Reconfigurable aircraft skin conformal antenna
By laying a flexible metal film on the inside of the aircraft skin to make the main radiating unit and reconfigurable unit of the antenna, and using a connection structure and electric control device to realize electrical connection and disconnection, the problem of low efficiency of conformal antennas on the skin is solved, the frequency range is widened and the gain is improved, and the multi-functional requirements of the aircraft platform are met.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511247453.9
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-09-03
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-18
- Estimated Expiration
- 2045-09-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing conformal antennas with skin are inefficient and have low gain, making it difficult to meet the multi-functional requirements of aircraft platforms. Furthermore, traditional reconfigurable antennas are difficult to conform to the skin.
The antenna's main radiating element and reconfigurable element, made of flexible metal film, are laid on the inside of the aircraft skin. The main radiating element and the reconfigurable element are electrically connected and disconnected through an antenna connection structure. Combined with an electric control device, the antenna's reconfigurable design is realized.
It achieves conformal antenna design with aircraft skin, reduces the impact on aerodynamic stealth performance, widens the frequency range, improves gain, and meets the complex antenna requirements of aircraft platforms.
Smart Images

Figure CN120749382B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of antenna technology, and more specifically, to a reconfigurable aircraft skin conformal antenna. Background Technology
[0002] Traditional airborne antennas (such as blade antennas) create bulges or protrusions on aircraft platforms, significantly impacting aerodynamic and stealth performance. Therefore, one of the main development directions for airborne antennas is to reduce their impact on aircraft aerodynamics and stealth. The high aerodynamic performance, high stealth capability, high strength, and low weight of skin-conformal antennas have led to an increasing trend of adopting them on aircraft platforms. Simultaneously, with the increasing integration of multi-functional airborne communication and radar systems and the generalization of airborne antenna apertures, airborne antennas are fulfilling more and more functionalities while their number is decreasing. Reconfigurable antennas, which can perform the functions of multiple antennas with a single antenna, not only facilitate the integration of airborne antennas but also reduce their overall number. Therefore, given the complex antenna requirements of aircraft platforms, the research significance of reconfigurable skin-conformal antennas that meet multi-functional needs is growing.
[0003] Existing conformal antennas for aircraft skin often address multi-functionality requirements through ultra-wideband (UWB) designs. However, UWB antennas suffer from low efficiency, resulting in generally low gain across the frequency band and impacting system performance. Reconfigurable antennas, on the other hand, offer reconfigurable operating frequencies and, compared to UWB antennas, higher efficiency and greater gain within the operating frequency range. However, in the aircraft skin field, the electrical or mechanical control structures of traditional reconfigurable antennas often fail to meet the requirements for skin deformation tolerance, thus hindering their conformal compatibility with the skin.
[0004] Therefore, this application provides a reconfigurable aircraft skin conformal antenna to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a reconfigurable conformal antenna for aircraft skin, solving the problems of low efficiency and low gain of existing ultra-wideband conformal antennas, and the difficulty of reconfigurable antennas meeting the conformal requirements of the skin. This application uses a flexible metal film to make the main radiating element and the reconfigurable element of the antenna, and lays the main radiating element and the reconfigurable element on the inside of the skin to solve the problem of antenna conformality with the aircraft skin. Furthermore, an antenna connection structure is set in the gap between the main radiating element and the reconfigurable element to realize the electrical connection and disconnection of the main radiating element and the reconfigurable element, solving the reconfiguration problem of the conformal antenna, which can flexibly adjust the antenna operating range, broaden the broadband frequency range, improve the gain, and meet the complex antenna requirements of the aircraft platform.
[0006] The above-mentioned technical objective of this application is achieved through the following technical solution: including: a main radiating unit made of flexible metal film, which is attached to the inner side of the aircraft skin and conforms to the skin, the main radiating unit having a feeding metal hole for connecting a coaxial cable; a reconfigurable unit made of flexible metal film, which is attached to the inner side of the aircraft skin and conforms to the skin, the reconfigurable unit having a gap with the main radiating unit; and an antenna connection structure, which is disposed at the gap between the main radiating unit and the reconfigurable unit and connected to the main radiating unit and the reconfigurable unit, for connecting or disconnecting the main radiating unit and the reconfigurable unit.
[0007] In one possible implementation, the antenna connection structure includes: two connection structures, an insulating conduit, a conductor, an insulating push rod, and an electric control device; the two connection structures are respectively fixed on the main radiating unit and the reconfigurable unit on both sides of the gap, forming a connection interface, which is connected to the metal beam of the aircraft through the insulating conduit; the electric control device is placed inside the metal beam, and is connected to the insulating push rod, which extends through the metal beam into the insulating conduit and is connected to the conductor; when the electric control device drives the conductor to abut against the two connection structures to form the connection interface through the insulating push rod, the main radiating unit and the reconfigurable unit are connected; when the electric control device drives the conductor to detach from the two connection structures to form the connection interface through the insulating push rod, the main radiating unit and the reconfigurable unit are disconnected.
[0008] In one possible implementation, the two connecting structures are semi-circular rings, the conductor is spherical, and the inner walls of the two connecting structures are adapted to the spherical conductor.
[0009] In one possible implementation, the two connecting structures are arranged with adjacent gaps and are symmetrical along the gap axis.
[0010] In one possible implementation, the two connecting structures are located at the middle of the edge of the main radiating unit and the reconfigurable unit near the gap.
[0011] In one possible implementation, the insulating conduit and insulating push rod are made of cyanate ester material, and the connecting structure and conductor are made of aluminum alloy.
[0012] In one possible implementation, the main radiating unit is a flexible metal film in the form of a butterfly dipole.
[0013] In one possible implementation, the reconfigurable unit is a trapezoidal flexible metal membrane.
[0014] In one possible implementation, the reconfigurable units are a pair, and the pair of reconfigurable units are spaced apart along both ends of the main radiating unit. The reconfigurable units are connected to or disconnected from the main radiating unit through a connecting structure, and the trapezoidal waist of the reconfigurable unit coincides with the butterfly-shaped cross extension line of the main radiating unit.
[0015] In one possible implementation, there are N pairs of reconfigurable units, where N is a positive integer greater than 1. The N pairs of reconfigurable units are spaced apart along both ends of the main radiating unit. The reconfigurable units are connected or disconnected from each other and from the main radiating unit through a connecting structure. The trapezoidal waist of the reconfigurable unit coincides with the butterfly-shaped cross extension line of the main radiating unit.
[0016] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following advantages: The reconfigurable aircraft skin conformal antenna provided by this application uses a flexible metal film to make the main radiating element and the reconfigurable element of the antenna and attaches them to the inside of the aircraft skin. It is conformally set with the aircraft skin, making the antenna lightweight, saving installation space, and meeting the skin load-bearing requirements. The connection and disconnection of the main radiating element and the reconfigurable element are realized through the connection structure, realizing the antenna reconfigurable design in the narrow skin space. The resonant operating frequency switching of L and S bands can be achieved with a single antenna, improving the antenna utilization rate. In addition, the antenna has a simple and stable structure, which is suitable for engineering applications. Attached Figure Description
[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of embodiments of the invention and form part of this application, do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:
[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the reconfigurable aircraft skin conformal antenna provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0019] Figure 2 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a reconfigurable aircraft skin conformal antenna provided for an embodiment of this application;
[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of two connection structures provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0021] Figure 4 Top view of two connection structures provided in the embodiments of this application;
[0022] Figure 5 Examples of this application Figure 4 Sectional view along the middle AA direction;
[0023] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the main radiating unit and reconfigurable unit made of flexible metal film provided in the embodiments of this application.
[0024] The attached diagram shows the markings and corresponding component names:
[0025] 1. Aircraft skin; 2. Inner side of aircraft skin; 3. Antenna connection structure; 4. Feed metal hole; 5. Metal beam; 6. SMA connector; 7. Insulating push rod; 8. Electric control device; 9. Reconfigurable unit; 10. Connection structure; 11. Main radiating unit. Detailed Implementation
[0026] In the following, the terms “comprising” or “may include” as used in the various embodiments of this application indicate the presence of the claimed function, operation, or element, and do not limit the addition of one or more functions, operations, or elements. Furthermore, as used in the various embodiments of this application, the terms “comprising,” “having,” and their cognates are intended only to indicate a specific feature, number, step, operation, element, component, or combination of the foregoing, and should not be construed as primarily excluding the presence of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations of the foregoing, or the possibility of adding one or more combinations of the foregoing.
[0027] It should be noted that if a description refers to "connecting" a component to another component or "connecting" it to another component, then the first component can be directly connected to the second component, and a third component can be "connected" between the first and second components. Conversely, when a component is "directly connected" to another component or "directly connected" to another component, it can be understood that there is no third component between the first and second components.
[0028] The terminology used in the various embodiments of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the various embodiments of this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the various embodiments of this application pertain. Terms (such as those defined in a generally used dictionary) are to be interpreted as having the same meaning as in the context of the relevant technical field and are not to be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning, unless clearly defined in the various embodiments of this application.
[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the embodiments and accompanying drawings. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of this application are only for explaining this application and are not intended to limit this application.
[0030] Embodiment 1 of this application provides a reconfigurable aircraft skin conformal antenna, comprising: a main radiating element 11 made of a flexible metal film, which is attached to the inner side 2 of the aircraft skin and conforms to the skin, the main radiating element 11 having a feed metal hole 4 for connecting a coaxial cable; a reconfigurable element 9 made of a flexible metal film, which is attached to the inner side 2 of the aircraft skin and conforms to the skin, the reconfigurable element 9 having a gap with the main radiating element 11; and an antenna connection structure 3 disposed at the gap between the main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9, and connected to the main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9, for connecting or disconnecting the main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9.
[0031] Specifically, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the reconfigurable aircraft skin conformal antenna provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a reconfigurable conformal antenna for aircraft skin provided in an embodiment of this application. The main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9, made of a flexible metal film, are laid on the inner side 2 of the aircraft skin and conform to the skin. Conformal to the skin means that the antenna is highly consistent with the surface shape of the aircraft skin 1, so that it is integrated with the aircraft skin 1 in terms of physical form and aerodynamic performance, without compromising the original shape, structural strength or stealth characteristics of the aircraft.
[0032] Figure 1 and Figure 2In this configuration, the main radiating unit 11 adopts a butterfly dipole form and is configured as a single unit. The main radiating unit 11 has a central feeding metal hole 4 for connecting a coaxial cable to receive power. The inner and outer cores of one end of the coaxial cable are connected to the feeding metal hole 4 of the main radiating unit 11 on the aircraft skin 1 via countersunk screws, and the connection is secured with adhesive. The other end of the coaxial cable is an SMA connector 6, which passes through the aircraft metal beam 5 and is installed within the cavity of the metal beam 5. Two reconfigurable units 9 adopt a trapezoidal form and are configured at both ends of the butterfly shape of the main radiating unit 11. A gap exists between the reconfigurable units 9 and the main radiating unit 11. Preferably, the gap is positioned where the deformation of the aircraft skin 1 is small (i.e., the deformation is less than a set threshold) to avoid the impact of the gap width during aircraft flight. Furthermore, the gap width should not be too large and can be set to 2 mm. Antenna connection structure 3 is positioned at the gap between the main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9, and connects to both. The connection structure 3 enables the connection and disconnection of the main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9. When the main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9 are disconnected, the main radiating element 11 operates independently, and the antenna operates in the first mode. When the main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9 are connected, both operate together, and the antenna operates in the second mode. This achieves a reconfigurable design for the aircraft skin antenna, reduces the antenna's impact on the aircraft's aerodynamic stealth performance, and broadens the application range of aircraft skin antennas.
[0033] It should be noted that, Figure 1 and Figure 2 The specific shapes and quantities of the main radiating unit 11 and reconfigurable unit 9 presented are merely examples. In actual production, the shapes of the main radiating unit 11 and reconfigurable unit 9 can be set as needed, for example, the main radiating unit 11 and reconfigurable unit 9 can be set as rectangles, circles, rings, etc.; in actual production, the quantity of reconfigurable unit 9 can be set as needed, for example, 1 reconfigurable unit 9, 2 reconfigurable units 9, 3 reconfigurable units 9, etc.
[0034] The improvement of this application lies in using a flexible metal film to make the main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9 of the antenna. The main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9 are laid on the inner side 2 of the aircraft skin to achieve conformal antenna and skin, reducing the impact of the antenna on the aerodynamic stealth performance of the aircraft. Furthermore, an antenna connection structure 3 is set in the gap between the main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9 to realize the electrical connection and disconnection of the main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9, realizing the reconfiguration of the conformal antenna of the skin. The antenna operating range can be flexibly adjusted, the broadband frequency range can be widened, and the gain can be improved to meet the complex antenna requirements of the aircraft platform.
[0035] In one possible implementation, the antenna connection structure 3 includes: two connection structures 10, an insulating pipe, a conductor, an insulating push rod 7, and an electric control device 8; the two connection structures 10 are respectively fixed on the main radiating unit 11 and the reconfigurable unit 9 on both sides of the gap, forming a connection interface, which is connected to the metal beam 5 of the aircraft through the insulating pipe; the electric control device 8 is placed inside the cavity of the metal beam 5, and is connected to the insulating push rod 7, which extends through the metal beam 5 into the insulating pipe, and is connected to the conductor; when the electric control device 8 drives the conductor to abut against the two connection structures 10 to form a connection interface through the insulating push rod 7, the main radiating unit 11 and the reconfigurable unit 9 are connected; when the electric control device 8 drives the conductor to disengage from the two connection structures 10 to form a connection interface through the insulating push rod 7, the main radiating unit 11 and the reconfigurable unit 9 are disconnected.
[0036] Specifically, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of two connection structures provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 This is a top view of two connection structures provided in an embodiment of this application. In the antenna connection structure 3, the two connection structures 10 are respectively fixed to the main radiating unit 11 and the reconfigurable unit 9 on both sides of the gap using countersunk screws, and the connection is fixed with glue. The gap is still maintained between the two connection structures 10, forming a connection between the two connection structures 10 as shown in the figure. Figure 3 The connection interface is shown. (As shown) Figure 2 As shown, the connection interface is connected to the metal beam 5 of the aircraft via an insulated pipe. An electric control device 8 is fixed inside the metal beam 5 and connected to an insulated push rod 7. The insulated push rod 7 is connected to a conductor and moves through the metal beam 5 along with the conductor within the insulated pipe. The electric control device 8 inside the metal beam 5 drives the insulated push rod 7, thereby moving the conductor. When the conductor disengages from the connection interface, the main radiating unit 11 and the reconfigurable unit 9 are electrically disconnected, and the antenna operates in the first mode. When the conductor abuts against the connection interface, the main radiating unit 11 and the reconfigurable unit 9 are electrically connected, and the antenna operates in the second mode.
[0037] It is understandable that the electric control device 8 operates the conductive body to move through the insulating push rod 7, thereby controlling the conduction and disconnection of the current on both sides of the gap. The conduction and disconnection at the gap will cause the antenna's operating resonant frequency to change, thereby achieving antenna resonance in different frequency ranges, achieving a higher gain effect in a wide frequency range, and solving the reconstruction problem of the conformal antenna with skin.
[0038] Furthermore, the two connecting structures 10 are semi-circular rings, the conductor is spherical, and the inner walls of the two connecting structures 10 are adapted to the spherical conductor.
[0039] Specifically, such as Figure 3 As shown, the two connecting structures 10 in the antenna connecting structure 3 are semi-circular rings, and the inner walls of the semi-circular connecting structures are adapted to the spherical conductor. This adaptation means that when the conductor abuts against the connection interface formed by the two semi-circular connecting structures, the conductor and the inner walls of both connecting structures 10 can make full contact, achieving cross-gap electrical conduction between the main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9. For ease of manufacturing, the inner walls of the two semi-circular connecting structures can be designed to gradually taper along the central axis, such as... Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view (AA) of two connection structures provided in an embodiment of this application. The inner wall diameter of the end of each of the two semi-circular ring connection structures closest to the insulating pipe is larger than the diameter of the spherical conductor, while the inner wall diameter of the end of each of the two semi-circular ring connection structures furthest from the insulating pipe is smaller than the diameter of the spherical conductor. This allows the spherical conductor to engage with the inner walls of the two semi-circular ring connection structures, achieving a contact connection interface. To improve conductivity stability, the inner wall of the semi-circular ring connection structure can also be configured as a spherical curved surface adapted to the spherical conductor, increasing the contact area between the spherical conductor and the inner walls of the two semi-circular ring connection structures, thus achieving a more reliable contact connection interface for the spherical conductor.
[0040] It should be noted that, Figure 3 , Figure 4 The provided connection structure 10 and conductor are only examples. In actual production, the two connection structures 10 can be set into shapes such as cuboids, cubes, and semi-cylinders with grooves, as needed. The grooves of the two connection structures 10 are located opposite each other on both sides of the gap. The grooves can be set as rectangles, squares, semi-circles, etc. The conductor is set into a shape that adapts to the grooves of the two connection structures 10, so that the conductor can abut against the connection interface formed by the groove walls of the two connection structures 10, realizing the cross-gap electrical conduction between the main radiating unit 11 and the reconfigurable unit 9.
[0041] Furthermore, the two connecting structures 10 are arranged with adjacent gaps and are symmetrical along the gap axis.
[0042] Specifically, the two connecting structures 10 are arranged adjacent to each other with a gap, which can minimize the size requirements of the conductor for electrical conduction across the gap. The greater the distance between the two connecting structures 10 and the gap, the larger the size of the conductor required for electrical conduction across the gap. The two connecting structures 10 are symmetrical along the gap axis, thus forming a symmetrical connection interface. After the conductor abuts against the connection interface, it makes equal contact with the two connecting structures 10, forming a stable electrical connection.
[0043] Furthermore, two connection structures 10 are disposed at the middle of the edge line of the main radiating unit 11 and the reconfigurable unit 9 near the gap.
[0044] Specifically, the main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9 are electrically connected across the gap in the middle, which can improve the antenna's balance and reduce offset error.
[0045] Furthermore, the insulating pipe and insulating push rod 7 are made of cyanate ester material, and the connecting structure 10 and the conductor are made of aluminum alloy.
[0046] Specifically, the insulating push rod 7 pushes the conductor to move inside the insulating pipe. When the conductor comes into contact with the connection interface formed by the two connection structures 10, the conductor electrically connects the two connection structures 10, thereby realizing the cross-gap electrical connection between the main radiating unit 11 and the reconfigurable unit 9.
[0047] It should be noted that the materials involved in this application can be replaced. The insulating pipe and insulating push rod 7 can be made of other insulating materials, such as phenolic cyanate, polyimide PI, CE-BMI-EP ternary resin, etc. The connecting structure 10 and the conductor can be made of other conductive materials, such as aluminum-zirconium alloy, copper-magnesium alloy, metal, etc.
[0048] In one possible implementation, the main radiating unit 11 is a flexible metal film in the form of a butterfly dipole. The reconfigurable unit 9 is a trapezoidal flexible metal film.
[0049] Specifically, such as Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the main radiating unit and reconfigurable unit made of a flexible metal film according to an embodiment of this application. The flexible metal film can be formed by coating one or more layers of metal film onto polyimide as the substrate, or by forming other flexible material substrates. The flexible metal film is cut to form a main radiating unit 11 in the form of a butterfly dipole and a reconfigurable unit 9 in the form of a trapezoid. The main radiating unit 11 and reconfigurable unit 9 made of the flexible metal film are attached to the inner side 2 of the aircraft skin and conform to the skin.
[0050] It should be noted that, Figure 6 The shapes of the antenna main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9 presented are only one example, and other shapes can be used to achieve the same function.
[0051] Furthermore, the reconfigurable units 9 are in pairs, and the pair of reconfigurable units 9 are spaced apart along both ends of the main radiating unit 11. The reconfigurable units 9 are connected to or disconnected from the main radiating unit 11 through the connecting structure 10. The trapezoidal waist of the reconfigurable unit 9 coincides with the butterfly-shaped cross extension line of the main radiating unit 11.
[0052] Specifically, such as Figure 6As shown, the reconfigurable units 9 are a pair, and the two reconfigurable units 9 are respectively set at the two butterfly ends of the main radiating unit 11. The trapezoidal waist of the two reconfigurable units 9 coincides with the cross extension line of the butterfly wings of the main radiating unit 11. The connection or disconnection of the main radiating unit 11 and the pair of reconfigurable units 9 is realized through the connection structure 10.
[0053] Furthermore, there are N pairs of reconfigurable units 9, where N is a positive integer greater than 1. The N pairs of reconfigurable units 9 are spaced apart along both ends of the main radiating unit 11. The reconfigurable units 9 are connected or disconnected from each other and from the main radiating unit 11 through the connecting structure 10. The trapezoidal waist of the reconfigurable unit 9 coincides with the butterfly-shaped cross extension line of the main radiating unit 11.
[0054] Specifically, Figure 6 Only one pair of reconfigurable units 9 is shown. In actual production, different numbers of pairs (such as N pairs) of reconfigurable units 9 can be used to achieve the same function. N pairs of reconfigurable units 9 are arranged along the two butterfly ends of the main radiating unit 11, and the trapezoidal waist of the reconfigurable unit 9 coincides with the cross extension line of the butterfly of the main radiating unit 11. The connection or disconnection of the main radiating unit 11 and one, two, ... N pairs of reconfigurable units 9 can be realized through the connection structure 10, thereby improving the antenna gain.
[0055] It is understood that the reconfigurable aircraft skin conformal antenna provided in this application uses a flexible metal film to make the main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9, which are attached to the inner side 2 of the aircraft skin and conformally set with the skin. The antenna is lightweight, saves installation space, and meets the skin's load-bearing requirements. The connection structure 10 realizes the connection and disconnection of the main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9, realizing the antenna reconfigurable design in the narrow skin space. The resonant operating frequency switching of the L and S bands can be achieved with a single antenna, improving the antenna utilization rate (when the main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9 are disconnected, the main radiating element 11 works alone, and the antenna operates in the S band, which can meet the requirements of VSWR ≤2 and gain ≥3dBi; when the main radiating element 11 and the reconfigurable element 9 are connected, they work together, and the antenna operates in the L band, which can meet the requirements of VSWR ≤2 and gain ≥3dBi). In addition, the antenna has a simple and stable structure, which is suitable for engineering applications.
[0056] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of the present invention. It should be understood that the above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A reconfigurable aircraft skin conformal antenna, characterized in that, include: The main radiating unit, made of a flexible metal film, is attached to the inside of the aircraft skin and conforms to the skin. The main radiating unit has a feeding metal hole for connecting a coaxial cable. A reconfigurable unit made of a flexible metal film is attached to the inside of the aircraft skin and conforms to the skin, with a gap between the reconfigurable unit and the main radiating unit; An antenna connection structure is disposed at the gap between the main radiating element and the reconfigurable element, and is connected to the main radiating element and the reconfigurable element, for connecting or disconnecting the main radiating element and the reconfigurable element; The antenna connection structure includes: Two connecting structures, insulated pipes, conductors, insulated push rods, and electric control devices; The two connecting structures are respectively fixed on the main radiating unit and the reconfigurable unit on both sides of the gap, and the two connecting structures form a connecting interface, which is connected to the metal beam of the aircraft through the insulating pipe; The electric control device is placed inside the metal beam cavity, and the electric control device is connected to the insulating push rod. The insulating push rod passes through the metal beam and extends into the insulating pipe. The insulating push rod is connected to the conductor. When the electric control device drives the conductor to abut against the two connecting structures to form a connection interface through the insulating push rod, the main radiating unit and the reconfigurable unit are connected. When the electric control device drives the conductor to disengage from the two connecting structures to form a connection interface through the insulating push rod, the main radiating unit and the reconfigurable unit are disconnected.
2. The reconfigurable aircraft skin conformal antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two connecting structures are semi-circular rings, and the conductor is spherical. The inner walls of the two connecting structures are adapted to the spherical conductor.
3. A reconfigurable aircraft skin conformal antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two connecting structures are arranged with adjacent gaps and are symmetrical along the gap axis.
4. A reconfigurable aircraft skin conformal antenna according to claim 3, characterized in that, The two connection structures are located at the midpoint of the edge of the main radiating unit and the reconfigurable unit near the gap.
5. A reconfigurable aircraft skin conformal antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The insulating pipe and the insulating push rod are made of cyanate ester material, and the connecting structure and the conductor are made of aluminum alloy.
6. A reconfigurable aircraft skin conformal antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main radiating unit is a flexible metal film in the form of a butterfly dipole.
7. A reconfigurable aircraft skin conformal antenna according to claim 6, characterized in that, The reconfigurable unit is a trapezoidal flexible metal membrane.
8. A reconfigurable aircraft skin conformal antenna according to claim 7, characterized in that, The reconfigurable units are in pairs, and the pair of reconfigurable units are spaced apart at both ends of the main radiating unit. The reconfigurable units are connected to or disconnected from the main radiating unit through the connecting structure, and the trapezoidal waist of the reconfigurable unit coincides with the butterfly-shaped cross extension line of the main radiating unit.
9. A reconfigurable aircraft skin conformal antenna according to claim 7, characterized in that, The reconfigurable units are N pairs, where N is a positive integer greater than 1. The N pairs of reconfigurable units are spaced apart along both ends of the main radiating unit. The reconfigurable units are connected or disconnected from each other and from the main radiating unit through the connection structure. The trapezoidal waist of the reconfigurable unit coincides with the butterfly-shaped cross extension line of the main radiating unit.
Citation Information
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