Design and Implementation of Wind Speed-Based Radar Antenna Safety System Prototype

Abstract

Air defense radar is a system that detects the presence of one or more air objects at a certain distance, altitude, and direction. One type of air defense radar used by the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) is the Thomson TRS 2215D. An essential part of the radar is the rotating part of the radar antenna support called the antenna pivot. The rotation of the radar antenna must constantly be monitored and controlled for rotational stability at a speed of 6 Rotations per Minute (RPM) with a maximum wind speed of 120 km/h to prevent damage to the driving gear. Stormy weather with high wind speeds can cause the rotation speed of the radar antenna to be uncontrollable, which can cause damage. The solution offered in this study is to build a safety system that will lock the radar antenna automatically when the wind speed is detected to exceed tolerances and maintain the security of the radar antenna and its support system. The safety system was designed using an ESP32 Wi-Fi device equipped with an anemometer wind speed sensor, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) monitor, a Direct Current (DC) motor, and a Blynk Internet of Things (IoT) application. The test was conducted in a simulation using a multi-meter and oscilloscope measuring instrument. Testing the radar antenna's safety system prototype on a laboratory scale shows that the safety system can work as designed. The system can lock the radar antenna when the airflow is set at a speed of 54 km/h or 15 m/s, communication with the Blynk server works well, and the ESP32 device can transmit data at a maximum distance of 14 meters.