A 3D printable Ka-band waveguide filter

Abstract

The application discloses a 3D printable Ka-band waveguide filter, which comprises a pentagonal resonant body, the pentagonal resonant body comprises a rectangular resonant body and a triangular resonant body which are integrally connected in communication; one end of the rectangular resonant body is integrally connected with an input resonator, and the other end of the rectangular resonant body is integrally connected with an output resonator; a plurality of electroplating holes are arranged on the side wall of the triangular resonant body and close to the top corner; and a metal diaphragm divides the pentagonal resonant body into a plurality of pentagonal resonators. The Ka-band waveguide filter is based on a metal 3D printing process, a plurality of electroplating holes are arranged on the side wall of the triangular resonant body and close to the top corner, and on the basis of ensuring that electromagnetic waves do not leak and do not affect the overall electrical performance of the filter, liquid can sufficiently flow in the Ka-band waveguide filter during chemical electroplating in the later stage, so that the purpose of sufficient electroplating is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of terrestrial and satellite communication technology, and relates to waveguide filters, specifically a 3D-printable Ka-band waveguide filter. Background Technology

[0002] 3D printing-based spaceborne microwave component manufacturing technology can minimize material usage and reduce the manufacturing cost of complex microwave devices. Furthermore, the integrated molding technology advantage of 3D printing is also an important means to achieve lightweight, integrated, and short-cycle design of payloads. Taking the development of next-generation high-throughput flexible payload technologies as an example, whether it's multi-beam feed arrays, traveling wave tube amplifiers, MPA, or Butler matrices, there is an urgent need to adopt 3D printing to achieve high integration and lightweight design.

[0003] With the increasing demands for data rates, bandwidth, integration, and on-orbit reliability in satellite payloads, millimeter-wave and submillimeter-wave systems hold great promise. However, operating at millimeter-wave frequencies also presents challenges, particularly regarding the technical performance, integration, and cost requirements of millimeter-wave radio front-ends. Filters are crucial components in millimeter-wave front-ends for signal transmission and selection. They selectively allow electromagnetic signals to pass through and effectively suppress clutter signals, ensuring the efficient and stable operation of the entire communication system. Therefore, high-performance filter design is essential. In the field of space microwave payloads, 3D printing technology has proven to be a viable solution for developing waveguide components, offering improvements in performance, mechanical complexity, weight, and size. These include single waveguide components manufactured using stereolithography and selective laser melting, such as leaky antennas, waveguide transitions, quadrature mode converters and polarizers, waveguide circuits, filters, and lightweight perforated structures. A major advantage of additive manufacturing technology is its ability to integrate multiple radio frequency functions (including radiation, phase shifting, polarization, and frequency division multiplexing) into a single mechanical component. Some examples of microwave system integration enabled by 3D printing manufacturing technology include waveguide arrays with integrated waveguide filters and components with torsion, bending and filtering capabilities. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide a 3D-printable Ka-band waveguide filter, solving the technical problem in existing technologies of ensuring sufficient liquid flow within the Ka-band waveguide filter during subsequent chemical electroplating to achieve adequate electroplating while preventing electromagnetic wave leakage and maintaining the overall electrical performance of the filter.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A 3D-printable Ka-band waveguide filter includes a pentagonal resonator, which comprises an integrally connected rectangular resonator and a triangular resonator. The rectangular resonator has a rectangular cross-section, and the triangular resonator has a triangular cross-section.

[0007] One end of the rectangular resonator is integrally connected to an input resonator, and the other end of the rectangular resonator is integrally connected to an output resonator; the input resonator is provided with two input RF waveguide interfaces, and the output resonator is provided with two output RF waveguide interfaces.

[0008] The rectangular resonator has a metal diaphragm vertically arranged at each end, and a metal diaphragm vertically arranged inside the rectangular resonator. The bottom end of the metal diaphragm is flush with the bottom end of the rectangular resonator, and the top end of the metal diaphragm does not contact the top end of the rectangular resonator. The metal diaphragm divides the pentagonal resonator into multiple pentagonal resonators.

[0009] This method also has the following technical features:

[0010] Multiple electroplating holes are provided on the side wall of the triangular resonator near the apex.

[0011] The diameter of the electroplating hole is less than 1 mm.

[0012] The apex angle of the triangular resonator is less than 45°.

[0013] The pentagonal resonator is a pentagonal half-wavelength waveguide resonator.

[0014] The Ka-band waveguide filter described above can control the coupling between the input resonator, multiple pentagonal resonators and the output resonator by changing the height of the metal diaphragm.

[0015] The Ka-band waveguide filter is fabricated using 3D printing technology.

[0016] The Ka-band waveguide filter is 3D printed along its length; the Ka-band waveguide filter can be 3D printed without support.

[0017] In the 3D printing process, the Ka-band waveguide filter is processed using abrasive flow technology.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following technical effects:

[0019] (I) The Ka-band waveguide filter proposed in this invention is based on metal 3D printing technology. Multiple electroplating holes are opened on the side wall of the triangular resonator near the apex. While ensuring that electromagnetic waves do not leak and do not affect the overall electrical performance of the filter, the liquid can flow fully in the Ka-band waveguide filter during the subsequent chemical electroplating, so as to achieve the purpose of full electroplating.

[0020] (II) The Ka-band waveguide filter proposed in this invention has a low density and a weight much smaller than that of traditional mechanically processed filters, which has a great advantage in reducing the weight of the system.

[0021] (III) The Ka-band waveguide filter proposed in this invention is integrally printed and does not require frequency adjustment or coupling, which can reduce the design and manufacturing cycle of the filter and greatly improve the development cycle of the filter. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a simulation model of a 3D-printable Ka-band waveguide filter.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a waveguide pentagonal resonator.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an electroplated hole on a pentagonal resonator.

[0025] The meanings of the labels in the figure are as follows: 1-pentagonal resonator, 2-rectangular resonator, 3-triangular resonator, 4-input resonator, 5-output resonator, 6-input RF waveguide interface, 7-output RF waveguide interface, 8-metal diaphragm, 9-pentagonal resonator, 10-electroplated hole.

[0026] The specific content of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0027] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, all components and materials in this invention are based on components and materials known in the prior art.

[0028] Following the above technical solutions, specific embodiments of the present invention are given below. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the following specific embodiments, and all equivalent modifications made based on the technical solutions of this application fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0029] Example:

[0030] This embodiment provides a 3D-printable Ka-band waveguide filter, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the Ka-band waveguide filter includes a pentagonal resonator 1, which includes a rectangular resonator 2 and a triangular resonator 3 that are integrally connected. The cross-section of the rectangular resonator 2 is rectangular, and the cross-section of the triangular resonator 3 is triangular.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, one end of the rectangular resonator 2 is integrally connected to the input resonator 4, and the other end of the rectangular resonator 2 is integrally connected to the output resonator 5; the input resonator 4 is provided with two input RF waveguide interfaces 6, and the output resonator 5 is provided with two output RF waveguide interfaces 7.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, a metal diaphragm 8 is vertically arranged at each end of the rectangular resonator 2. A metal diaphragm 8 is vertically arranged inside the rectangular resonator 2. The bottom end of the metal diaphragm 8 is flush with the bottom end of the rectangular resonator 2, and the top end of the metal diaphragm 8 does not contact the top end of the rectangular resonator 2. The metal diaphragm 8 divides the pentagonal resonator 1 into multiple pentagonal resonators 9.

[0033] like Figure 3 As shown, multiple electroplating holes 10 are provided on the side wall of the triangular resonator 3 near the apex. The diameter of the electroplating holes 10 is less than 1 mm. On the basis of ensuring that electromagnetic waves do not leak and do not affect the overall electrical performance of the filter, the liquid can flow fully in the filter during the later chemical electroplating of the 3D printed filter, so as to achieve the purpose of full electroplating.

[0034] In this embodiment, the apex angle of the triangular resonator 3 is less than 45°.

[0035] In this embodiment, the pentagonal resonator 1 is a pentagonal half-wavelength waveguide resonator.

[0036] In this embodiment, the Ka-band waveguide filter can control the coupling between the input resonator 4, multiple pentagonal resonators 9 and the output resonator 5 by changing the height of the metal diaphragm 8.

[0037] In this embodiment, the Ka-band waveguide filter is fabricated using 3D printing technology.

[0038] In this embodiment, the Ka-band waveguide filter is 3D printed along its length; the Ka-band waveguide filter can be 3D printed without support.

[0039] In this specific embodiment, the Ka-band waveguide filter adjusts its frequency by changing its length.

[0040] Specifically, in this embodiment, when performing high-precision three-dimensional simulation of the electrical performance of the Ka-band waveguide filter, the required specifications are increased by 5dB to ensure that the printed filter performance meets the specifications. The Ka-band waveguide filter adopts integrated three-dimensional simulation, and the filter has no adjustment screws, eliminating the need for frequency and coupling adjustments.

[0041] In this embodiment, the Ka-band waveguide filter is processed using abrasive flow technology during the 3D printing process.

Claims

1. A 3D-printable Ka-band waveguide filter, characterized in that, The Ka-band waveguide filter includes a pentagonal resonator (1), which includes a rectangular resonator (2) and a triangular resonator (3) that are integrally connected. The cross-section of the rectangular resonator (2) is rectangular, and the cross-section of the triangular resonator (3) is triangular. Multiple electroplating holes (10) are provided on the side wall of the triangular resonator (3) near the top corner. One end of the rectangular resonator is integrally connected to an input resonator (4), and the other end of the rectangular resonator is integrally connected to an output resonator (5); the input resonator (4) is provided with two input radio frequency waveguide interfaces (6), and the output resonator (5) is provided with two output radio frequency waveguide interfaces (7). The rectangular resonator (2) has a metal diaphragm (8) vertically arranged at both ends. The rectangular resonator (2) has a metal diaphragm (8) vertically arranged inside. The bottom end of the metal diaphragm (8) is flush with the bottom end of the rectangular resonator (2), and the top end of the metal diaphragm (8) does not contact the top end of the rectangular resonator (2). The metal diaphragm (8) divides the pentagonal resonator (1) into multiple pentagonal resonators (9).

2. The 3D-printable Ka-band waveguide filter as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The diameter of the electroplating hole (10) is less than 1 mm.

3. The 3D-printable Ka-band waveguide filter as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The vertex angle of the triangular resonator (3) is less than 45°.

4. The 3D-printable Ka-band waveguide filter as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The pentagonal resonator (1) is a pentagonal half-wavelength waveguide resonator.

5. The 3D-printable Ka-band waveguide filter as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The Ka-band waveguide filter described above can control the coupling between the input resonator (4), multiple pentagonal resonators (9) and the output resonator (5) by changing the height of the metal diaphragm (8).

6. The 3D-printable Ka-band waveguide filter as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The Ka-band waveguide filter is fabricated using 3D printing technology.

7. The 3D-printable Ka-band waveguide filter as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The Ka-band waveguide filter is 3D printed along its length; the Ka-band waveguide filter can be 3D printed without support.

8. The 3D-printable Ka-band waveguide filter as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In the 3D printing process, the Ka-band waveguide filter is processed using abrasive flow technology.

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