EP0379434B1 - Antenne hyperfréquence pouvant fonctionner à température élevée, notamment pour avion spatial - Google Patents

Antenne hyperfréquence pouvant fonctionner à température élevée, notamment pour avion spatial Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0379434B1
EP0379434B1 EP90400140A EP90400140A EP0379434B1 EP 0379434 B1 EP0379434 B1 EP 0379434B1 EP 90400140 A EP90400140 A EP 90400140A EP 90400140 A EP90400140 A EP 90400140A EP 0379434 B1 EP0379434 B1 EP 0379434B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
panel
microwave antenna
antenna according
waveguide
composite material
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP90400140A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0379434A1 (fr
Inventor
Jean-Pierre Astier
Christian Bertone
Alain Dujardin
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Societe Europeenne de Propulsion SEP SA
Original Assignee
Societe Europeenne de Propulsion SEP SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Societe Europeenne de Propulsion SEP SA filed Critical Societe Europeenne de Propulsion SEP SA
Publication of EP0379434A1 publication Critical patent/EP0379434A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0379434B1 publication Critical patent/EP0379434B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q21/00—Antenna arrays or systems
    • H01Q21/06—Arrays of individually energised antenna units similarly polarised and spaced apart
    • H01Q21/061—Two dimensional planar arrays
    • H01Q21/064—Two dimensional planar arrays using horn or slot aerials
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
    • H01Q1/27—Adaptation for use in or on movable bodies
    • H01Q1/28—Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
    • H01Q1/286—Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons substantially flush mounted with the skin of the craft
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
    • H01Q1/40—Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q13/00—Waveguide horns or mouths; Slot antennas; Leaky-waveguide antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave
    • H01Q13/06—Waveguide mouths
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q13/00—Waveguide horns or mouths; Slot antennas; Leaky-waveguide antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave
    • H01Q13/10—Resonant slot antennas
    • H01Q13/18—Resonant slot antennas the slot being backed by, or formed in boundary wall of, a resonant cavity ; Open cavity antennas

Definitions

  • the present invention relates, according to the preamble of claim 1, a microwave antenna capable of operating at high temperature.
  • a particular field of application of the invention is that of antennas intended to equip apparatuses, machines or vehicles, in particular space planes, in parts undergoing a significant heating during use.
  • antennas are arranged in areas exposed to overheating due to friction on the layers of the atmosphere, in particular around the nose of the aircraft.
  • the external structures are formed for example by juxtaposed panels of refractory material, and it is known to protect the antennas against overheating by masking them behind a thermal protection.
  • the thermal protection material must then have low permittivity and very low attenuation losses and retain these dielectric properties up to very high temperatures. Different materials have been proposed for this purpose, for example in documents FR 2 483 689, FR 2 553 403 and US 4 358 772.
  • the object of the invention is to provide a microwave antenna capable of operating at very high temperature without it being necessary to completely mask it by thermal protection.
  • the panel and the waveguide constitute a single piece made of a refractory composite material capable of ensuring the propagation of microwave waves, so that the panel with the guide integrated waves are likely to constitute an element of a structure which can be brought to high temperature.
  • the antenna may include an array of several waveguides formed in the same panel or in neighboring panels.
  • the constituent material of the waveguide panel assembly provides both a thermal protection function and a mechanical function. It is also necessary that this material retains its ability to propagate microwave waves at very high temperatures, at least equal to 1000 ° C and, preferably, at least equal to 1500 ° C.
  • This material is chosen from composite materials with reinforcement in refractory fibers (carbon or ceramic fibers) and with refractory matrix (carbon matrix, ceramic matrix or mixed carbon / ceramic matrix).
  • a C / C-SiC composite material carbon fiber reinforcement and mixed carbon-silicon carbide matrix
  • the composite material may be provided, in a manner known per se, with anti-oxidation protection.
  • the waveguide emerging outside is advantageously filled with a refractory material ensuring a surface continuity of the panel.
  • the filling material must have good resistance to thermal shock and good resistance to erosion. It must also be insensitive to humidity and have a coefficient of expansion substantially equal to that of the composite material constituting the panel-waveguide assembly.
  • the packing material must have dielectric properties: low permittivity and low losses, and keep these properties at high temperatures.
  • the lining material is advantageously a refractory composite material of the ceramic-ceramic or oxide-oxide type, for example an alumina-alumide composite.
  • the waveguide can be extended by a ring made of a refractory material forming a thermal barrier, for example a pyrographite ring, connected to the antenna body.
  • FIG. 1 schematically illustrates part of a structure formed by the juxtaposition of panels or tiles 10 of refractory material and intended, for example, for a hypersonic machine or a space vehicle.
  • the panels 10 have a structural function, as a constituent of the cell of the spacecraft or space plane, and a thermal protection function of the latter against overheating due to friction on the gaseous layers of the Earth atmosphere.
  • each waveguide is formed in one piece with a covering panel 10.
  • the same panel can comprise one or more waveguides associated with the same antenna, possibly in combination with one or more waveguides. waves integrated in a neighboring panel.
  • FIG. 1 shows panels 10 of substantially square shape each comprising three waveguides 20 aligned along a diagonal of the panel.
  • the panels provided with waveguides and those not provided with waveguides have the same external dimensions, so that the integration of one or several antennas in the structure does not raise any particular difficulty for the assembly of the panels.
  • each waveguide 20 includes a tubular portion 22 formed integrally with the panel 10 in which the waveguide is integrated.
  • the tubular part 22 is of circular section. Any other shape could be given to this section, for example square, rectangular or ellipsoidal.
  • the tubular part 22 projects from the inside of the panel 10 and is connected to the rest of the latter around an opening 12 of the panel 10 through which the waveguide opens to the outside.
  • the waveguide 20 is extended by a ring 24 of insulating material forming a thermal barrier which connects the waveguide to the antenna body 30 from which protrudes a probe 32 for excitation of the electromagnetic field at bottom of the waveguide. Because it opens to the outside, the waveguide 20 is, for aerodynamic reasons, filled with a refractory dielectric material 26 which ensures the surface continuity of the panel.
  • the constituent material of the panel 10 and of the part 22 of the waveguide is a thermostructural refractory composite material obtained by producing a fibrous reinforcement, constituting a preform of the part to be produced, then by densifying the preform by infiltration or impregnation with the material. of the matrix within the porosity of the reinforcement.
  • the fibrous reinforcement is made of refractory fibers, for example carbon fibers or ceramic fibers, such as silicon carbide fibers.
  • the fibers are, for example, in the form of stacked layers of fabric bonded to one another by needling.
  • the production of planar or cylindrical fibrous reinforcements by stacking two-dimensional layers and needling is described in French patent applications No. 2,584,106, 2,584,107 and 88,13,132.
  • Densification is carried out for example by vapor phase infiltration.
  • Techniques for vapor infiltration of carbon or ceramic, such as silicon carbide, are well known. Reference may be made to French patent applications Nos. 2,189,807 and 2,401,888.
  • the fiber-matrix connection is improved by forming on the fibers an intermediate layer, or interphase, of a material with a lamellar structure, such as a pyrolytic carbon, as described in the French patent application. No. 2,567,874.
  • a fiber preform of the plate-shaped panel and cylindrical fiber preforms of the tubular parts 22 are produced separately by stacking and needling layers of carbon fiber fabric, as described above. Openings 12 are then cut in the preform of the panel at the desired locations for the waveguides, then the preforms of the panel and the tubular parts are assembled and maintained, for example by a tool. The material constituting the matrix is then simultaneously infiltrated within the assembled preforms. This co-densification secures the tubular parts with the rest of the panel due to the continuity of the matrix material at the interfaces between the assembled preforms.
  • the matrix is obtained by vapor vapor infiltration of carbon followed by a final densification phase by vapor vapor infiltration of silicon carbide.
  • Electromagnetic characterization tests of the composite material thus obtained have shown that the reflection coefficient of this material remains greater than 0.99 in module and equal to 180 ⁇ 1 ° in phase up to a temperature of 1,800 ° C.
  • the attenuation due to the waveguide is less than 0.5 dB per wavelength at room temperature.
  • Electrical conductivity increases with temperature, increasing from approximately 5.103 / cm at room temperature at around 5.104 / cm at 1,800 ° C, thus minimizing ohmic losses under operating conditions.
  • the ring 24 acting as a thermal barrier at the bottom of the waveguide is made, for example, of pyrographite which has thermal conductivity properties in one of its planes and thermal insulation in the perpendicular direction.
  • the ring 24 is produced so as to obtain thermal insulation in the axial direction and thermal conductivity in the radial direction.
  • the filling material 26 is a ceramic-ceramic composite such as an alumina-alumina type composite formed by a fibrous texture (a mat) of silico-aluminous fibers densified by alumina by a liquid impregnation process or of vapor phase infiltration, as described for example in European patent n ° 0 085 601.
  • a ceramic-ceramic composite such as an alumina-alumina type composite formed by a fibrous texture (a mat) of silico-aluminous fibers densified by alumina by a liquid impregnation process or of vapor phase infiltration, as described for example in European patent n ° 0 085 601.
  • Such a material resists thermal shock and erosion, is not sensitive to humidity and has a coefficient of expansion similar that of the C / C-SiC composite material used for the panel 10-tubular part 22 assembly of the waveguide.
  • the lining 26 does not contribute to the mechanical strength of the panel. It is therefore not necessary to use a material having particular mechanical properties. Ceramic fillers, for example in the form of boron nitride powder, can be incorporated into the filling material 26, in particular by dispersion within a matrix formed by liquid impregnation, which reduces the permittivity and the dielectric losses in the material . The permittivity and the dielectric losses can also be adjusted by acting on the density of the filling material, which density is regulated by the conditions of densification of the material by the matrix.
  • the fibrous texture in alumina mat forming the preform of the filling material is prepreg of aluminum oxychloride.
  • the preform thus obtained is machined to the dimensions of the waveguide and introduced into it.
  • the connection between the parts is then obtained by heat treatment in a neutral atmosphere at a temperature of around 900 ° C.
  • a finishing treatment comprising in particular a deposit of a protective layer, for example in an alkaline silicate as described in patent application FR 88 16 862, can be applied to the panel-waveguide-filling material assembly to provide protection against oxidation and humidity.
  • a protective layer for example in an alkaline silicate as described in patent application FR 88 16 862

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Astronomy & Astrophysics (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Remote Sensing (AREA)
  • Details Of Aerials (AREA)
  • Waveguide Aerials (AREA)
  • Variable-Direction Aerials And Aerial Arrays (AREA)
EP90400140A 1989-01-19 1990-01-18 Antenne hyperfréquence pouvant fonctionner à température élevée, notamment pour avion spatial Expired - Lifetime EP0379434B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR8900627A FR2641903B1 (fr) 1989-01-19 1989-01-19 Antenne hyperfrequence pouvant fonctionner a temperature elevee, notamment pour avion spatial
FR8900627 1989-01-19

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0379434A1 EP0379434A1 (fr) 1990-07-25
EP0379434B1 true EP0379434B1 (fr) 1994-07-06

Family

ID=9377882

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP90400140A Expired - Lifetime EP0379434B1 (fr) 1989-01-19 1990-01-18 Antenne hyperfréquence pouvant fonctionner à température élevée, notamment pour avion spatial

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US5231409A (ja)
EP (1) EP0379434B1 (ja)
JP (1) JP2886587B2 (ja)
CA (1) CA2007700C (ja)
DE (1) DE69010344T2 (ja)
ES (1) ES2057458T3 (ja)
FR (1) FR2641903B1 (ja)

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US5247309A (en) * 1991-10-01 1993-09-21 Grumman Aerospace Corporation Opto-electrical transmitter/receiver module
US5351919A (en) * 1993-03-29 1994-10-04 Primetech Electroniques Inc. Trainline communication link using radio frequency signal
US7682577B2 (en) 2005-11-07 2010-03-23 Geo2 Technologies, Inc. Catalytic exhaust device for simplified installation or replacement
US7682578B2 (en) 2005-11-07 2010-03-23 Geo2 Technologies, Inc. Device for catalytically reducing exhaust
US7722828B2 (en) 2005-12-30 2010-05-25 Geo2 Technologies, Inc. Catalytic fibrous exhaust system and method for catalyzing an exhaust gas
AU2014270122B2 (en) 2013-05-23 2018-02-15 Bae Systems Plc Aircraft data retrieval
GB2514400A (en) * 2013-05-23 2014-11-26 Bae Systems Plc Aircraft data retrieval
US9884689B2 (en) 2013-05-23 2018-02-06 Bae Systems Plc Data retrieval system in an aircraft with data stored during a flight and wirelessly transmitted to a ground system after landing using a transmission element in an external panel of an avionic bay
US10538013B2 (en) 2014-05-08 2020-01-21 United Technologies Corporation Integral ceramic matrix composite fastener with non-polymer rigidization
GB2528881A (en) * 2014-08-01 2016-02-10 Bae Systems Plc Antenna
US10644384B1 (en) 2018-05-07 2020-05-05 Virtual Em Inc. Zero weight airborne antenna with near perfect radiation efficiency utilizing conductive airframe elements and method
US10468758B1 (en) 2018-05-07 2019-11-05 Virtual Em Inc. Zero weight airborne antenna with near perfect radiation efficiency utilizing conductive airframe elements and method

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CA492292A (en) * 1953-04-21 O. Willoughby Eric Aerial systems
US3255457A (en) * 1963-06-28 1966-06-07 Hazeltine Research Inc Retroflector having multi-beam antennas with individual ports for individual beams and means interconnecting ports of like directed beams
US3553706A (en) * 1968-07-25 1971-01-05 Hazeltine Research Inc Array antennas utilizing grouped radiating elements
US3522561A (en) * 1969-01-02 1970-08-04 David J Liu Pyrolytic graphite waveguide utilizing the anisotropic electrical conductivity properties of pyrolytic graphite
FR2057395A5 (en) * 1969-08-18 1971-05-21 Thomson Csf Electrode for high power thermionic valve
US3577147A (en) * 1969-09-08 1971-05-04 Hazeltine Corp Phased array antenna having a wave speeding ground plane
US3680138A (en) * 1970-09-21 1972-07-25 Us Army Cross-mode reflector for the front element of an array antenna
FR2134138B3 (ja) * 1971-04-21 1973-08-10 Onera (Off Nat Aerospatiale)
US3991248A (en) * 1972-03-28 1976-11-09 Ducommun Incorporated Fiber reinforced composite product
US4007460A (en) * 1975-11-28 1977-02-08 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Phased array element retention
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FR2520352B1 (fr) * 1982-01-22 1986-04-25 Europ Propulsion Structure composite de type refractaire-refractaire et son procede de fabrication
US4666873A (en) * 1983-10-14 1987-05-19 General Electric Company Aluminum nitride-boron nitride composite article and method of making same
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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69010344D1 (de) 1994-08-11
FR2641903A1 (fr) 1990-07-20
JPH02228802A (ja) 1990-09-11
ES2057458T3 (es) 1994-10-16
CA2007700A1 (en) 1990-07-19
EP0379434A1 (fr) 1990-07-25
FR2641903B1 (fr) 1992-01-03
CA2007700C (en) 1999-06-01
JP2886587B2 (ja) 1999-04-26
US5231409A (en) 1993-07-27
DE69010344T2 (de) 1995-02-23

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