Study and Simulation of the Radar Signature of Offshore Wind Turbines

As wind turbines grow in popularity, studying their radar signature is essential for their cohabitation with radar systems. In this article, the special case of an offshore wind turbine is investigated as offshore wind turbines become increasingly popular. The presented model combines physical optics (PO), the four path model (FPM) and the small slope approximation (SSA), with the goal of computing the wind turbine's return and the multipath propagation between the wind turbine and the sea. Theoretical elements on the validity of PO in presence of Doppler effect are presented, and the validity of the model is discussed. The study focuses on micro-Doppler and RCS results, presenting their variation with polarisation, sea state and distance. They show similar characteristics to measurements and simulation of land wind turbines, with a few aspects specific to the offshore case.