Using Scaled Models for Wind Turbine EM Scattering Characterization: Techniques and Experiments

Characterizing the Radar Cross Section (RCS) wind turbine structures is the first step to mitigate the impact of wind farms on radar operations. An efficient technique based on scaled wind turbine models in both laboratory and computer environment is studied. The scaled 3-D computer model is used in different electromagnetic solvers to predict the RCS properties, given radar parameters. The scaled laboratory model is placed in a controlled laboratory environment, and accurate RCS measurements of the scaled models are used to emulate wind turbine radar signatures. Comparisons between approximate numeric model prediction and measurement results are presented, and a method for predicting full-size wind turbine scattering properties based on scaled models is discussed.