Composite aircraft radome

Abstract

The utility model relates to antenna housing technical field, specifically disclose a kind of composite material aircraft antenna housing, the antenna housing appearance adopts streamline design, comprising: antenna housing main body, it has mutually perpendicular first direction and second direction, the antenna housing main body is integrally constituted by wave-transparent area with wave-transparent ability and flange area formed in the outer edge of wave-transparent area, the wave-transparent area is curved surface structure, at least one through-hole is provided on it;Several fairing, it is respectively arranged in the outer surface of wave-transparent area along the first direction and second direction of antenna housing main body, the fairing is also connected with the metal frame of aircraft;Dust screen, it is installed in the through-hole;Lightning protection metal ring, it is installed in the through-hole and exposed in the outer surface of wave-transparent area, the lightning protection metal ring is contacted with the fairing;Fastener, it is connected in the flange area, for connecting the antenna housing main body with the fuselage belly skin of aircraft.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of radome technology, specifically to a composite material aircraft radome. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, with the rapid development of network technology and the widespread adoption of wireless internet, the demand for in-flight wireless network connectivity has increased significantly, becoming a key factor influencing passengers' choice of aircraft. To enable in-flight internet access, an onboard antenna is typically added to the outside of the aircraft, requiring protection from a radome. Therefore, the aircraft radome is the structural shell protecting the onboard antenna, needing not only sufficient structural strength and rigidity but also features such as wave transmission, waterproofing, dustproofing, and lightning protection.

[0003] However, existing aircraft radome structures are heavy, have high aerodynamic drag, weak lightning protection, and simple waterproof and dustproof structures, often relying solely on rubber strips for sealing. If water or condensation accumulates inside the radome, it cannot be automatically drained, which will seriously affect the performance of the internal antenna. This necessitates disassembling the radome for maintenance, which is inefficient and costly. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to design a composite material aircraft radome, which aims to solve the problems of existing aircraft radomes, such as large structural weight, high aerodynamic drag, weak lightning protection, and inability to automatically drain water from inside the radome.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model is implemented through the following technical solution: This utility model designs a composite material aircraft radome with a streamlined shape and includes the following structural features: The radome body has a first direction and a second direction that are perpendicular to each other. The radome body is integrally formed by a wave-transmitting area with wave-transmitting capability and a flange area formed on the outer edge of the wave-transmitting area. The wave-transmitting area has a curved surface structure and at least one through hole is provided thereon. A plurality of guide strips are respectively disposed on the outer surface of the wave-transparent area along a first direction and a second direction of the antenna radome body, and the guide strips are also connected to the metal frame of the aircraft. A dustproof net is installed in the through hole; A lightning protection metal ring is installed in the through hole and exposed on the outer surface of the wave-transparent area, and the lightning protection metal ring is in contact with the flow guide strip; Fasteners, which are connected in the flange area, are used to connect the radome body to the fuselage skin of the aircraft.

[0006] The radome of this invention adopts a streamlined design, which meets the requirements of structural rigidity, lightning protection and wave transmission, while minimizing the aerodynamic drag of the radome.

[0007] Furthermore, a composite material aircraft radome: the wave-transparent area is a composite material sandwich structure, which is composed of an outer skin, a honeycomb core, and an inner skin stacked in sequence.

[0008] Furthermore, a composite material aircraft radome: the flange area is a composite laminate structure, and the flange area is provided with several fixing holes. The fasteners are connected to the fixing holes for connecting and fixing the radome body to the fuselage skin of the aircraft.

[0009] Specifically, the main body of the radome is made of glass fiber composite material, which has high wave transmission performance and can meet the electromagnetic wave propagation requirements of the antenna inside the radome.

[0010] Furthermore, a composite material aircraft radome: two through holes are provided to guide water out of the radome body.

[0011] Specifically, one of the through holes is located at the bottom of the wave-transparent area to facilitate the drainage of water inside the antenna radome, while the other through hole can be located at a slightly higher position.

[0012] Furthermore, a composite material aircraft radome: the guide strip includes a first guide strip and a second guide strip; the first guide strip is disposed on the outer surface of the wave-transparent area along a first direction, and the second guide strip is disposed on the outer surface of the wave-transparent area along a second direction.

[0013] Furthermore, a composite material aircraft radome: the first guide strip and the second guide strip are respectively glued to the outer surface of the wave-transparent area; filler is also provided at the R-angle between the first guide strip and the second guide strip and the outer surface of the wave-transparent area.

[0014] Specifically, applying filler at the radius (R-angle) between the first and second guide strips and the outer surface of the wave-transparent area can effectively reduce the aerodynamic drag of the overall radome. The filler at the R-angle can be made of the same material as the adhesive.

[0015] Furthermore, a composite material aircraft radome: the dustproof mesh is installed in the through hole and hidden in the inner surface of the wave-transparent area.

[0016] Specifically, the dustproof mesh effectively prevents dust from entering the radome, and the dustproof mesh hidden inside is also less susceptible to external damage.

[0017] Furthermore, a composite material aircraft radome: the radome also includes a rubber sealing ring disposed between the flange area and the fuselage belly skin.

[0018] Specifically, the composite material aircraft radome designed in this utility model mainly consists of a composite material radome body, a guide strip, a dustproof net, a lightning protection metal ring, a rubber sealing strip, and fasteners. The radome is installed on the fuselage underside via fasteners. The radome uses glass fiber composite material, which has wave-transmitting properties to meet the electromagnetic wave propagation requirements of its internal antenna. Guide strips and a lightning protection metal ring are also provided on the radome to prevent damage from lightning strikes. A through-hole is provided at the lowest point of the radome, and a dustproof net is installed in the through-hole to automatically drain water accumulated inside the radome, preventing condensation, rainwater, and dust from accumulating inside and affecting the performance of the internal antenna. This solves the problem of existing radomes being unable to automatically drain water. Furthermore, thanks to the automatic water drainage capability of this utility model's radome, the high maintenance costs and low efficiency caused by disassembling the radome for maintenance are avoided.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this utility model are: This invention relates to a composite material aircraft radome, in which the main body of the radome is made of glass fiber composite material. Utilizing the characteristics of glass fiber composite material, such as low specific gravity, high specific strength and specific modulus, anisotropy, and strong design flexibility, structural optimization is achieved through stress analysis, effectively reducing the structural weight of the radome. Simultaneously, the radome adopts a streamlined design, significantly reducing aerodynamic drag. Through the aforementioned use of composite materials and aerodynamic design of the radome, the aircraft's fuel economy and range are significantly improved.

[0020] This composite material aircraft radome, through through-holes in the radome (wave-transparent area), achieves the same internal and external pressure, preventing damage from excessive load. It also prevents rainwater, condensation, and dust from accumulating inside the radome and affecting the performance of the internal antenna. Furthermore, the invention incorporates lightning protection metal rings and dustproof nets at the through-holes. This design effectively drains accumulated water and prevents dust from entering the radome, preventing increased weight or a damp internal environment due to water or dust accumulation, thus avoiding any impact on the internal antenna performance.

[0021] This new composite material aircraft radome, by setting a flow guide strip and a lightning protection metal ring on the radome and connecting the flow guide strip to the aircraft's metal frame, allows the lightning current to be conducted through the flow guide strip to the metal frame for grounding after the flow guide strip or metal ring receives lightning, thus achieving the radome's lightning protection capability and protecting the radome structure from being broken down.

[0022] This composite material aircraft radome, by providing filler at the R-angle of the guide strip and the outer surface of the wave-transparent area, can effectively reduce the aerodynamic drag of the overall radome, thereby improving the aircraft's fuel economy and range. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the composite material aircraft radome designed for Example 1; Figure 2 This is a top view of the radome body in Example 1; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Sectional view at point AA; Figure 4 This is a front view of the radome body in Example 1; Figure 5 for Figure 4 The cross-sectional view at point BB, i.e., the cross-sectional view through the through hole; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the main body of the radome in Example 1; Figure 7 A top view of the composite material aircraft radome designed for Example 1; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the bonding between the guide strip and the outer surface of the wave-transparent area in Example 1. Figure 7 Sectional view at point CC.

[0025] The markings in the image are as follows: 1- Antenna radome body, 2- Air guide strip, 3- Dustproof net, 4- Lightning protection metal ring, 5- Fastener, 6- Rubber sealing ring, 7- Fuselage belly skin, 8- Adhesive, 9- Filler, 11- Wave-transparent area, 12- Flange area, 13- Through hole, 14- Outer skin, 15- Honeycomb core, 16- Inner skin, 17- Fixing hole, 21- First air guide strip, 22- Second air guide strip. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present utility model or its application or use. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0027] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," and "bottom," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are only for the convenience of describing this utility model 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. Moreover, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this utility model described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0028] Example 1

[0029] like Figures 1-8 As shown in Embodiment 1, a composite material aircraft radome is designed. The radome has a streamlined shape and includes the following specific structural features: The radome body 1 has a first direction and a second direction that are perpendicular to each other. The radome body 1 is integrally composed of a wave-transmitting area 11 with a curved structure that has wave-transmitting capability and a flange area 12 formed on the outer edge of the wave-transmitting area 11. The radome body 1 is made of glass fiber composite material. The wave-transmitting area 11 is a composite material sandwich structure composed of an outer skin 14, a honeycomb core 15 and an inner skin 16 stacked in sequence. The wave-transmitting area 11 is also provided with two through holes 13. One of the through holes 13 is located at the lowest point of the wave-transmitting area 11 so that water accumulated inside the radome can be drained smoothly. The flange area 12 is a composite material laminate structure with several fixing holes 17. A plurality of guide strips 2, including a first guide strip 21 and a second guide strip 22, wherein the first guide strip 21 is bonded to the outer surface of the wave-transparent area 11 along a first direction and through adhesive 8, and the second guide strip 22 is bonded to the outer surface of the wave-transparent area 11 along a second direction and through adhesive 8. A filler 9 (the filler 9 is made of the same material as adhesive 8) is also provided at the R-angle between the first guide strip 21, the second guide strip 22 and the outer surface of the wave-transparent area 11. The guide strips 2 are also electrically connected to the metal frame of the aircraft. Dustproof mesh 3 is installed in the through hole 13 and hidden in the inner surface (inner side) of the wave-transparent area 11, such as... Figure 6 As shown; A lightning protection metal ring 4 is installed in the through hole 13 and exposed on the outer surface of the wave-transparent area 11. The lightning protection metal ring 4 is in electrical contact with the flow guide strip 2. Fastener 5, which is connected to the fixing hole 17 in the flange area 12, is used to connect and fix the antenna radome body 1 to the fuselage belly skin 7 of the aircraft. And a rubber sealing ring 6, which is located between the flange area 12 and the fuselage belly skin 7.

[0030] Specifically, in Embodiment 1 above, the radome body 1 consists of two parts: a wave-transmitting area 11 and a flange area 12. The function of the wave-transmitting area 11 is to ensure efficient transmission of electromagnetic waves, while the flange area 12 serves for installation and connection, requiring higher structural strength and stability. Therefore, the wave-transmitting area 11 adopts a composite material sandwich structure to ensure efficient transmission of electromagnetic waves and achieve excellent wave-transmitting performance of the radome, while also taking into account the advantages of lightweight structure. This area is composed of three layers of materials stacked sequentially: an outer skin 14, a honeycomb sandwich 15, and an inner skin 16. The flange area 12 is a composite material laminate structure to achieve higher structural strength and stability.

[0031] A through-hole 13 is provided at the bottom of the radome (wave-transparent area 11) to allow for ventilation, ensuring that the internal pressure of the radome is equal to the external pressure and preventing the radome from bearing a greater load. At the same time, to prevent the accumulation of rainwater, condensation, and dust inside the radome, through-holes 13 are provided at the lowest point and above the lowest point of the radome structure. This design not only allows for ventilation of the radome but also effectively drains water accumulated inside the radome, preventing problems such as increased weight of the radome or a humid internal environment caused by water accumulation, and significantly reducing the adverse effects of water accumulation on the antenna performance inside the radome.

[0032] In Example 1, the dustproof net 3 and the radome can be fixed by adhesive bonding. The design of the dustproof net 3 can not only block dust, impurities or small particles from entering the interior of the radome and keep the interior environment clean, but also ensure that the air pressure inside and outside the radome is consistent. Moreover, the dustproof net 3 is located on the inside of the radome and can also avoid external damage.

[0033] In Embodiment 1, the filler 9 provided at the R-angle between the guide strip 2 (first guide strip 21 and second guide strip 22) and the outer surface of the wave-transparent area 11 can further reduce the aerodynamic drag of the radome. This invention, by designing a composite material radome, can reduce the weight of the radome, and the streamlined shape and filler 9 design can reduce the aerodynamic drag of the radome, thereby significantly improving the aircraft's fuel economy and range.

[0034] In addition, in Embodiment 1, through the design of the current guide strip 2 and the lightning protection metal ring 4, after being struck by lightning, the lightning current can be conducted to the fastener 5 through the current guide strip 2, and the metal fastener 5 will then transfer the lightning current to the metal frame for grounding, thereby achieving lightning protection for the radome and protecting the radome structure from being broken down.

[0035] The above-described preferred embodiments of this utility model are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Any obvious variations or modifications derived from the technical solutions of this utility model are still within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A composite material aircraft radome, characterized in that, The radome features a streamlined design and includes the following structural features: The radome body (1) has a first direction and a second direction that are perpendicular to each other. The radome body (1) is integrally formed by a wave-transmitting area (11) with wave-transmitting capability and a flange area (12) formed on the outer edge of the wave-transmitting area (11). The wave-transmitting area (11) is a curved structure and has at least one through hole (13). A plurality of guide strips (2) are respectively disposed on the outer surface of the wave-transparent area (11) along the first direction and the second direction of the antenna radome body (1), and the guide strips (2) are also connected to the metal frame of the aircraft. A dustproof net (3) is installed in the through hole (13); A lightning protection metal ring (4) is installed in the through hole (13) and exposed on the outer surface of the wave-transparent area (11), and the lightning protection metal ring (4) is in contact with the guide strip (2); Fastener (5), which is connected in the flange area (12), is used to connect the radome body (1) to the fuselage belly skin (7) of the aircraft.

2. The composite material aircraft radome according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wave-transparent area (11) is a composite material sandwich structure, which is composed of an outer skin (14), a honeycomb core (15) and an inner skin (16) stacked in sequence.

3. The composite material aircraft radome according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flange area (12) is a composite material laminate structure, and a number of fixing holes (17) are provided on the flange area (12). The fastener (5) is connected to the fixing holes (17).

4. The composite material aircraft radome according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two through holes (13) are provided to guide water out of the radome body (1).

5. A composite material aircraft radome according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide strip (2) includes a first guide strip (21) and a second guide strip (22); the first guide strip (21) is disposed on the outer surface of the wave-transparent area (11) along a first direction, and the second guide strip (22) is disposed on the outer surface of the wave-transparent area (11) along a second direction.

6. A composite material aircraft radome according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first guide strip (21) and the second guide strip (22) are respectively bonded to the outer surface of the wave-transparent area (11) by adhesive (8); A filler (9) is also provided at the R-angle between the first guide strip (21) and the second guide strip (22) and the outer surface of the wave-transparent area (11).

7. A composite material aircraft radome according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dustproof net (3) is installed in the through hole (13) and hidden in the inner surface of the wave-transparent area (11).

8. A composite material aircraft radome according to claim 1, characterized in that, The radome also includes a rubber sealing ring (6) disposed between the flange area (12) and the fuselage belly skin (7).

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