Optimal Design of Multilayered Radar Absorbing Structures (RAS) using Swarm Intelligence based Algorithm

Abstract

The steady progress in the fields of material science and processing technologies has made multi-layered radar absorbing structures (RAS) an attractive option w.r.t. stealth technologies. They possess the ability to reduce radar cross-section with minimum thickness and is therefore most preferred in airborne applications. As far as their electromagnetic performance is concerned, the sequence of material layers and thickness profile plays a pivotal role. Optimization of these two factors becomes complex in case of availability of large number of potential materials. Commonly used EM simulation software can be employed for the optimization of thickness profile. However, selection of suitable material layer sequence is out of their scope. In this context, a particle swarm optimization (PSO) based algorithm is presented for sequencing of material layers and optimization of thickness profile of multi-layered RAS configurations. The fitness function has been appropriately formulated to achieve maximum power absorption over broad band of frequencies and wide range of incident angles. Further, the efficacy of the algorithm has been demonstrated using a suitable case study.