Effects of lattice configuration on multifunctionality of C-sandwich radome

A novel C-sandwich radome (CSR) made of V-shaped woven lattice composites was designed and manufactured in this paper. The optimization of woven lattice configuration, from 1-shaped, V-shaped to foam-filled V-shaped cores, was investigated for improving the mechanical properties of CSR. The blast-resistance and microwave transmission of these CSRs were investigated experimentally. Experimental results indicate that the foam-filling technique improves the blast-resistance of CSR, and only reduces the microwave transmission in the bands of 13.5 GHz to 18 GHz. In the bands of 4.5 GHz to 5 GHz and 7.1 GHz to 9.1 GHz, the transmission of foam-filled CSR still exceeds 90 %. Under repeated explosions with the scaled distance changing from 2.565 m/kg^1/3 to 0.342 m/kg^1/3, the unfilled CSRs experience damage processes from face blackening, facesheet delamination, and through-thickness damage. The through-thickness damage only appears in the foam-filled CSRs when the scaled distance is reduced to 0.171 m/kg^1/3. Flexural experiments were carried out to reveal the quasi-static behaviors of the exploded CSRs and evaluate their residual bearing capacities. The proposed CSR exhibits excellent microwave transmission, blast-resistance, and lightweight performances. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd.