Low‐Drag Radome With Dielectric Lens for Enhanced Antenna Gain in Harsh Environments

ABSTRACT

This study proposes an antenna radome structure designed to support reliable long‐range wireless backhaul communication in extreme environments such as Antarctica (wind speeds of 30–40 m/s). Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis based on three‐dimensional Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes equations was conducted to compare the drag coefficients of four radome geometries: flat plate, dome, pyramid, and dimpled dome. The results show that the dimpled dome achieves the lowest drag coefficient of 0.189. However, the curved dome structure introduces phase distortion, leading to degradation of the antenna boresight gain. To address this issue, the dimpled dome was geometrically designed to exhibit a dielectric lens effect. Measurements at 5.8 GHz demonstrate that, when the proposed radome is applied, the antenna gain reaches up to 15.7 dBi, representing an improvement of more than 4 dB compared to the conventional structure. Furthermore, field measurements conducted in the Antarctic environment confirm that the proposed structure maintains strong wind resistance while delivering high gain performance, making it suitable for long‐distance communication links in extreme environments.