High-Precision Modeling for Arbitrary Curved Frequency Selective Structures Based on Perfect Mapping Between Thick Surface and Its Minimum Distortion Flat-Unfolding Solution

Abstract

How to arrange a periodic array consisting of precise unit-cells on a complex surface has always been a difficulty affecting the application of frequency selective structures. Based on the elastic deformation theory of thin-shell, a perfect mapping between a curved surface and a planar array by using the weighted minimum distortion flat-unfolding solution of the surface is established and then extended to the 3-Dimensional (3D) case along the thickness direction. With the help of this mapping, the information of the unit-cell can be mapped to the thick surface structure while maintaining the topological properties of the planar periodic array and the internal structure of the unit-cell. In the mapping process, the deformation of the unit-cell on the thick surface structure relative to the original unit-cell can be evaluated, and this deformation has local adjustability. This manuscript provides a class of local unit-cell deformation control algorithms that do not affect the completeness of the mapping. The application effect and potential of this method are demonstrated by an example of a spliced conical radome using a three-layer hybrid unit-cell.

Keywords

• Frequency selective surface (FSS)
• radome
• electromagnetic functional structure
• flat unfolding
• thin-shell
• elastic deformation