A DVB-T Passive Radar 3D-Detection Approach Based on Non-Coherent Spatial Integration

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3D (range, Doppler, Azimuth) detection approach based on spatial non-coherent integration is proposed for improving DVB-T based Passive Radar (PR) detection capabilities. Integration is performed in a transformed beam space generated by digital array signal processing, and incoherent integration along the azimuth dimension. To consider the correlation of integrated reference cells, a CFAR technique is designed based on threshold modelling using Monte-Carlo simulations, that provides 3D plots. System performance is compared to that obtained with a scheme performing 2D CFAR detection in range-Doppler, and DoA estimation in separate processing stages. Results obtained in measuring campaigns designed for studying the suitability of DVB-T PRs for drone detection, prove a significant detection improvement with respect to the considered reference scheme.