Electromagnetic absorption and thermoelastic analysis of a functionally graded wave absorber

Purpose As a good absorbing material candidate, a functionally graded wave absorber can be tailored to satisfy the impedance match principle by gradually changing material property. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach The electromagnetic wave absorption properties are discussed. An analysis model is proposed to provide an insight into its mechanical characteristics during wave absorption. Considering the energy-converting and thermal deformation properties, the thermoelastic behaviors of an absorber are analyzed by numerical method. The effects of material and geometrical properties are discussed in detail. Findings The results demonstrate that absorbing effect of graded composite is enhanced. Good performance of low reflectance and high absorption with gentle thermal stress distribution can be obtained by proper designing of the gradient absorber. Originality/value Functionally graded materials exhibit a progressive compositional gradient change along certain dimension of structures, which can be used as absorbing materials for the gradual change of material property tailored to satisfy the principle of impedance match. The design of functionally graded absorbing materials usually should consider not only the electromagnetic performance, but also the mechanical properties simultaneously. Therefore, few investigations have addressed the mechanical characteristics of absorbers. This paper presents some studies on the electromagnetic, especially mechanical behaviors during electromagnetic wave absorption. It is helpful to provide mechanical reference for designing an absorber.