Airborne low-scattering radome tool and positioning device thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of aviation equipment testing and detection, in particular to an airborne low-scattering radome tool and a positioning device thereof.The airborne low-scattering radome tool comprises a rotating base arranged on the ground, a fixing mechanism is arranged on the rotating base and used for fixedly installing a radome to be detected, and an installing mechanism is further arranged on the rotating base and used for installing the radome to be detected. The mounting mechanism is used for fixedly mounting an antenna, and the antenna on the mounting mechanism can rotate. According to the invention, the fixing mechanism used for installing the antenna housing adopts a non-shielding structural design, the antenna housing is fixed through the arc-shaped cantilever, the core and edge areas of the antenna housing which is integrally curved can be avoided, the electromagnetic exposure rate of the antenna housing reaches 99.8%, and the antenna housing can be effectively protected by arranging the frame made of pine wood and the pointed cone wave-absorbing pad capable of absorbing electromagnetic waves. The influence of scattering and diffraction caused by the tool can be eliminated to the maximum extent, and the accuracy of detection data is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aviation equipment testing and inspection technology, specifically to an airborne low-scatter antenna radome fixture and its positioning device. Background Technology

[0002] As a critical component protecting aircraft antenna systems, radomes must ensure the normal operation of radar, communication, and other equipment in harsh environments. Their core functions include physical protection and efficient electromagnetic wave transmission. The quality of the radome's electrical performance directly determines key parameters such as radar detection range and communication quality. The accuracy of electrical performance test results highly depends on the structural design and material properties of the testing fixture. In the anechoic chamber testing environment, the fixture must meet stringent requirements such as absence of electromagnetic interference, adjustable angle, and precise positioning to accurately reflect the radome's actual performance on the aircraft.

[0003] The existing radome fixture has the following two problems: 1. There are problems with the structural design. Traditional support frames use an enclosed clamping structure or multi-point bolt fixation, and their metal connectors are directly blocked by the tooling, obstructing the path of the incident electromagnetic wave. In addition, most tooling does not consider the obstruction caused by the tooling itself. When the surface reflected wave and the direct wave are superimposed at the receiving end, a standing wave effect is introduced, causing a decrease in its electrical performance indicators. More seriously, in the high-frequency band above Ka, such interference will mask the true wave transmission curve.

[0004] 2. Multi-angle domain testing of radomes relies on turntables. For narrow-beam antennas, the antenna and radome need to rotate independently. However, for most airborne radome electrical performance tests, the lack of independent turntables and reset devices makes it impossible to accurately reflect the electrical performance of the radome edges. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an airborne low-scatter radome fixture and its positioning device, to solve the problems mentioned in the background art, such as excessive obstruction of the radome by traditional support frames and the inability of the antenna and radome to rotate independently. To achieve the above objective, this invention provides the following technical solution: An airborne low-scatter radome fixture and its positioning device include a rotating base set on the ground, a fixing mechanism on the rotating base for fixing the radome to be tested, and an installation mechanism on the rotating base for fixing the antenna. The antenna on the installation mechanism is rotatable.

[0006] Preferably, the rotating base includes a turntable rotatably mounted on the ground, a connecting bracket is fixedly connected to the turntable, and a support plate is fixedly connected to the connecting bracket. The support plate is made of pine wood.

[0007] Preferably, the fixing mechanism includes a fixing frame fixedly connected to the support plate, a connecting frame fixedly connected to the fixing frame, two arc-shaped cantilever arms symmetrically fixedly connected to both ends of the connecting frame, a connecting strip fixedly connected between the two arc-shaped cantilever arms, the two arc-shaped cantilever arms being used to fix the radome, and the fixing frame, connecting frame, arc-shaped cantilever arms and connecting strip are all made of pine wood.

[0008] Preferably, the installation mechanism includes a mounting frame fixedly connected to a support plate, the mounting frame is provided with a positioning component, the positioning component is provided with a mounting frame, the positioning component enables the mounting frame to rotate precisely, and both the mounting frame and the mounting frame are made of pine wood.

[0009] Preferably, the positioning component includes a mounting base fixedly connected to the mounting frame, a support platform rotatably connected to the mounting base, a mounting frame fixedly connected to the support platform, a circumferential scale line on the support platform, and a marking line on the mounting base. By comparing the marking line with the circumferential scale line, the rotation angle of the support platform can be determined.

[0010] Preferably, a mounting frame is fixedly connected to the support platform, a worm gear is fixedly connected to the support platform, a connecting shell is fixedly connected to the mounting base, a worm is rotatably connected inside the connecting shell, the worm meshes with the worm gear, a support block is fixedly connected to the mounting bracket, a rotating rod is rotatably connected to the support block, one end of the rotating rod is fixedly connected to the worm through a coupling, and a handwheel is fixedly connected to the other end of the rotating rod.

[0011] Preferably, the connecting bracket, the fixing bracket, the two arc-shaped cantilever arms, and the mounting bracket are fixedly connected with cone-shaped wave-absorbing pads.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: In this invention, the fixing mechanism for mounting the radome adopts an unobstructed structural design. By fixing the radome with an arc-shaped cantilever, the core and edge areas of the curved radome can be avoided, enabling the electromagnetic exposure rate of the radome to reach 99.8%. Furthermore, by setting up a pine wood support plate, fixing frame, connecting frame, arc-shaped cantilever, connecting strip, mounting bracket and mounting frame, as well as a pointed cone absorbing pad that can absorb electromagnetic waves, the effects of scattering and diffraction caused by metal tooling can be minimized, ensuring the accuracy of the test data. Moreover, since metal tooling is expensive, the use of pine wood for multiple components in this device is also to further reduce design costs.

[0013] In this invention, during the electrical performance testing of the radome, the radome and the narrow-beam antenna rotate together via a turntable. However, when it is necessary for the radome and antenna to maintain independent movement, a positioning component is used. By rotating a handwheel, the support platform can be rotated, thereby allowing the antenna to rotate independently of the radome. When the radome rotates at a large angle, the positioning component can reset the antenna to its original angle, achieving independent rotation and real-time calibration functions. This enables full-angle electrical performance testing of the radome with a radiation pattern distortion of <0.1dB.

[0014] In this invention, by employing a wooden structural frame, a hollowed-out arc-shaped cantilever connection mechanism, and a high-precision positioning component, high-precision testing of the electrical performance of multi-angle radomes is achieved, resulting in an overall transmittance test error of ±0.25dB (a 7-fold improvement) and an overall radiation pattern distortion of <0.5dB. This overcomes the limitations of traditional solutions in terms of electromagnetic interference, angle obstruction, and positioning inaccuracy, providing a basis for field verification of airborne communication systems. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating base and fixing mechanism in this invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the installation mechanism in this invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning component in the present invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning component in the present invention. Figure 2 .

[0016] In the diagram: 1. Rotating base; 101. Turntable; 102. Connecting bracket; 103. Support plate; 2. Fixing mechanism; 201. Fixing frame; 202. Connecting frame; 203. Arc-shaped cantilever; 204. Connecting strip; 3. Installation mechanism; 301. Mounting frame; 302. Positioning component; 3021. Mounting seat; 3022. Bearing platform; 3023. Circumferential scale line; 3024. Marking line; 3025. Worm gear; 3026. Connecting shell; 3027. Worm; 3028. Support block; 3029. Rotating rod; 30210. Coupling; 30211. Handwheel; 303. Mounting frame; 4. Conical wave-absorbing pad. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0018] Please see Figures 1 to 5 , the present invention provides a technical solution: An airborne low-scatter radome fixture and its positioning device include a rotating base 1 set on the ground, a fixing mechanism 2 set on the rotating base 1 for fixing the radome to be tested, and an installation mechanism 3 set on the rotating base 1 for fixing the antenna. The antenna on the installation mechanism 3 is rotatable.

[0019] In this embodiment, the rotating base 1 includes a turntable 101 rotatably mounted on the ground, a connecting bracket 102 fixedly connected to the turntable 101, and a support plate 103 fixedly connected to the connecting bracket 102. The support plate 103 is made of pine wood.

[0020] In this embodiment, the fixing mechanism 2 includes a fixing frame 201 fixedly connected to the support plate 103. A connecting frame 202 is fixedly connected to the fixing frame 201. Two arc-shaped cantilever arms 203 are symmetrically fixedly connected to both ends of the connecting frame 202. A connecting strip 204 is fixedly connected between the two arc-shaped cantilever arms 203. The two arc-shaped cantilever arms 203 are used to fix the radome. The fixing frame 201, connecting frame 202, arc-shaped cantilever arms 203 and connecting strip 204 are all made of pine wood.

[0021] In this embodiment, the installation mechanism 3 includes a mounting frame 301 fixedly connected to the support plate 103. The mounting frame 301 is provided with a positioning component 302, and the positioning component 302 is provided with a mounting frame 303. The positioning component 302 enables the mounting frame 303 to rotate precisely. Both the mounting frame 301 and the mounting frame 303 are made of pine wood.

[0022] In this embodiment, the support plate 103, fixing frame 201, connecting frame 202, arc cantilever 203, connecting strip 204, mounting frame 301 and mounting frame 303 all adopt a wooden frame structure. The overall structure is made of pine wood, which is made of fast-growing pine wood that has been dried. It has low deformation, no odor, and compressive strength is usually between 30 and 50 MPa. The fixing frame 201 and mounting frame 301 are composed of multiple wooden rods, which can form a stable support, reduce weight and avoid scattering problems that may be caused by metal tooling. Interference suppression is >15dB.

[0023] In this embodiment, the positioning component 302 includes a mounting base 3021 fixedly connected to the mounting frame 301, a support platform 3022 rotatably connected to the mounting base 3021, a mounting frame 303 fixedly connected to the support platform 3022, a circumferential scale line 3023 on the support platform 3022, and a marking line 3024 on the mounting base 3021. By comparing the marking line 3024 with the circumferential scale line 3023, the rotation angle of the support platform 3022 can be determined.

[0024] In this embodiment, a mounting frame 303 is fixedly connected to the support platform 3022, a worm gear 3025 is fixedly connected to the support platform 3022, a connecting shell 3026 is fixedly connected to the mounting base 3021, a worm 3027 is rotatably connected inside the connecting shell 3026, the worm 3027 meshes with the worm gear 3025, a support block 3028 is fixedly connected to the mounting bracket 301, a rotating rod 3029 is rotatably connected to the support block 3028, one end of the rotating rod 3029 is fixedly connected to the worm 3027 through a coupling 30210, and a handwheel 30211 is fixedly connected to the other end of the rotating rod 3029.

[0025] In this embodiment, the support platform 3022 is rotatably connected to the mounting base 3021 via a thrust ball bearing. The thrust ball bearing can effectively reduce the friction of the support platform 3022 when rotating on the mounting base 3021, thereby reducing the wear between the support platform 3022 and the mounting base 3021. The rotation of the support platform 3022 is driven by the worm gear 3025 and the worm 3027. The worm gear 3025 and the worm 3027 have self-locking and high transmission ratio characteristics, which allows the support platform 3022 to maintain a constant angle after rotation, and the rotation angle of the support platform 3022 can be precisely adjusted, with a positioning accuracy of up to 0.05°.

[0026] In this embodiment, the connecting bracket 102, the fixing bracket 201, the two arc-shaped cantilever 203 and the mounting bracket 301 are fixedly connected with the pointed cone wave-absorbing pad 4.

[0027] In this embodiment, the cone-shaped microwave absorbing pad 4 is made of polyurethane foam, and its surface is uniformly distributed with several foam cones. The cone-shaped microwave absorbing pad 4 can effectively absorb and weaken electromagnetic waves, reduce the reflection and diffraction of electromagnetic waves by the connecting bracket 102, the fixing frame 201, the arc cantilever 203 and the mounting frame 301, reduce interference with experimental data, and ensure the accuracy of experimental data.

[0028] The working process of this type of airborne low-scatter antenna radome fixture and its positioning device is as follows: Install the antenna onto the mounting frame 303, start the antenna to emit a narrow beam signal, record the signal data at this time, and then turn off the antenna. Then install the radome to be tested onto the two curved cantilever 203, start the antenna again, record the signal data at this time, and compare the two signal data to determine whether the performance of the radome meets the requirements. During testing, rotating the turntable 101 changes the orientation of the antenna and radome, allowing signal data to be obtained at different angles. Rotating the handwheel 30211 drives the worm gear 3027 via the rotating rod 3029 and coupling 30210. The worm gear 3027 then drives the meshing worm wheel 3025, which in turn drives the fixedly connected support platform 3022. The mounting frame 303 and antenna, also fixedly connected to the support platform 3022, rotate accordingly, changing the antenna's position relative to the radome. This allows for the acquisition of data at different angles between the antenna and the radome. With the cooperation of the turntable 101 and the positioning component 302, the electrical performance of the radome can be tested at all angles.

[0029] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely preferred examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An airborne low-scatter antenna radome fixture and its positioning device, comprising a rotating base (1) mounted on the ground, characterized in that: The rotating base (1) is provided with a fixing mechanism (2), which is used to fix the antenna cover to be tested. The rotating base (1) is also provided with an installation mechanism (3), which is used to fix the antenna. The antenna on the installation mechanism (3) can rotate.

2. The airborne low-scattering radome fixture and its positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating base (1) includes a turntable (101) rotatably mounted on the ground. A connecting bracket (102) is fixedly connected to the turntable (101), and a support plate (103) is fixedly connected to the connecting bracket (102). The support plate (103) is made of pine wood.

3. The airborne low-scatter antenna radome fixture and its positioning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fixing mechanism (2) includes a fixing frame (201) fixedly connected to the support plate (103). A connecting frame (202) is fixedly connected to the fixing frame (201). Two arc-shaped cantilever arms (203) are symmetrically fixedly connected to both ends of the connecting frame (202). A connecting strip (204) is fixedly connected between the two arc-shaped cantilever arms (203). The two arc-shaped cantilever arms (203) are used to fix the antenna cover. The fixing frame (201), connecting frame (202), arc-shaped cantilever arms (203) and connecting strip (204) are all made of pine wood.

4. The airborne low-scatter antenna radome fixture and its positioning device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The installation mechanism (3) includes a mounting frame (301) fixedly connected to the support plate (103). The mounting frame (301) is provided with a positioning component (302), and the positioning component (302) is provided with a mounting frame (303). The positioning component (302) enables the mounting frame (303) to rotate precisely. Both the mounting frame (301) and the mounting frame (303) are made of pine wood.

5. The airborne low-scatter antenna radome fixture and its positioning device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The positioning component (302) includes a mounting base (3021) fixedly connected to the mounting frame (301), a support platform (3022) rotatably connected to the mounting base (3021), a mounting frame (303) fixedly connected to the support platform (3022), a circumferential scale line (3023) on the support platform (3022), and a marking line (3024) on the mounting base (3021). By comparing the marking line (3024) with the circumferential scale line (3023), the rotation angle of the support platform (3022) can be determined. A mounting frame (303) is fixedly connected to the support platform (3022). A worm gear (3025) is fixedly connected to the support platform (3022). A connecting shell (3026) is fixedly connected to the mounting base (3021). A worm (3027) is rotatably connected inside the connecting shell (3026). The worm (3027) meshes with the worm gear (3025). A support block (3028) is fixedly connected to the mounting bracket (301). A rotating rod (3029) is rotatably connected to the support block (3028). One end of the rotating rod (3029) is fixedly connected to the worm (3027) through a coupling (30210). A handwheel (30211) is fixedly connected to the other end of the rotating rod (3029).

6. The airborne low-scatter antenna radome fixture and its positioning device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The connecting bracket (102), the fixing bracket (201), the two arc-shaped cantilever (203) and the mounting bracket (301) are fixedly connected with cone-shaped wave-absorbing pads (4).

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