Multiferroic Sensor Embedded in Aircraft Skin
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional antennas on aircraft protrude, increasing drag and weight, and RF sensors requiring cryogenic cooling or DC bias currents are inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A multiferroic sensor using a stack of alternating magnetostrictive and piezoelectric layers that converts magnetic fields into electrical voltage without protrusion or cooling, with an impedance matching circuit for efficient signal processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional antennas protrude from the aircraft surface, then they can receive signals effectively, but they increase drag and present anti-icing challenges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the antenna function from the traditional protruding structure and integrates it directly into the aircraft skin surface. The magnetostrictive-piezoelectric material stack is embedded within the skin, allowing the antenna to receive signals without protruding outward, thereby eliminating drag and anti-icing issues while maintaining signal reception capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The aircraft skin is given multiple functions: it serves as both the structural surface and the antenna element. The magnetostrictive-piezoelectric stack integrated into the skin enables the skin to perform both structural support and electromagnetic signal reception, eliminating the need for separate protruding antenna structures.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If antenna cavities are created in the aircraft skin, then antennas can be mounted without protrusion, but they add weight and take up valuable space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the antenna structure with the aircraft skin by embedding the magnetostrictive-piezoelectric material stack directly within the skin layers. This integration eliminates the need for separate cavity structures, reducing weight and space requirements while maintaining the flush-mounted aerodynamic profile.
3Measurement precision
If SQUID devices are used for magnetic field sensing, then direct magnetic field response is achieved, but cryogenic cooling is required increasing cost and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, complex cryogenic cooling systems with a simpler, room-temperature operating multiferroic material stack. The magnetostrictive-piezoelectric materials achieve magnetic field sensing without requiring SQUID-level cryogenic infrastructure, significantly reducing system complexity and operational costs.
4Ease of operation
If GMR devices are used for magnetic field sensing, then no cooling is required, but they are extremely inefficient and require DC bias current
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite multiferroic material stack combining magnetostrictive and piezoelectric materials. This composite structure converts magnetic field-induced mechanical strain into electrical voltage through the piezoelectric effect, achieving efficient room-temperature operation without requiring DC bias currents, thereby overcoming the inefficiency limitations of GMR devices.
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 multiferroic sensor provides high signal sensitivity and linearity over a wide frequency range without the need for cooling or DC bias, reducing weight, cost, and complexity, while maintaining performance comparable to conventional antennas.
Implementation Method 1
a magnetic field of an incident signal causing mechanical strain in the magnetostrictive material layers
Implementation Method 2
strains adjacent piezoelectric material layers producing an electrical voltage in each multiferroic layer-pair
Data Source
AI summary
A multiferroic antenna and sensor where the sensor includes a multiferroic stack of multiple connected multiferroic layer-pairs, each multiferroic layer-pair comprising an alternating layer of a magnetostrictive material and a piezoelectric material bonded together enabling a high signal sensitivity, a magnetic field of an incident signal causing mechanical strain in the magnetostrictive material layers that strains adjacent piezoelectric material layers producing an electrical voltage in each multiferroic layer-pair proportional to the incident signal. An output of the multiferroic stack comprises the electrical voltage amplified proportional to a total number of multiple connected multiferroic layer-pairs in the multiferroic stack.