Armored Radome Waveguide Design for SSADT
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing armored radomes fail to provide effective ballistic protection and low-loss electromagnetic radiation transmission, especially in the context of Solid State Active Denial Technology (SSADT) systems, where sudden transitions from non-lethal to lethal engagements require rapid adaptation without compromising performance.
Innovation Solution
The development of an armored radome with interleaved dielectric and metallic plates, featuring a periodic array of through-holes acting as waveguides, fabricated from low-loss materials like copper and AR500 steel, which balances thickness for ballistic protection with minimal transmission loss across a wide frequency range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the radome is made thicker to provide ballistic protection, then protection capability is improved, but electromagnetic radiation transmission loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The radome is divided into multiple thin metallic plates separated by dielectric layers, creating a segmented structure. Each metallic plate contains through-holes that act as waveguides, allowing electromagnetic radiation to pass through with minimal reflection and loss while maintaining ballistic protection capability through the cumulative effect of multiple segments
Solution Approach 2:
The radome employs a composite structure combining metallic plates (providing ballistic protection) with dielectric materials (providing electrical insulation and supporting waveguide function). This composite approach enables simultaneous achievement of mechanical strength for protection and electromagnetic transparency for radiation transmission
2Ease of manufacture
If the radome uses a simple structure, then manufacturing ease is improved, but transmission performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The radome is divided into multiple thin metallic plates separated by dielectric layers, creating a segmented structure. Each metallic plate contains through-holes that act as waveguides, allowing electromagnetic radiation to pass through with minimal reflection and loss while maintaining ballistic protection capability through the cumulative effect of multiple segments
Solution Approach 2:
The design optimizes specific parameters including the diameter and spacing of through-holes in metallic plates, the thickness of metallic and dielectric layers, and the overall radome configuration to achieve wideband electromagnetic transparency while maintaining ballistic protection and manufacturing feasibility
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves less than 6% reflection and greater than 93% transmission of electromagnetic radiation within the desired frequency range, while providing robust ballistic protection, thus enhancing the operational versatility of SSADT systems.
Implementation Method 1
The first metallic plate defines a first array of first through-holes 21 each of which has a respective longitudinal axis 22 which is configured to be substantially aligned with a propagation direction of electromagnetic radiation that passes locally through the first metallic plate
Implementation Method 2
The armored radome 100 includes at least first, second and third dielectric plates 101, 102, 103 and at least first and second metallic plates 104, 105 respectively interleaved between the first, second and third dielectric plates
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
An armored radome (10) is provided and includes a metallic plate (20) formed to define an array of through-holes (21). Each through-hole (21) has a respective longitudinal axis (22) substantially aligned with electromagnetic radiation passing locally through the metallic plate (20).