Electromagnetic-mechanical repair patch of radar-absorbing structure with electroless nickel–plated glass fabric damaged by lightning strike

Gi Won Jeong, Yeong Hoon Noh, Won Ho Choi, Joon Hyung Shin, Jin Hwe Kweon, Jong Gwan Yook, Young Woo Nam

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper presents an electromagnetic-mechanical repair patch (EMRP) to restore the mechanical and electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption performance of a radar-absorbing structure (RAS) damaged by lightning strike. Several researchers have primarily focused on ensuring high repair efficiency, particularly in terms of the primary load-bearing properties of repaired fiber-reinforced plastics. However, no study has proposed a practical repair approach that considers the multi-functionality of the radar-absorbing structure. The EMRP method can be used to repair lightning strike damage in a radar-absorbing structure with electroless nickel-plated glass fabric, considering the need to maintain structural integrity and electrical continuity to achieve a high repair efficiency. Damage due to an artificial lightning strike was assessed in terms of area and depth of the damage using image processing, ultrasonic C-scan, and micro X-ray inspection. The EM characteristics of one-dimensional return loss scanning and the echo radar-cross-section level were measured to verify the stealth performance of the repaired radar absorber in the X-band. In addition, the tensile test results demonstrated that the repaired radar absorber had a high recovery rate of 93% compared to the pristine radar absorber. The experimental results obtained in this study validate the use of the proposed EMRP method in repairing radar-absorbing structures.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)989-1002
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Composite Materials
Volume55
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021 Mar

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (NRF-2017R1A5A1015311). This work was supported by the Aerospace Low Observable Technology Laboratory Program of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and the Agency for Defense Development of the Republic of Korea.

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2020.

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Ceramics and Composites
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Materials Chemistry

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