Radar Cross Section Reduction: Geometric control of Discontinunities UsingSerrated Edges

摘要

The objective of this thesis is to investigate and evaluate the effectiveness ofradar cross section (RCS) reduction by means of the geometric control of discontinuities using serrated edges. Although the use of serrated edges for RCS reduction can be clearly seen on stealth aircraft such as the Northrop B-2, and was mentioned in several papers and references, not much data on the reduction magnitude, the associated geometry, or the design methodology are available in the open literature. Parameters of interest include the number of basic serration cells (triangles) required per wavelength, and the aspect ratio of the triangles that form the zig zags. An infinitely thin metallic plate is considered for the analysis. The RCS of such a plate with serrated edges is computed and compared against the RCS of a plate of the same sized without serrated edges. The infinitely thin assumption is valid if the wing of the aircraft, which is represented by the plate, is thin compared to the wavelength. The results obtained show significant reduction in RCS.