Lightweight Multiband Sandwich Radome for Millimeter Wave
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current multiband millimeter wave radome designs for airborne satellite communication links are heavy and have reduced transmission efficiency, failing to balance stiffness and weight effectively for high angle incidence angles.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight multiband, high angle sandwich radome structure featuring a central core layer of low density material, reinforced laminate skins, and outer matching layers, which can include additional interior matching layers, achieving a balance between stiffness and weight while maintaining transmission efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a half-wave solid laminate core with outer quarter wave matching layers is used for multiband millimeter wave radomes, then structural performance and electrical performance are improved, but areal weight increases to 1.5-2.5 PSF and transmission efficiency decreases to 80-60 percent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thickness parameter of the core layer from a fixed half-wave thickness to a variable thickness that is less than half-wave but optimized for specific frequency bands. This parameter optimization allows the radome to achieve acceptable structural and electrical performance while significantly reducing areal weight compared to traditional half-wave designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures with multiple layers including core layers, matching layers, and reinforcement structures. By carefully selecting and combining materials with different dielectric constants and mechanical properties, the radome achieves both structural integrity and electrical performance while minimizing weight.
2Reliability
If a half-wave solid laminate core with outer quarter wave matching layers is used for multiband millimeter wave radomes, then structural performance and electrical performance are improved, but transmission efficiency decreases to 80-60 percent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the thickness parameters of each layer to minimize reflections and maximize transmission. By carefully tuning the thickness of core layers and matching layers to specific values less than the traditional half-wave and quarter-wave dimensions, the radome achieves high transmission efficiency across multiple frequency bands while maintaining structural and electrical performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different material properties and thicknesses to different layers of the radome structure. Each layer is locally optimized with specific dielectric constants and thicknesses to control electromagnetic wave transmission, reducing reflections and maximizing energy transmission through the structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the thickness of each layer is optimized for quarter wavelength at center frequency, then multiband performance is improved, but structural stiffness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite material structures where thin core layers are combined with reinforcement elements such as laminate skins and matching layers. This composite approach allows the radome to achieve the required structural stiffness while maintaining the optimized thin-layer configuration for multiband electromagnetic performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the radome structure into multiple functional layers including core layers, matching layers, and reinforcement structures. This segmentation allows each layer to be independently optimized for its specific function - electromagnetic performance or structural support - while working together as an integrated system.
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 reduces areal weight by 20-30% while maintaining or improving transmission and cross-polarization performance, and is applicable to airborne, shipboard, and terrestrial deployments.
Implementation Method 1
The thickness of each layer may be a multiple of a quarter wavelength at approximately the center frequency over the incidence angle range of the radome frequency range
Implementation Method 2
outer matching layers on each of the reinforced laminates
Data Source
AI summary
A lightweight multiband, high angle sandwich radome structure for millimeter wave frequencies includes a central core layer, a reinforced laminate skin adjacent each side of the central core, and outer matching layers on each of the reinforced laminates.