Millimeter and Sub-millimeter Wave Transmission Through a Radome Covered by Water: The Impact of the Shape of Water

Rainfall can reduce the radar signal through a radome. The effects of different water layers on the radome transmission are studied using quasi-optical measurement from 26 to 330 GHz including water permittivity characterization. The water is deposited as drops of different sizes or as a uniform layer while keeping a constant volume, highlighting the importance of the control of the total wet surface for radar applications. A compact model is proposed to predict the signal loss due to water on the radome depending on the rain flow.