Abstract
Foreign Object Debris (FOD) refers to any foreign material on the airfield that may injure and threaten the aircraft and airport system. Due to the complex background on the airfield pavement and weak target echoes in long-distance monitoring, it is not easy to detect objects of various types and sizes. The existing FOD radar system’s detection method has a short effective range, and the detectable objects’ radar cross-section intensity is no less than −20 dBsm. In this paper, we propose an integrated FOD automatic target detection algorithm for millimeter-wave (MMW) surveillance radar to improve small target detection under long-range conditions of over 660 m. The signal form of FOD and a clutter model of ground clutter received by millimeter-wave radar are primarily utilized and established theoretically. The runway edge detection means that it is employed based on the in-continuity features as the runway region of interest during the automatic extraction step. Following the clutter map constant false alarm detection algorithm, we utilize a time-domain algorithm that functions as the vital detection processor. Moreover, an explicit definition of the FOD detection performance is developed in a characteristic quantitative way. This criterion involves an absolute reference value for all FOD radar systems. The well-designed FOD frequency-modulated continuous-wave MMW surveillance radar is utilized, and actual experiments are carried out in a real airport in Beijing, China. The results validate the proposed method’s effectiveness and the superior performance of FOD target detection in long-range situations.
Highlights
Foreign Object Debris (FOD) at an airport includes any objects found in an inappropriate location that may damage equipment or poses risks to aircraft or airfield personnel [1,2].According to a conservative estimate, the annual global loss caused by FOD to the aviation industry is approximately USD 3 to 4 billion [3]
We investigated the current research on the FOD MMW radar system and target detection method of common debris at airports
We proposed the complete automatic target detection of small debris in a long-distance scenario and a quantitative criterion for an FOD surveillance radar
Summary
Foreign Object Debris (FOD) at an airport includes any objects found in an inappropriate location that may damage equipment or poses risks to aircraft or airfield personnel [1,2].According to a conservative estimate, the annual global loss caused by FOD to the aviation industry is approximately USD 3 to 4 billion [3]. Foreign Object Debris (FOD) at an airport includes any objects found in an inappropriate location that may damage equipment or poses risks to aircraft or airfield personnel [1,2]. FOD has become the most common threat to aviation security, second only to the hazards posed by birds. Civil Aviation Organization’s recommendations, the explicit inspection of runways must be performed at least four times per day [4]. While this strategy is not efficient, with high time consumption and costs associated with the manual inspection, an automated FOD detection system could provide an inspection tool that is 100% effective in guaranteeing the security of all flights. Typical examples of FOD include aircraft parts, twisted metal strips, metallic
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