Additively Printed Heating Structure for Radome De-icing Application

This study explores the potential of additive piezo-jet printing for functionalizing blank radome with heating structure, aiming to remove snow or ice in sub-zero temperature conditions to enable optimal radar signal transmission. Unlike conventional methods involving coatings or embedded wires, additive printing processes offer advantages in flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and customization for complex 2D and 3D geometries. Two commercially available inks, namely CP-009 from Novacentrix (copper ink) and LOCTITE® ECI1011 from Henkel (silver ink), are comprehensively studied. Silver heating structure emerges as a promising candidate for the radome deicing application, with consistent morphology, low resistivity, strong adhesion, fast heating rate, and homogeneous temperature distribution, suggesting seamless integration into radar systems. However, copper heating structure still faces challenges related to processing and compatibility with respect to dissipation losses under the automotive supply voltage range of 9 - 16 V. This paper will discuss in detail the feasibility of the additive piezo-jet printing process for radome functionalization in radar applications, covering various aspects of manufacturing, performance, and modelling of dynamic heating behavior through transient thermal simulations.