Investigations on the suitability of PEEK material under space environment conditions and its application in a parabolic space antenna

摘要

Application specific, lightweight yet high strength materials always remain in large demand to the aerospace engineers. Poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) is a unique polymer which has low density, high glass transition temperature, and stability at an ultra-high vacuum condition. In addition, high compliance of PEEK and ease of vacuum forming facilitate the development of complex geometric shapes. In this research, we have investigated the suitability of PEEK material for parabolic antenna structure under space environment conditions. We have carried out rigorous space qualification tests on various categories of PEEK material. With the promising experimental results, we have developed a 450 mm diameter prime focal C-band Antenna. The parabolic antenna is made up of PEEK material, and it is supported on the curved ribs made up of PEEK CA30 material. The developed antenna setup is further installed for far-field radiation testing in a Compact Antenna Test Facility (CATF) in the anechoic chamber. Simultaneously, RF simulations are carried out using CST software. The simulated and measured far-field radiation patterns show close agreements. Thereafter, thermal analysis of the developed antenna and the effect of thermal expansion on radiation far-field are discussed. The developed antenna is very promising to be used in the future space missions. (C) 2019 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.