Abstract
This paper presents a new design technique to develop a multi-layer radome for ultra-wide-band, dual-polarized radar and communication systems. In the proposed technique, a multi-layer radome is designed using a combination of A-sandwich structures, which are not used in conventional multi-layer radomes. In contrast with conventional radomes, this technique enables a substantial increase of bandwidth with a negligible change in the overall radome thickness. In addition, it provides excellent RF performance, thermal isolation, and mechanical strength. Three different multi-layer radomes for different bandwidths are designed. Parameters such as co-polarization mismatch and depolarization ratio are used to evaluate the proposed dual-polarized radome as a function of incident angle and frequency. To validate this new technique, a 5A-sandwich radome is designed to operate from 1 GHz to 14 GHz and its RF performance is evaluated by measuring S-parameters. The proposed radome is further investigated by measuring the radiation patterns of horn antennas at different bands (S-, C-, X- and Ku-bands) with and without the radomes. The measured losses recorded are below 0.5 dB with an absolute error less than 0.05 dB between the calculations and measurements. An S-band electronically scanned active phased array antenna is also used to evaluate the radome as a function of incident angles. In this case, the maximum recorded losses are below 0.4 dB and the absolute errors between the calculations and measurements are below 0.1 dB. The proposed technique and radome can be used in different applications such as surveillance systems, earth exploration satellite, aeronautical radio-navigation, and especially in dual-polarized weather radars that require a high polarization performance.
Highlights
A Radome, an acronym originates from radar dome, is a structure placed over an antenna to protect it from the environment such as wind, temperature, dust, rain, snow, etc. [1]–[6]
Co-polarization mismatch less than 0.1 dB and depolarization ratio better than 10 dB for oblique incident angles up to 40◦ is recorded, which is ideal for dual-polarized weather radars
To validate the proposed radome design technique, a multi-layer radome with ultrawideband characteristics that operates from 1 GHz to 14 GHz is designed, fabricated, and tested
Summary
A Radome, an acronym originates from radar dome, is a structure placed over an antenna to protect it from the environment such as wind, temperature, dust, rain, snow, etc. [1]–[6]. Multi-function and shared aperture capabilities reduce the number of RF systems needed during deployment and allow improved mobility and operational agility, while maintaining high spectral efficiency [18]–[23] These multi-function radars require ultra-wide band (UWB) radomes along with a wide scanning angle in both V- and H-polarization. A-sandwich structures can be tuned to be broadband structures, by choosing the permittivity and thickness of each layer properly The bandwidth of this type of radome can be further enhanced by increasing the core thickness by its integral multiples. Wide band radomes have been designed using a frequency selective surfaces (FSS), which help reducing the overall thickness of the radome [29]–[31] These radomes have limited bandwidth and high insertion loss due to use of conducting materials to design FSS. To validate the proposed design methodology, a multi-layer radome operates from 1 GHz to 14 GHz is designed, fabricated, and tested
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