Investigation of performance changes of leaky wave antennas in the aerodynamic heating phenomenon of hypersonic projectiles

In this study, the effect of aerodynamic heating on the performance of leaky wave antennas in supersonic projectiles has been investigated. For this purpose, first the projectile’s surface temperature is obtained using aerodynamic simulations. Then, with thermal simulation of the leaky wave antenna designed in the X frequency band, its temperature is calculated with the assumption that the upper surface of the antenna lies on the exterior surface of the projectile. The next step is to investigate the changes in antenna’s performance by studying the changes in its shape and the properties of its materials. The most significant change in performance is observed for the S11 parameter, which has a frequency shift of around 140 MHz at 1880 Kelvin. Finally, changes of the main beam direction as well as the level of the first sidelobe with respect to temperature changes have been studied.