Finite Element-Boundary Integral Simulation of Icing Effects on a Marine Radar Reflector

This paper presents simulations of the radar cross section for a marine corner reflector affected by icing as it is illuminated by 3 GHz marine radar. This is compared to the radar cross section for an unaffected reflector, and the consequences for radar range are investigated. To perform the simulations, a finite element-boundary integral hybrid method is used. The simulation code is based on several open-source packages, of which the most important are FEniCSx and Bempp-cl. Simulations show a large reduction in maximum radar range due to icing, with a maximum reduction by 60 % found near boresight.