Additively Manufactured High-Power Light Weight Millimeter-Wave Band Pass Filter Optimized with AI Tuning Algorithm for 5G Space Applications

High power light weight radio frequency (RF) passive components are critical for satellite communications payloads and are required to handle increasingly larger peak/average powers over the frequency range in the transmit path of the communication link. Powder-bed fusion metal additive manufacturing process has matured as a breakthrough technology for the development of arbitrary shape RF and microwave components where conventional machining can be complex or impossible to use. When it comes to space applications, industries rely on testing to mitigate system failure. Reproducing space conditions for validation in a laboratory setting is costly, time-consuming, and ultimately unreliable. Hence, leveraging the use of artificial intelligence (AI) optimization techniques in the design process of RF components is impactful. The presented work demonstrates the use of physics-based simulation technologies from modelling/synthesize to manufacturing process of an optimized millimeter-wave band pass filter that can be safely launched to space for satellite communication.

I. Introduction

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is anticipated to become a standard manufacturing technology that will be widely utilized in large number of industrial applications from medical implants and disposable surgical instruments to aerospace forming equipment and satellite communication systems [1]–[3]. This enabling technology assures the production of complex geometries and has gained popularity offering engineers and designers the flexibility to build customized and optimized designs with enhanced RF, thermal and mechanical performance [4]–[5]. Thus, handling design trade-offs and maintaining precise mechanical construction of RF components with their dimensions held to tight tolerances at high frequencies up to 300GHz [6]–[7]. Satellite Communication market size is projected to reach $41.33 Billion by 2026. 5G mobile network is expected to offer high speed internet, high-definition video streaming, efficiency, and real time connectivity to Internet of Things (IoT) enabled devices. Additionally, mm-wave communication has become one of the most attractive techniques for 5G direct subscriber access systems implementation [8]. Therefore, the need for coexistence of both 5G mobile networks and satellite operations is paramount and will help extending cellular data coverage to air, sea and other remote areas can not be covered with small cellular networks. Satellite will play important role in providing global IoT connectivity as only 10% of earth is covered by terrestrial communications (cellular, Wi-Fi). Satellites can be expensive to design, construct, launch and monitor. Well-known factors that drive the cost and weight of satellites are long-term reliability, design margins to survive the launch and orbit placement process and planned operational lifetime without need for services. Hence, engineers are pushing for light weight components and assemblies causing them to explore 3D printing technology as an alternative manufacturing process that facilitates the implementation of monolithic waveguide subsystems [9]–[10].