Bending Fatigue Characteristics of Surface-Antenna-Structure

복합재료 표면안테나 구조의 굽힘 피로특성 연구

The Objective of this work was to design Surface Antenna Structure (SAS) and investigate fatigue behavior of SAS that was asymmetric sandwich structure. This term, SAS, indicates that structural surface becomes antenna. Constituent materials were selected considering electrical properties, dielectric constant and tangent loss as well as mechanical properties. For the antenna performance, SSFIP elements inserted into structural layers were designed for satellite communication at a resonant frequency of 12.5 GHz and final demonstration article was $16\;{\times}\;8$ array antenna. From electrical measurements, it was shown that antenna performances were in good agreement with design requirements. In cyclic 4-point bending, flexure behavior was investigated by static and fatigue test. Fatigue life curve of SAS was obtained. The fatigue load was determined experimentally at a 0.75(1.875kN) load level. SAS concept is the first serious attempt at integration for both antenna and composite engineers and promises innovative future communication technology.