Fatigue response of conformal load bearing antenna structures

Abstract

Abstract. Non-woven, metal-coated, carbon veil has the potential to replace copper in radiofrequency transmission lines and micro-strip antenna elements. It is of importance to characterise the mechanical properties of these veils to implement them into antenna design. These veil materials are incorporated into a dielectric substrate made from glass-fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP). This antenna system can be integrated into a load bearing composite structure enhancing its multi-functionality and will therefore be exposed to the operational loads of the primary structure. An example of such primary structure is the wing of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This paper will report on a set of investigation detailing the effects of fatigue loading on the durability and the performance of this load bearing conformal antenna system. The fatigued antenna will be subjected to a series of cantilever loading to show the performance of the conformal antenna when the fatigue-exposed antenna is subjected to quasi-static loading that is expected during normal operation of the structure.