Recessed Snow-Melting Radome Structure to Prevent Heater Breakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional radomes with snow-melting functions have a configuration where the heating element projects from the radome body, leading to susceptibility to breakage and failure.
Innovation Solution
A radome design that incorporates a recessed region in the radome body to house a snow-melting base with a heater unit, ensuring the snow-melting part is buried within the radome body, and the surfaces are flush to prevent projection and enhance structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the heating element is adhesively attached to the rear surface of the radome body, then the snow-melting function is achieved, but the heating element projects from the radome body locally making it susceptible to breakage and failure
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is embedded within a recess part formed in the radome body, creating a nested structure where the heating element is housed inside the radome rather than projecting outward. This nesting approach eliminates the projection problem while maintaining the snow-melting function, thereby improving reliability without compromising the shape integrity of the radome.
2Reliability
If the heating element is embedded in the radome body, then breakage and failure are prevented, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The radome body is segmented into multiple parts including the main body and a recess part that houses the heating element. This segmentation allows the heating element to be embedded for improved reliability while the modular structure facilitates easier manufacturing and assembly, thereby reducing the overall manufacturing complexity despite the embedded configuration.
3Reliability
If the heating element is embedded in the radome body, then water resistance and corrosion resistance are improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element and the radome body are merged into an integrated structure where the heating element is embedded within the recess part of the radome body. This merging eliminates the need for separate protective coverings or complex sealing mechanisms, thereby improving water and corrosion resistance while maintaining ease of manufacture and controlling costs through a streamlined production process.
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
This design prevents breakage and failure of the snow-melting part, improves manufacturing efficiency, ensures water resistance, and allows for various radome designs with a snow-melting function at lower costs.
Implementation Method 1
a heater unit secured to an electromagnetic-wave transmitting region of the snow-melting base
Implementation Method 2
a snow-melting base formed of an electromagnetic-wave transmitting second resin base material having a refractive index mutually matching the refractive index of the first resin base material
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(b)
Figure 2(a)~2(b)
Figure 3
AI summary
A radome 1 comprises a radome body 2 formed of an electromagnetic-wave transmitting first resin base material, a snow-melting base 3 formed of an electromagnetic-wave transmitting second resin base material having a refractive index mutually matching the refractive index of the first resin base material, and a heater wire 4 laid in an electromagnetic-wave transmitting region R of the snow-melting base 3 and secured to the snow-melting base 3. A recess part 21 recessed in an electromagnetic-wave transmitting direction is formed in a local region of the radome body 2 covering the electromagnetic-wave transmitting region R. The snow-melting base 3 is fitted in the recess part 21 in such a manner as to bury the heater wire 4 internally. It is possible to prevent breakage and failure of a snow-melting part by eliminating a snow-melting part wholly projecting from a radome body locally.