Radome Through-Thickness Reinforcement for Mechanical Durability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing radome designs face challenges in balancing mechanical durability with radio frequency (RF) performance, particularly in harsh environments, as they struggle to withstand increasing environmental stressors while maintaining sensitivity and protecting radar components.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating through-thickness reinforcement (TTR) into foam-core sandwich composites using monolithic or composite rods, fibers, or threads that traverse the core, allowing for tailored mechanical properties and orientation to enhance durability without compromising RF transparency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional sandwich-structure composite radome designs are used, then RF transparency is maintained, but mechanical durability deteriorates under increasing environmental stressors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemechanical durabilityVSAvoidRF performance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a composite structure combining foam or honeycomb core materials with embedded through-thickness reinforcement elements (pins, fibers, or threads). This composite approach allows the radome to simultaneously achieve enhanced mechanical durability from the reinforcement and RF transparency from the dielectric properties of the core and reinforcement materials, directly resolving the contradiction between mechanical strength and RF performance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The reinforcement elements are strategically positioned and oriented within the core material to provide localized mechanical strengthening where needed most, while maintaining overall RF transparency. The pins or fibers can be arranged in specific patterns and orientations to address particular stress vectors without compromising the global RF performance of the radome structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Strength

If reinforcement density is increased to improve mechanical strength, then durability increases, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemechanical strengthVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The reinforcement is divided into discrete pins, fibers, or thread elements distributed throughout the core rather than using a continuous solid reinforcement structure. This segmentation allows for simplified manufacturing where individual reinforcement elements can be inserted or embedded into the core material in a systematic pattern, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while achieving the required mechanical strength through distributed reinforcement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS10128566B2Advanced radome designs with tailorable reinforcement and methods of manufacturing the same

Publication Date: 2018.11.13 THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY

AI summary

Apparatuses and methods are provided including radome designs with tailorable through thickness reinforcement (TTR) or transverse members that increase mechanical durability of the reinforced radomes against an applied forces while providing desired radar transmissive performance matched to a particular environment. Embodiments provided allow for greater mechanical durability while maintaining sensitive RF performance across the entire structure. TTR in the embodiments include composite rods, fibers, fiber bundles, tows, or a combination of these options. The TTR can be placed through the core or both the skins and the core, and the TTR can be continuous threads of materials.