Radome Electromagnetic Theory and Design

Chapter 6Ground-Based Radomes

Large radar antennas are generally covered with radomes to protect them from extreme weather conditions and to enable their continuous precision operation without sacrificing their performance. The radomes are assembled from many panels connected together with metallic or dielectric beams because of their large size. In Chapter 2 and 3, the panel design process, which may include dielectric and FSS panels was discussed and analysis methods for optimum design were described. In Chapter 5, the scattering effect of a single dielectric or conductive beam with arbitrary cross section and for different incident angles and polarizations was analyzed. This chapter describes the problem of integration and systematical design of the beams geometry for minimum scattering and presents the effect of the radome on the radiation pattern of an antenna which is enclosed within a space frame structure, as shown in Fig. 6.1.

figure 6.1 Geometry of a typical space frame radome.

The radome design shown in Fig. 6.1 is based on the architectural concept often called a geodesic dome, in which a spherical structure is built from simple geometrical shapes. The geodesic dome inventor was W. Bauersfeld, who worked for Zeiss company in Germany and developed this structural concept for a planetarium built in 1922. Twenty years later, a US architect, B. Fuller, from Massachusetts, ...