Open AccessExperimental Characterization of Sandwich Radome for Airborne Applications
Author(s) -
S. Ilavarasu,
A C Niranjanappa,
Ponnada A. Narayana
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of engineering and advanced technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2249-8958
DOI - 10.35940/ijeat.a9578.109119
Subject(s) - radome , sandwich structured composite , materials science , composite material , sandwich panel , orthotropic material , dissipation factor , core (optical fiber) , structural engineering , dielectric , antenna (radio) , engineering , finite element method , telecommunications , optoelectronics
Radome is a structural weather proof enclosure that protects radar system from the environment. Radomes are manufactured using composite materials that have low dielectric constant and low loss tangent. The selected materials should have high mechanical strength to withstand aerodynamic and bird impact load conditions. Thus, the design of a radome is always a trade-off between electrical and structural requirements. In the present study, set of Uni-directional (UD) and Bi-directional (BD) glass fabric used as high density face sheet with low density foam ROHACELL 71 Hero grade and Nomex honeycomb as core materials are used to form sandwich radomes. These samples are tested for mechanical performance as per ASTM standards. The maximum load bearing capacity was found higher for the Nomex sandwich with UD face, by 27% than the Rohacell sandwich with UD Face sheet. Nomex sandwich with BD face sheet have higher compressive modulus among other three configurations. The bird impact simulation results show sandwich panel selected is capable of withstanding bird impact load at a velocity of 150 m/s. The measured antenna patterns with and without radome material for frequency range from 2.5 GHz to 4.5 GHz is also discussed.