforming the clutter problem into a solvable pattern recognition task that benefits both wind farm operation and radar surveillance.
2Loss of information
If radar systems observe wind turbines, then clutter is generated, but state information becomes available for suppression
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring wind turbine state information (rotation angle, yaw angle, rotation rate) and using this feedback to dynamically update the expected radar signature. The state telemetry serves as feedback that closes the loop between actual turbine operation and radar signature prediction, enabling adaptive suppression that tracks changing turbine conditions in real-time.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary processing layer that connects wind turbine state information to radar signature suppression. This intermediary consists of lookup tables or computational models that translate turbine state parameters into expected radar signatures, serving as a mediator that bridges the gap between mechanical turbine operation and electromagnetic radar observation, enabling effective clutter removal.
3Speed
If wind turbine rotation is monitored, then Doppler signature is generated, but suppression capability is enhanced
Solution Approach 1:
The system exploits parameter changes by utilizing variations in rotation rate, yaw angle, and rotation angle as key parameters that determine the radar signature characteristics. By monitoring how these parameters change over time and using them to update the expected signature in lookup tables or models, the system adapts to different operational conditions (idle, startup, shutdown, normal operation) and maintains effective suppression across the full range of turbine speeds.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively suppresses wind turbine radar signatures, reducing clutter and enhancing radar system performance by accurately modeling and removing deterministic radar patterns.
Implementation Method 1
wind turbines are dynamic radar scatterers which are considered undesirable 'clutter' to operational radar systems
Implementation Method 2
The rotation can manifest as a non-zero Doppler signature to a radar system
Data Source
AI summary
A method begins by one or more processing modules of one or more computing devices of a radar system determining whether a radar signature varies cyclically with time, and when the radar signature varies cyclically with time the method continues with the one or more processing modules collecting state telemetry information for the radar signature, along with a signal representation for the radar system. The state telemetry information includes rotation angle, yaw angle and rotation rate for the object responsible for the observed radar signature and the signal representation for the radar system includes data sufficient to determine an I/Q signal for the radar system. The method then determines a characterized radar signature for the object responsible for the radar signature and based on the state telemetry and the signal representation, substantially removes the radar signature from radar data.