Wind profiler radar antenna sidelobe reduction

This paper addresses sidelobe reduction of an antenna array pattern for reducing effects of ground or sea clutter of zenith-looking wind profiler radar. Simulations are performed for various shapes of compact clutter fences for a 915-MHz Doppler radar and a 449-MHz interferometric radar. It is shown that minimal low-cost hardware modifications to existing compact ground planes of the 915-MHz radar allow for reduction of sidelobes of up to 5 dB. The results obtained on a single array are extended to a 449-MHz triple hexagonal array interferometric radar. Cross-correlation, transmit beamwidth, and sidelobe levels are evaluated for various clutter fence configurations and array spacings. The resulting sidelobes are as much as 10 dB below those without a clutter fence and can be easily incorporated into existing and future 915 and 449-MHz wind profiler systems with minimal hardware modifications.