Electromagnetic Performance Optimization of Airborne Radomes
Summary
Airborne radomes serve as electrically transparent shells that protect onboard antennas from aerodynamic loading, environmental exposure and thermal stress while striving to preserve the fidelity of transmitted and received signals. Optimizing electromagnetic performance entails minimising transmission loss, phase distortion and boresight error across wide frequency bands and scan angles. Advances in materials science have enabled the design of inhomogeneous dielectric profiles, frequency selective surfaces and perforated media to tailor permittivity distributions and correct phase delays. Computational techniques, including multiscale homogenisation, evolutionary optimisation and insertion phase delay correction, support the generation of manufacturable thickness profiles and surface patterns that balance operational bandwidth, angular stability and structural integrity. Recent work has also addressed the impact of high-temperature ablation on dielectric properties, contributing to robust performance in hypersonic environments. These developments underpin global applications ranging from defence radar and electronic warfare to commercial satellite communications, where stringent demands on weight, stealth and electromagnetic transparency continue to drive innovation.
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Electromagnetic Performance Optimization of Airborne Radomes publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in electromagnetic performance optimization of airborne radomes across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Radome: Protective aerodynamic cover that shields antennas from environmental and mechanical stresses while minimising impact on electromagnetic waves.
Frequency Selective Surface (FSS): Patterned conductive or dielectric layers designed to pass or reject specified frequency bands, enhancing radome transmission characteristics.
Boresight Error (BSE): Angular deviation of the antenna’s main beam caused by phase inhomogeneities introduced by the radome.
Insertion Phase Delay (IPD): Phase shift imparted to electromagnetic waves as they traverse a radome, critical for maintaining beam pointing and pattern fidelity.
Inhomogeneous Planar Layer (IPL): Dielectric structure with spatially varying permittivity, optimised to achieve broad bandwidth and low reflection in flat radomes.
Ablation: Erosion or decomposition of radome materials under high thermal loads, which alters dielectric properties and affects transmission performance.
References
- Analysis of Transmission Loss and Boresight Error of a Curved FSS Radome-Enclosed Antenna. IEEE Access (2021).
- Wideband Flat Radomes Using Inhomogeneous Planar Layers. International Journal of Antennas and Propagation (2008).
- Electromagnetic Performance Analysis of Inhomogeneous Radome Walls Considering Temperature and Ablation. Aerospace (2023).
- Efficient Variable Thickness Radome Design with Insertion Phase Delay Correction. International Journal of Antennas and Propagation (2019).
- Perforated Medium Applied in Frequency Selective Surfaces and Curved Antenna Radome. Applied Sciences (2019).
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