Stepped Radome Design with Optimized Thickness Profiles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-layer or multi-piece radomes require high precision manufacturing to eliminate air gaps, which increases costs and affects radar performance due to radar wave attenuation.
Innovation Solution
A two-piece or three-piece radome design where each piece has an independently optimized thickness profile to achieve minimal radar attenuation, with air gaps present between them, formed through injection molding of radar-transparent resins like ASA and PC, allowing for easier manufacturing and aesthetic design flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high precision manufacturing techniques are used to eliminate air gaps in multi-layer radomes, then radar performance is improved, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of air gap thickness from 'eliminated' to 'controlled and optimized'. By treating the air gap as a design parameter rather than a defect, the invention allows for independent optimization of each layer's thickness profile to compensate for the gap, achieving minimal radar attenuation without requiring high precision manufacturing to eliminate the gap entirely.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by independently optimizing the thickness profile of each radome layer. Instead of requiring uniform high precision throughout, each layer's thickness is specifically tailored to compensate for air gaps in particular regions, allowing standard manufacturing tolerances while maintaining overall radar performance.
2Reliability
If high precision manufacturing techniques are used to eliminate air gaps in multi-layer radomes, then radar performance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transforms the manufacturing approach from eliminating air gaps to optimizing thickness parameters in the presence of air gaps. This parameter change simplifies manufacturing by allowing standard tolerances while achieving performance goals through computational optimization of each layer's thickness profile.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the radome into multiple independently manufacturable layers, each with its own optimized thickness profile. This segmentation allows each layer to be manufactured separately with standard precision, then assembled with air gaps, reducing overall manufacturing complexity compared to producing a single integrated piece or tightly bonded multi-layer structure.
3Shape
If conventional multi-layer radome designs are used, then aesthetic design is achieved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the approach from using aesthetic design as a constraint that requires high precision to using aesthetic design as a driver for independent thickness optimization. Each layer's thickness profile is optimized to achieve both aesthetic appearance and radar performance, with air gaps accommodated rather than eliminated.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies local quality by allowing different thickness profiles in different regions of each layer. This enables aesthetic features like logos, emblems, or grille patterns to be incorporated into the radome design while each local region's thickness is optimized for radar performance, without requiring uniform high precision across 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
The design achieves optimal radar performance despite air gaps, reducing manufacturing complexity and costs while enhancing visual aesthetics and design flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
a back piece formed by injection molding a first radar-transparent resin and defining a first stepped feature and a first thickness profile that is independently optimized to achieve desired radar performance metrics
Implementation Method 2
the first and second thickness profiles are independently optimized to achieve minimal radar attenuation
Data Source
AI summary
Two-piece and three-piece radomes and their methods of manufacture involve independently optimizing a thickness profile of each piece to achieve desired radar performance metrics such that an air gap can exist or can be intentionally included between the various pieces without negatively affecting the radar performance of the radomes.