436: GEOMETRIC INFLUENCE OF 3D-PRINTED MULTILAYER STRUCTURES FOR RADAR STEALTH APPLICATIONS
Poster session 6 | room 2 - Matheus Da Silva Domingos
GEOMETRIC INFLUENCE OF 3D-PRINTED MULTILAYER STRUCTURES FOR RADAR STEALTH APPLICATIONS
Matheus Da Silva Domingos
ABSTRACT
GEOMETRIC INFLUENCE OF 3D-PRINTED MULTILAYER STRUCTURES FOR RADAR STEALTH APPLICATIONS
Tamara Indrusiak1,2*, Matheus. S. Domingos1, Juliana M. F. Silva2, Leonardo Santana3, Guilherme M. O. Barra3, Bluma G. Soares2
1.Centro Tecnológico do Exército, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
2. Departamento de Engenharia Metalúrgica e de Materiais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ
3. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, SC
The study analyzes the geometric influence of 3D-printed multilayer structures using polylactic acid (PLA), conductive PLA, and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) for radar stealth applications. The multilayer structures consist of triangular and honeycomb geometric layers designed to optimize radar wave absorption, as schematically illustrated in Figure 1.
Experimental tests evaluated reflection loss (RL) performance by comparing different material configurations in the geometric multilayer structure in two orientations: horizontal and vertical. The best result was obtained when conductive PLA was placed in the middle layer in vertical Direction with RL of -16 dB, as shown in Figure 2. This configuration improved electromagnetic wave attenuation, demonstrating strong potential for stealth applications.
The geometric layering played a crucial role in wave absorption. The honeycomb structure exhibited superior dispersion and impedance matching, enhancing absorption efficiency. Meanwhile, the triangular layer provided structural stability and further contributed to electromagnetic wave attenuation by improving wave dispersion.
The results also emphasize the importance of material distribution within the multilayer structure. Positioning conductive PLA in the middle layer optimizes wave interference and energy dissipation due to multiple reflections and wave dispersion, thereby reducing reflected signals. This approach holds promise for the development of lightweight, customizable, and cost-effective radar-absorbing materials.
In conclusion, the study demonstrates that 3D-printed geometric multilayer structures combining PLA or TPU with conductive PLA can achieve significant radar wave attenuation, with the best performance of -16 dB when conductive PLA is used as the middle layer. The geometric influence is key to optimizing stealth capabilities in advanced applications.
Figure 1- Squematization of 3D multilayer.
Figure 2- RL results.
REFERENCES
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