Model of Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Effectiveness for a Multifunctional Composite Containing Carbon-Fiber-reinforced Polymer and Copper Mesh Layers

A multifunctional composite structure consisting of a carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminate with additional Cu mesh layers was investigated for use as an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield in aerospace applications. The Cu mesh layers were added to increase EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of the structure. A finite element model of EMI SE was constructed to predict SE in the radiofrequency to microwave range for different laminate lay-ups. It was found that the SE of the CFRP layers was improved by including plies with different relative fiber orientations. Further, the combination of CFRP layers, which primarily shield by absorption, and Cu mesh, which predominantly shields by reflection, provided adequate SE over a wider frequency range than the individual components alone due to the opposing trends of increasing absorption loss (CFRP component) and decreasing reflection loss (copper mesh) with increasing frequency.