【正文】
logically advanced a firm’s T/R packaging technology is, the smaller the individual T/R modules will be resulting in an increase density of the layout of T/R modules within the array. Thus, advancements in packaging technology enable engineers to acmodate more T/R modules within the fixed volume of the aircraft39。s nose.三個(gè)主要因素決定了戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)雷達(dá)可容納的T/R組件數(shù)量:飛機(jī)機(jī)頭的容積容量、T/R組件封裝技術(shù)的成熟度,以及雷達(dá)的熱管理系統(tǒng)的工作效率。機(jī)頭部位的容積是一個(gè)相當(dāng)直觀的約束條件,飛機(jī)鼻錐部位容積越大,雷達(dá)(天線陣面)越大。例如:F15C的機(jī)頭鼻錐可容納具有1500個(gè)T/R組件的APG63V(3)雷達(dá),而F16C Block 60只能容納具有1000個(gè)T/R組件的APG80雷達(dá)。通過(guò)減小單個(gè)T/R組件的體積,封裝技術(shù)決定了再固定的空間內(nèi)可容納的最大T/R組件數(shù)量。更加先進(jìn)的封裝技術(shù)可制造體積更小的T/R組件,從而提高了陣面上的T/R組件布局密度。因此,在封裝技術(shù)上的進(jìn)步,將允許工程師們?cè)诠潭ǖ娘w機(jī)鼻錐空間里布置更多的T/R組件。Image 2: US early production quad packed transmit receiver modules. The United States no longer produces quad channel T/R modules and has since produced single T/R module designs. Less advanced AESAs such as the ZhukAE utilize multiT/R channel designs, it is possible China39。s first generation of AESAs also utilize a multiT/R channel design.圖2:早期美國(guó)制造的4聯(lián)裝T/R組件。美國(guó)不再制造4聯(lián)裝T/R組件,轉(zhuǎn)而制造獨(dú)立封裝的T/R組件。少數(shù)先進(jìn)AESA系統(tǒng),例如:ZhukAE雷達(dá),使用多聯(lián)裝T/R組件封裝技術(shù),中國(guó)第一代AESA系統(tǒng)可能也使用了多聯(lián)裝T/R組件設(shè)計(jì)。Lastly, thermal management systems are instrumental for the operation of high power AESA radars. Unlike MSA systems, air cooling systems are insufficient to prevent heat related system failures and frequent maintenance issues:最后,熱管理系統(tǒng)在高功耗AESA雷達(dá)中起到關(guān)鍵作用。與機(jī)械掃描(MSA)系統(tǒng)不同,風(fēng)冷散熱系統(tǒng)不足以防止散熱相關(guān)的系統(tǒng)故障以及由其引起的頻繁維修費(fèi)用:“Due to the behavior of microwave transistor amplifiers, the power efficiency of a TR module transmitter is typically less than 45%. As a result, an AESA will dissipate a lot of heat which must be extracted to prevent the transmitter chips being molten pools of Gallium Arsenide reliability of GaAs MMIC chips improves the cooler they are run. Traditional air cooling used in most established avionic hardware is ill suited to the high packaging density of an AESA, as a result of which modern AESAs are liquid designs employ a polyalphaolefin (PAO) coolant similar to a synthetic hydraulic fluid. A typical liquid cooling system will use pumps to drive the coolant through channels in the antenna, and then route it to a heat exchanger. That might be an air cooled core (radiator style) or an immersed heat exchanger in a fuel tank with a second liquid cooling loop to dump heat from the fuel tank. In parison with a conventional air cooled fighter radar, the AESA will be more reliable but will require more electrical power and more cooling, and typically can produce much higher transmit power if needed for greater target detection range performance (increasing transmitted power has the drawback of increasing the footprint over which a hostile ESM or RWR can detect the radar” – Kopp, 2014“由于微波發(fā)射放大器的特性,T/R組件中發(fā)射部分的用電效率典型值小于45%。因此,AESA系統(tǒng)工作期間所產(chǎn)生的大量熱量需要耗散,以避免發(fā)射部分芯片變?yōu)樯榛墶叭蹱t”——高可靠性的砷化鎵微波單片集成電路需配備更佳的散熱器。在眾多已裝備的航電機(jī)載設(shè)備中所使用的傳統(tǒng)風(fēng)冷技術(shù),并不適用于高密度封裝的AESA系統(tǒng),因此,現(xiàn)代AESA系統(tǒng)采用液冷技術(shù)。美國(guó)設(shè)計(jì)研發(fā)的聚α烯烴(PAO)冷卻液是一種合成液壓液。典型的液冷系統(tǒng)往往采用一個(gè)液壓泵驅(qū)動(dòng)冷卻液在天線的散熱管道中流動(dòng),并最終通過(guò)冷卻液將熱量傳遞給熱交換機(jī)。這種熱交換機(jī)可以是類似汽車引擎散熱器的風(fēng)冷器,也可以是安放在油箱中的浸入式熱交換器。相比較傳統(tǒng)風(fēng)冷戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)雷達(dá)而言,AESA系統(tǒng)將更加可靠,但同時(shí)需要更高的功耗和更苛刻的散熱需求,通過(guò)發(fā)射更高功率電磁波信號(hào),就可以獲得更遠(yuǎn)的目標(biāo)探測(cè)距離性能(但更高的發(fā)射功率同樣意味著雷達(dá)系統(tǒng)可能更早被敵方ESM或RWR設(shè)備偵測(cè)而暴露)?!盞opp,2014。Image 3:The image which allegedly describes the number of TR modules within the J10B, J16, and J20 has been posted on numerous defense forums since at least December of 2013.圖3:該圖展示了截止2013年12月