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Lecture 2b - The Radar Equation

The document discusses the radar equation, which represents the fundamental relationship between the characteristics of a radar system, the target, and the received signal. It derives the radar equation step-by-step, showing how the power received by a radar system depends on the transmitted power, range to the target, wavelength, antenna gains, and radar cross-section of the target. The derivation accounts for how the transmitted power spreads out over a spherical surface as it travels to the target and is scattered back. It combines the various factors describing the target into the single radar cross-section term.

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Satish
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112 views

Lecture 2b - The Radar Equation

The document discusses the radar equation, which represents the fundamental relationship between the characteristics of a radar system, the target, and the received signal. It derives the radar equation step-by-step, showing how the power received by a radar system depends on the transmitted power, range to the target, wavelength, antenna gains, and radar cross-section of the target. The derivation accounts for how the transmitted power spreads out over a spherical surface as it travels to the target and is scattered back. It combines the various factors describing the target into the single radar cross-section term.

Uploaded by

Satish
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 13

THE RADAR EQUATION

ELC 451

RADAR EQUATION: DEFINITION


1.

The radar equation represents the physical


dependences of the transmit power, that is the
wave propagation up to the receiving of the
echo-signals.

2.

The power PR returning to the receiving


antenna is given by the radar equation,
depending on the transmitted power Pt, the
slant range R, and the reflecting characteristics
of the target (described as the the radar
scattering cross section).

3.

At known sensibility of the radar receiver, the


radar equation determines what can be
achieved by a given radar set theoretically
maximum range.

4.

In general, the performance of the radar


system can be assessed with the radar
equation.

DEFINITION
The Radar Equation
represents the
fundamental relation
between the
characteristics of the
radar, the target, and
the received signal.

Scatterer

RADAR EQUATION: DERIVATION (1)


1. If high-frequency energy is
emitted by an isotropic
transmitter, the energy
propagate uniformly in all
directions.
2. The same amount of energy
spreads out on an incremental
basis on spherical surface
with an incremented spherical
radius.
3. That means: the power density
on the surface of a sphere is
inversely proportional to the
square of the radius of the
sphere and can be
represented as:

4. where Ss is the power density


at the scatterer.

Scatterer

RADAR EQUATION: DERIVATION (2)


5. To obtain the total power intercepted by the
scatterer, the power density must be
multiplied by the effective receiving area of
the scatterer:

6. The effective area Ars is not the actual area


of the incident beam intercepted by the
scatterer, but rather is the area of the
incident beam from which all power would
be removed if one assumed that the power
going through all the rest of the beam
continued uninterrupted.
7. The actual value of Ars depends on the
effectiveness of the scatterer as a
receiving antenna.

RADAR EQUATION: DERIVATION (3)


8. Some of the power
received by the scatterer
is absorbed in losses in
the scatterer.
9. The rest is reradiated in
various directions.
10. If the fraction absorbed is
fa, then fraction
reradiated is 1- fa, and
the total reradiated power
is:
6

RADAR EQUATION: DERIVATION (4)


11. The conduction and displacement
currents that flow in the scatterer
result in re-radiation that has a
pattern (like an antenna pattern).
12. The effective receiving area of the
scatterer is a function of its
orientation relative to the
incoming beam, so that
Ars applies only for the direction of
the incoming beam.
13. The re-radiation pattern may not 14. Where P is the total reradiated
ts
be the same as the pattern of Ars,
power, Gts is the gain of the scatterer
and the gain in the direction of the
in the direction of the receiver and
receiver is the relevant value in
the re-radiation pattern. Hence:
15. Si is called the spreading factor for
the re-radiation.

RADAR EQUATION: DERIVATION (5)


14. The power entering the receiver
is

Pr S r Ar

15. where the area Ar is the effective


aperture of the receiving
antenna, not its actual area.
16. Not only is Ar function of
direction, but it is also a function
of the load impedance the
receiver provides to the antenna.
17. For example, Pr would have to be
zero if the load were a short
circuit or an open circuit.
8

RADAR EQUATION: DERIVATION (6)


18.

Combining equations discussed in 1-17


above yields:

19.
20.

The factors associated with the scatterer


are combined in the square brackets.
These factors are difficult to measure
individually, and their relative
contributions are not of interest to one
wishing to know the size of the received
radar signal. Hence they are normally
combined into one factor, the radar
scattering cross section:

RADAR EQUATION: DERIVATION (7)

The final form of the radar


equation is:

10

RADAR EQUATION: DERIVATION (8)

The most common situation is that


for which receiving and
transmitting locations are the
same, so that the transmitter and
receiver distances are the same
and the same antenna is used for
transmitting and receiving, so the
gains and effective apertures are
the same, that is:

11

RADAR EQUATION: DERIVATION (9)

Since the effective area of an


antenna is related to its gain
by

The radar equation can be


written as:

12

END

13

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