Reconfigurable radar-infrared composite semi-physical simulation system

Abstract

The invention provides a reconfigurable radar-infrared composite semi-physical simulation system which is composed of a microwave anechoic chamber, a three-axis rotary table, a radar target simulation system, an infrared target simulator, a movement mechanism, a beam combiner, a supporting mechanism, a ground rail, a lifting table, a control system and the like. The control system gives consideration to three simulation working modes of radar-infrared composite simulation, radar simulation and infrared simulation. According to the semi-physical simulation platform, few equipment resources and darkroom space resources are occupied, and three simulation working modes including radar-infrared composite simulation, radar simulation and infrared simulation are achieved in the same semi-physical simulation platform through equipment modular combination, rotary table 90-degree rotation, ground guide rail and lifting table mode reconstruction; the problem of performance contradiction between radar and infrared signals of a composite semi-physical simulation system is solved, distortion of radio-frequency signals and infrared signals after beam composition is reduced to the maximum extent, and the utilization rate of simulation resources is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of precision guidance technology, and more specifically, to a reconfigurable radar-infrared composite hardware-in-the-loop simulation system. Background Technology

[0002] Radar-infrared combined guidance is an important development direction in modern precision guidance technology, significantly improving weapons' anti-jamming capabilities and target identification accuracy in complex battlefield environments. In the research and testing of such combined guidance products, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) technology is indispensable due to its economic, efficient, and controllable characteristics.

[0003] Existing radar-infrared hybrid hardware-in-the-loop simulation systems typically employ a scheme where multiple independent devices are arranged within a microwave anechoic chamber and switched via complex mechanical mechanisms to achieve compatibility between hybrid simulation, pure radar simulation, and pure infrared simulation modes. For example, the system disclosed in Chinese patent document CN116774605A requires the introduction of a high-precision infrared reflector and its positioning mechanism in infrared simulation mode. This not only increases the system's complexity and cost but also necessitates extending the infrared exit pupil distance due to the reflector, resulting in a limited infrared field of view. Furthermore, in the radar-infrared hybrid simulation mode of this system, the beam combiner and its support mechanism must be moved into the anechoic chamber working area along ground guide rails. This layout, on the one hand, requires laying multiple tracks on the anechoic chamber floor and may involve complex steering mechanisms, occupying valuable anechoic chamber space and presenting challenges to reliability due to complex operating paths; on the other hand, the beam combiner's placement directly in front of the turntable forces the turntable foundation to reserve sufficient space to accommodate its movement, further exacerbating the space resource constraints.

[0004] Therefore, existing technologies generally suffer from bloated system layouts, cumbersome mode switching, low space utilization, and problems such as limited infrared field of view and radio frequency signal distortion due to complex optical / RF paths. How to achieve high-performance reconstruction of three simulation modes in a single simulation system in a simpler, more efficient, and reliable manner, while maximizing the conservation of anechoic chamber space and equipment resources, has become a pressing technical challenge in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide a reconfigurable radar-infrared composite hardware-in-the-loop simulation system.

[0006] A reconfigurable radar-infrared composite hardware-in-the-loop simulation system provided by the present invention includes: a microwave anechoic chamber, a three-axis turntable, a radar target simulation system, an infrared target simulator, a motion mechanism for driving the infrared target simulator, a beam combiner, a support mechanism for supporting and positioning the beam combiner, a ground track laid in the microwave anechoic chamber, a lifting platform set in front of the three-axis turntable, and a control system. The control system is configured to control the system to switch and operate between three working modes: radar-infrared composite simulation, radar simulation, and infrared simulation. The three working modes are reconstructed through the rotation of the three-axis turntable, the vertical lifting of the lifting platform, the movement of the infrared target simulator and motion mechanism along the ground track, and the adjustment of the motion mechanism itself.

[0007] Preferably, in the radar-infrared composite simulation mode, the beam combiner and support mechanism are raised to the working position via the lifting platform, so that the center of the beam combiner is at the same height as the rotation center of the three-axis turntable, and the beam combiner is at a 45° angle to the horizontal direction; the infrared target simulator and motion mechanism move along the ground track into the microwave anechoic chamber, and the rotation center of the motion mechanism coincides with the rotation center of the three-axis turntable after being mirrored by the beam combiner.

[0008] Preferably, in the radar-infrared composite simulation mode, the infrared radiation generated by the infrared target simulator is reflected by the beam combiner and enters the field of view of the product under test, and the radio frequency signal generated by the radar target simulation system is transmitted through the beam combiner and enters the receiving antenna of the product under test.

[0009] Preferably, the platform of the three-axis turntable can rotate 90° as a whole; in radar-infrared composite simulation mode and radar simulation mode, the inner frame of the three-axis turntable faces the radar target simulation system; in infrared simulation mode, the inner frame of the three-axis turntable faces the infrared target simulator.

[0010] Preferably, the motion mechanism includes an arm structure that can drive the infrared target simulator to perform spherical motion around the rotation center of the three-axis turntable. At the same time, the motion mechanism as a whole can move linearly along a direction perpendicular to the ground track to adjust the distance between the infrared target simulator and the three-axis turntable.

[0011] Preferably, the arm structure consists of a long arm and a short arm, which keeps the infrared target simulator from rotating relative to its optical axis during movement.

[0012] Preferably, in infrared simulation mode, the beam combiner and support mechanism are lowered to a non-working position via the lifting platform; the three-axis turntable rotates 90° so that its inner frame faces the infrared target simulator; the infrared target simulator and motion mechanism move along the ground track and adjust their positions so that the rotation center of the motion mechanism coincides with the rotation center of the three-axis turntable; the infrared radiation generated by the infrared target simulator directly enters the product under test.

[0013] Preferably, in infrared simulation mode, after the beam combiner descends, it and the area of ​​the lifting platform where it is located are covered by absorbing material.

[0014] Preferably, in radar simulation mode, the infrared target simulator and motion mechanism move out of the microwave anechoic chamber along the ground track; the beam combiner and support mechanism descend via a lifting platform; the ground track and lifting platform area are covered with absorbing material to form a pure electromagnetic anechoic chamber environment; the radio frequency signal generated by the radar target simulation system is directly projected onto the product under test.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. In the same hardware-in-the-loop simulation system, the present invention realizes hardware-in-the-loop simulation in three modes: radar-infrared composite simulation, radar simulation, and infrared simulation through system reconstruction.

[0016] 2. The infrared simulation mode switching speed provided by this invention is faster. It does not require an infrared reflector. It directly achieves the conversion between radar-infrared simulation or radar simulation and infrared simulation modes by rotating the three-axis turntable 90° and adjusting the position of the motion mechanism of the infrared target simulator.

[0017] 3. The infrared simulation working mode provided by this invention eliminates the reflection link in the infrared optical path, which can greatly reduce the exit pupil distance of the infrared target simulator, increase the infrared field of view, and adapt to infrared simulation tests of products under test with different exit pupil distances and field of view angles.

[0018] 4. The beam combiner provided by this invention moves in and out by raising and lowering the lifting platform along the height direction of the turntable foundation, which greatly reduces the foundation space occupied by the beam combiner in the dark room.

[0019] 5. While realizing radar-infrared composite simulation, this invention minimizes the number of devices and turntable foundation space in the microwave anechoic chamber, greatly reduces radio frequency signal distortion, and improves the electromagnetic performance of the microwave anechoic chamber. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1This is a top view schematic diagram of the radar-infrared composite simulation working mode of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a top view schematic diagram of the infrared simulation working mode of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a top-view schematic diagram of the radar simulation working mode of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the invention in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several changes and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0022] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the present invention provides a reconfigurable radar-infrared composite hardware-in-the-loop simulation system, mainly composed of a microwave anechoic chamber, a three-axis turntable, a radar target simulation system, an infrared target simulator and motion mechanism, a beam combiner and support mechanism, a ground rail, a lifting platform, and a control system. The control system is used to coordinate and control the motion and working state of each mechanism to realize the reconfiguration and switching between three working modes: radar-infrared composite simulation, radar simulation, and infrared simulation.

[0023] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the three operating modes of the system are implemented in the following manner: 1. Radar-infrared composite simulation working mode (see...) Figure 1 ) In this mode, the control system first drives the lifting platform to rise, raising the beam combiner and support mechanism to the working position. The beam combiner is precisely positioned so that its center is at the same height as the rotation center of the three-axis turntable, and its plane forms a 45° angle with the horizontal line. Simultaneously, the infrared target simulator and its motion mechanism move along the ground track laid in the dark chamber, entering the preset working area within the dark chamber. Through adjustments to the motion mechanism, its rotation center coincides with the rotation center of the three-axis turntable after being mirrored by the beam combiner, thereby achieving two-dimensional movement of the target's line-of-sight angle in both elevation and azimuth. During operation, the infrared radiation generated by the infrared target simulator is reflected by the beam combiner and enters the infrared field of view of the product under test mounted on the three-axis turntable; at the same time, the radio frequency signal generated by the radar target simulation system is transmitted through the beam combiner and enters the radar receiving antenna of the product under test.

[0024] 2. Infrared simulation working mode (see...) Figure 2 ) When switching to pure infrared simulation mode, the control system performs the following operations: First, it drives the lifting platform to descend, lowering the beam combiner and support mechanism to a non-working position. To avoid affecting the anechoic chamber environment, absorbing material can be used to cover them after descent. Then, it controls the three-axis turntable to rotate 90°, aligning its inner frame with the infrared target simulator. Next, the infrared target simulator and motion mechanism move along the ground track, further adjusting the distance between them and the three-axis turntable through the motion mechanism's linear movement perpendicular to the ground track, ultimately ensuring that the rotation center of the motion mechanism precisely coincides with the rotation center of the three-axis turntable. In this configuration, the infrared radiation generated by the infrared target simulator can directly enter the product under test without reflection from the beam combiner, resulting in a simplified optical path, effectively reducing the exit pupil distance and increasing the infrared field of view.

[0025] 3. Radar simulation working mode (see...) Figure 3 ) When switching to pure radar simulation mode, the control system performs the following operations: The infrared target simulator and motion mechanism are completely moved out of the microwave anechoic chamber along the ground track; simultaneously, the beam combiner and support mechanism are lowered to their lowest position via the lifting platform. Then, absorbing material is applied to the exposed ground track and lifting platform areas to create an electromagnetically pure testing environment within the anechoic chamber. The inner frame of the three-axis turntable faces the radar target simulation system. In this mode, the radio frequency signal generated by the radar target simulation system is directly projected onto the product under test for pure radar performance simulation testing.

[0026] Regarding the aforementioned motion mechanism, in a preferred embodiment, it employs an arm structure consisting of a long arm and a short arm. This motion mechanism drives an infrared target simulator fixed to its worktable to perform spherical motion around the rotation center of the three-axis turntable (or its mirror image point), ensuring that the infrared target simulator does not rotate relative to its own optical axis during the motion. The motion mechanism as a whole can also move along a direction perpendicular to the ground rail to achieve coarse and fine adjustments to the distance between it and the three-axis turntable.

[0027] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0028] Specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable radar-infrared composite hardware-in-the-loop simulation system, characterized in that, include: Microwave anechoic chamber, three-axis turntable, radar target simulation system, infrared target simulator, motion mechanism for driving the infrared target simulator, beam combiner, support mechanism for supporting and positioning the beam combiner, ground track laid in microwave anechoic chamber, lifting platform set in front of three-axis turntable, and control system; The control system is configured to control the system to switch and operate between three working modes: radar-infrared composite simulation, radar simulation, and infrared simulation. The three working modes are reconstructed through the rotation of the three-axis turntable, the vertical lifting of the lifting platform, the movement of the infrared target simulator and motion mechanism along the ground track, and the adjustment of the motion mechanism itself.

2. The reconfigurable radar-infrared composite hardware-in-the-loop simulation system according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the radar-infrared composite simulation mode, the beam combiner and support mechanism are raised to the working position via the lifting platform, so that the center of the beam combiner is at the same height as the rotation center of the three-axis turntable, and the beam combiner is at a 45° angle to the horizontal direction; the infrared target simulator and motion mechanism move along the ground track into the microwave anechoic chamber, and the rotation center of the motion mechanism coincides with the rotation center of the three-axis turntable after being mirrored by the beam combiner.

3. The reconfigurable radar-infrared composite hardware-in-the-loop simulation system according to claim 2, characterized in that, In the radar-infrared composite simulation mode, the infrared radiation generated by the infrared target simulator is reflected by the beam combiner and enters the field of view of the product under test, while the radio frequency signal generated by the radar target simulation system is transmitted through the beam combiner and enters the receiving antenna of the product under test.

4. The reconfigurable radar-infrared composite hardware-in-the-loop simulation system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The three-axis turntable can rotate 90° as a whole; in radar-infrared composite simulation mode and radar simulation mode, the inner frame of the three-axis turntable faces the radar target simulation system. In infrared simulation mode, the inner frame of the three-axis turntable faces the infrared target simulator.

5. The reconfigurable radar-infrared composite hardware-in-the-loop simulation system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The motion mechanism includes an arm structure that can drive the infrared target simulator to perform spherical motion around the rotation center of the three-axis turntable. At the same time, the motion mechanism as a whole can move linearly along a direction perpendicular to the ground track to adjust the distance between the infrared target simulator and the three-axis turntable.

6. The reconfigurable radar-infrared composite hardware-in-the-loop simulation system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The arm structure consists of a long arm and a short arm, which keeps the infrared target simulator from rotating relative to its optical axis during movement.

7. The reconfigurable radar-infrared composite hardware-in-the-loop simulation system according to claim 1, characterized in that, In infrared simulation mode, the beam combiner and support mechanism are lowered to a non-working position via the lifting platform; the three-axis turntable rotates 90° so that its inner frame faces the infrared target simulator; the infrared target simulator and motion mechanism move along the ground track and adjust their positions so that the rotation center of the motion mechanism coincides with the rotation center of the three-axis turntable; the infrared radiation generated by the infrared target simulator directly enters the product under test.

8. The reconfigurable radar-infrared composite hardware-in-the-loop simulation system according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that, In infrared simulation mode, after the beam combiner descends, it and the area of ​​the lifting platform it is located in are covered by absorbing material.

9. The reconfigurable radar-infrared composite hardware-in-the-loop simulation system according to claim 1, characterized in that, In radar simulation mode, the infrared target simulator and motion mechanism move out of the microwave anechoic chamber along the ground track; the beam combiner and support mechanism descend via the lifting platform; the ground track and lifting platform area are covered with absorbing material to form a pure electromagnetic anechoic chamber environment; the radio frequency signal generated by the radar target simulation system is directly projected onto the product under test.

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