Computer-Aided Tool for Wrapping Periodic Elements onto Curved Surfaces

Controlling the electromagnetic signature of airborne assets is critical to maintaining an advantage in warfighting information and intelligence. One method of controlling this signature is to equip airborne platforms with electromagnetic structures that manipulate the various electromagnetic interactions with the surfaces of an air vehicle. Most surfaces on aerial vehicles have some curvature to them, and traditionally this has been incompatible with electromagnetic periodic structures that are designed and tuned for operation on a flat surface. For Phase I, we will provide computer-aided tools to smartly “wrap” periodic structures on curved surfaces in a manner that preserves or improves their electromagnetic performance. Deformations that may occur to the structures upon wrapping will be corrected using custom computer-aided tools. These capabilities have been previously demonstrated by the Principal Investigator of this work and coauthor of algorithms to synthesize spatially variant electromagnetic structures. Additionally for Phase I, we will fabricate a representative periodic structure conformed to a curved surface. This will utilize a new approach of multi-axis additive manufacturing integrated with in-situ sensing and error correction for extreme accuracy in the final print. These capabilities have previously been demonstrated by our Research Institution partner. In a recent work, the team conformally printed holographic antennas on the fuselage of the Kahu unmanned aerial system (UAS). Electromagnetic characterization efforts showed that this approach successfully prints conformal antennas that operate as intended.