ESA Radar Calibration via Mutual Coupling and Return Signal Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft radars with electronically steerable antennas (ESAs) and radomes face degradation issues due to radiating element failures and distribution manifold variations, leading to reduced usable life and increased maintenance requirements, as existing solutions require replacement rather than recalibration.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that uses a matching load to measure coupling between radiating elements and a computer to determine and mitigate failures, and analyzes return signals to adjust for radome distortions, allowing for signal adjustments to maintain optimal performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If radome replacement is performed to address degradation, then signal quality is restored, but maintenance cost and downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-diagnosis and self-calibration by automatically detecting radome degradation and ESA performance issues, then adjusting its own operation to compensate for defects without requiring external intervention or physical replacement of components
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (signal amplitude, phase, frequency) to compensate for radome degradation and ESA failures, allowing the radar to maintain performance despite physical component deterioration by adjusting electrical characteristics rather than physical structure
2Reliability
If ESA radiating elements are replaced to address failures, then radar performance is restored, but maintenance cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects failed or degraded radiating elements through mutual coupling measurements and performs functional mitigation by adjusting signals to surrounding elements, eliminating the need for manual identification and replacement of failed components
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses mutual coupling measurements as an intermediary indicator to detect radiating element failures indirectly, and uses signal adjustment as a mediator to compensate for failures without directly replacing the failed physical elements
3Stability of the object's composition
If distribution manifold components are replaced to address variations, then signal stability is restored, but maintenance cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system measures actual signal variations through mutual coupling and uses computer-controlled adjustments to signal amplitude and phase to compensate for distribution manifold variations, replacing physical component replacement with electrical parameter adjustment
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously measures mutual coupling between radiating elements and uses this feedback to automatically adjust distribution manifold signal characteristics, creating a closed-loop system that maintains signal stability despite component variations
Data Source
AI summary
A method for calibrating an ESA radar to mitigate degradation of its radiation system. The radiation system includes the distribution manifold, the ESA radiating elements and the radome the ESA may be operating through. Sensing of degradation takes place both locally with a switchable matched load to identify individual ESA element characteristics and globally with target based radar return data. The data generated by this sensing of both local and global characteristics is then used to modify available ESA element complex weighting to produce a desired far-field radiation pattern.