Characterization of Composite Radome Material for Airborne Surveillance Aircraft

Abstract

Rdome is a structural enclosure that protects radar system from the external environment. newlineThe radar system transmits and receives the signals and hence radome should be designed, not only newlineto minimally attenuate electromagnetic signals but also to have high mechanical strength. The newlinedesign of a radome is always a delicate compromise between electrical and structural requirements. newlineThe aim of this research is to characterize the radome materials and to present a case study to newlineoptimally design a radome for airborne surveillance application suitable for Center for Air Borne newlineSystems, DRDO. Review of literature reveals that reasonable research information on the newlinecharacteristics of A -sandwich is available in the literature but the information on C -sandwich is newlinelimited. The present research is intended to focus on characterizing electromagnetic and mechanical newlinecharacteristics for different reinforcements, matrix, core materials and identify suitable radome newlinematerials for airborne surveillance applications by conducting experiments and analysis. newlineMore than 240 specimens were fabricated for different combinations of matrix and newlinereinforcement material of A and C-sandwich panels, tested at Madras Institute of Technology, newlineChennai. The data generated is essential in selecting the more appropriate material as well as to newlinesimulate numerical procedure to assess the stress level in the sandwich panel. The design of radome newlinerequires, aerodynamic load and hence wind tunnel tests were conducted at Indian Institute of newlineScience, Bangalore. The pressure distribution on the radome structure was estimated for different newlineangles of attack and angles of side slip. Aerodynamic load estimated shows general trend line and newlineused extensively for the design of radome. The explicit commercial finite element software was newlineemployed to carryout bird strike simulation for varieties of A and C-sandwich panel structure. Bird newlineimpact test was conducted at National Aerospace Laboratory, Bangalore, to validate the simulation newlineresults and found in goo