Lossless Radome Wedge for Missile Antenna RF Transparency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Radomes on high-speed airborne platforms experience significant RF energy blockage due to lossy materials and shape changes, leading to EM discontinuities and radiation pattern holes, which affect the antenna's performance.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a lossless, optically transparent radome wedge made of low-loss dielectric material, such as glass, before the metallic tip to minimize RF energy blockage and enable optical transparency for encoded laser signals, allowing for improved signal transmission and target discrimination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a lossy dielectric radome body is used to protect the antenna, then the antenna is protected from aerodynamic and environmental conditions, but significant RF energy blockage occurs leading to EM discontinuities and radiation pattern holes
Solution Approach 1:
The radome is segmented into two distinct parts: a radome body made of lossy dielectric material for protection, and a radome tip made of lossless dielectric material for RF transparency. This segmentation allows each part to fulfill its specific function optimally without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the radome are assigned different material properties: the radome body uses lossy dielectric material for environmental protection, while the radome tip uses lossless dielectric material for minimal RF blockage. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between protection and RF transparency.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a metallic tip is added to protect the radome against rain and erosion, then the radome is protected from environmental damage, but RF energy blockage increases causing holes in the radiation pattern
Solution Approach 1:
A lossless dielectric radome tip is introduced as an intermediary between the metallic tip and the radome body. This intermediary allows RF energy to pass through with minimal blockage while still providing the necessary environmental protection, thus resolving the contradiction between physical protection and RF transparency.
Solution Approach 2:
The radome employs a composite structure combining metallic tip (for environmental protection), lossless dielectric radome tip (for RF transparency), and lossy dielectric radome body (for overall protection). This composite approach allows each material to contribute its strengths while minimizing weaknesses.
3Loss of energy
If a lossless optically transparent radome tip is used to reduce RF blockage, then RF energy transmission is improved, but the device complexity increases due to multiple materials
Solution Approach 1:
The radome is divided into two segments (radome body and radome tip) with different material properties. This segmentation is a simple structural modification that achieves the dual goals of reduced RF blockage and maintained protection without requiring complex multi-material composites throughout the entire structure.
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 solution enhances the antenna's signal strength and coverage by reducing RF blockage, correcting the angle of arrival, and enabling precise target guidance with encoded laser signals, while avoiding interference and multiple targeting issues.
Implementation Method 1
The radome wedge and the radome body include different materials that are substantially transparent to radar signals emitted by the main antenna
Implementation Method 2
a radome having an optically transmissive front radome wedge; a seeker that within the radome that sends and receives optical signals on an optical path that passes through the optically transmissive front radome wedge
Data Source
AI summary
A missile includes a radar system that has a radome through which a main antenna sends and receives signals. The radome includes a radome body and a radome tip include different transmissive materials, with for example the radome body primarily made of a lossy optically nontransparent material, and the radome tip primarily made of a lossless (permittivity with low imaginary part) glass material that may also be optically transparent. A laser may be used in conjunction with the radome to send and receive encoded signals. The laser may be located behind (aft of) the main antenna, and one or more optical fibers may extend into and/or along the radome to guide laser signals to the radome tip. The laser may be used to emit encoded signals so as to allow multiple radar systems operating in the same area at the same time to discriminate between different targets.