Accurate and Fast Analysis of FSS Embedded Radomes Using Characterized Surfaces

Radomes are structures or enclosures designed to protect antenna and associated electronics from the surrounding environment and elements such as rain, snow, UV light, and strong wind while at the same time not impacting the performance of the antenna. In some cases, radome designs include frequency selective surfaces (FSSs) embedded within the inner, outer, or intermediate interfaces of the radome. When properly designed, the FSS embedded radome structure can enhance the performance of an antenna system by filtering out unwanted frequencies. The design of Radomes, especially those containing multiple layers and curved frequency selective surface (FSS) elements, are extremely complex, with the modeling and simulation of these systems taking days and even weeks to complete. In this paper, we present advanced computational tools for fast and accurate simulation of the FSS embedded radomes using characterized surfaces. A detailed study on different FSS elements for their frequency response of the reflection and transmission coefficient behavior is also presented. Simulations are performed to study the effects of insertion losses, boresight error and effect on the antenna side lobes. Computational resource comparisons for simulations of actual structure of the radome versus those simulations using characterized surfaces are presented.