Investigation of radar signal interaction with crossflow turbine for aviation application

The increased adoption of wind energy is an important part of the push towards a net zero-emission economy. One obstacle that stands in the way of a higher rate of wind energy adoption is the interference that wind turbines cause to nearby radar installations. Wind turbines negatively affect the performance of nearby radar sites in a variety of different ways. Almost all types of radar are affected in at least one of these ways. In order to understand the degree to which an object such as a wind turbine interacts with radar, it is important to have detailed radar cross section (RCS) data for the object. In this work, a novel, low-cost, scale model radar cross section characterization system is presented with various advantages over traditional designs. This system was used to characterize the RCS of the novel Crossflow wind turbine. Additionally, work has been carried out on the characterization of metamaterial absorber coatings that can be applied to new and existing turbines for the purposes of reducing their radar cross section and the degree to which they cause radar inter-ference. The works presented can be leveraged to reduce concerns around radar interference from wind turbines, as well as to iteratively generate ge-ometries with lower radar cross sections for the aviation and infrastructure sectors, ultimately accelerating the pace of wind energy adoption and the move towards a net zero-emission economy.