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Gain enhancement of microstrip antennas with overlaying parasitic directors
An experimental study of gain enhancement in microstrip antennas using identical parasitic patch directors is reported. The results indicate that, with two overlying parasitic directors, the gain of a rectangular microstrip antenna is enhanced from 4.7 dB to 10.6 dB, while the 3 dB beamwidth is reduced from 103 deg to 30 deg for the E-plane and from 70 deg to 35 deg for the H-plane. The three-layer electromagnetically coupled patch antenna exhibits similar antenna characteristics to those of the Yagi array, with over 120 dB gain and with about 1 percent bandwidth.
Electromagnetic Modeling for the Conformal Lightweight Antenna System for Aeronautical Communications Technologies (CLAS-ACT) Program: Final Report
A series of electromagnetic simulations was conducted for the Conformal Lightweight Antenna System for Aeronautical Communications Technologies (CLAS-ACT) Program. The program designed, built, and flight tested a 14.25 GHz conformal patch array antenna for satellite communications on a T-34C airplane. Various studies were performed to evaluate the effects of antenna element spacing, array shape, signal taper, phased array pointing angle, null steering coefficients, antenna platform, and location on the airplane. This report documents the methods and some of the results of tests done over a 2 ½ year period.
An experimental investigation of high temperature superconducting microstrip antennas at K- and Ka-band frequencies
The recent discovery of high temperature superconductors (HTS) has generated a substantial amount of interest in microstrip antenna applications. However, the high permittivity of substrates compatible with HTS results in narrow bandwidths and high patch edge impedances of such antennas. To investigate the performance of superconducting microstrip antennas, three antenna architectures at K and Ka-band frequencies are examined. Superconducting microstrip antennas that are directly coupled, gap coupled, and electromagnetically coupled to a microstrip transmission line were designed and fabricated on lanthanum aluminate substrates using YBa2Cu3O7 superconducting thin films. For each architecture, a single patch antenna and a four element array were fabricated. Measurements from these antennas, including input impedance, bandwidth, patterns, efficiency, and gain are presented. The measured results show usable antennas can be constructed using any of the architectures. All architectures show excellent gain characteristics, with less than 2 dB of total loss in the four element arrays. Although the direct and gap coupled antennas are the simplest antennas to design and fabricate, they suffer from narrow bandwidths. The electromagnetically coupled antenna, on the other hand, allows the flexibility of using a low permittivity substrate for the patch radiator, while using HTS for the feed network, thus increasing the bandwidth while effectively utilizing the low loss properties of HTS. Each antenna investigated in this research is the first of its kind reported.
A Study of Various Beacon Antennas for an Orbiting Sample Container of a Future Mars Sample Return Mission
This paper presents some results of a study of various options for a near-omnidirectional low-gain antenna at UHF frequencies, for a Mars Orbiting Sample Return Container (OS). The OS is part of a concept study for a future mission to return samples from Mars. It would be a critical component of such a mission, which would contain the Mars samples. The notional OS would be returned by a separate spacecraft to Earth. The OS would be identified and located by the spacecraft for pick-up from orbit by a beacon signal broadcast via a surface antenna. Several antenna designs were considered, but two promising ones are presented here which have good patterns with a better than 2:1 VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio), but meet different criteria for OS design options. One is a patch-type antenna and the other a slot-type antenna. Some data and test results of a fabricated breadboard antenna as well as discussions are provided.
Study of ripple formation in unidirectionally-tensioned membranes
The study of membrane behavior is one of the areas of interest in the development of ultralightweight and lightweight structures for space applications. Utilization of membranes as loadcarrying components or support structure for antenna patch-arrays, collectors, sun-shades and solar-sail reflective surfaces brings about a variety of challenges that require understanding of the ripple-formation phenomenology, development of reliable test and analysis techniques, and solution methods for challenges related to the intended applications. This paper presents interim results from a study on the behavior of unidirectionally tensioned flat and singly-curved membranes. It focuses on preliminary experimental work to explore formation of ripples' and on finite element analysis (FEA) to correlate and predict their formation on thin polyimide membrane models.
NISAR L-Band Feed Antenna Tiles, Preliminary Design
Being developed in partnership between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite is planned to launch in late 2020. NISAR will measure many aspects of how Earth is changing with unprecedented accuracy on a global scale from a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) platform. With a 12m deployable mesh reflector, NISAR will feature one of the largest deployable mesh reflector ever launched for a scientific mission. Two large planar phased arrays will feed the reflector, one that will operate at L-Band and be developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and an S-band array that will be developed at the ISRO Space Application Centre (SAC). This paper describes the preliminary design of the L-Band feed array.
[Activities of the Department of Electrical Engineering, Howard University]
Theoretical derivations, computer analysis and test data are provided to demonstrate that the cavity model is a feasible one to analyze thin-substrate, rectangular-patch microstrip antennas. Seven separate antennas were tested. Most of the antennas were designed to resonate at L-band frequencies (1-2 GHz). One antenna was designed to resonate at an S-band (2-4 GHz) frequency of 2.025 GHz. All dielectric substrates were made of Duroid, and were of varying thicknesses and relative dielectric constant values. Theoretical derivations to calculate radiated free space electromagnetic fields and antenna input impedance were performed. MATHEMATICA 2.2 software was used to generate Smith Chart input impedance plots, normalized relative power radiation plots and to perform other numerical manipulations. Network Analyzer tests were used to verify the data from the computer programming (such as input impedance and VSWR). Finally, tests were performed in an anechoic chamber to measure receive-mode polar power patterns in the E and H planes. Agreement between computer analysis and test data is presented. The antenna with the thickest substrate (e(sub r) = 2.33,62 mils thick) showed the worst match to theoretical impedance data. This is anticipated due to the fact that the cavity model generally loses accuracy when the dielectric substrate thickness exceeds 5% of the antenna's free space wavelength. A method of reducing computer execution time for impedance calculations is also presented.
A Radar/Radiometer Instrument for Mapping Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity
The RadSTAR instrument combines an L-band, digital beam-forming radar with an L-band synthetic aperture, thinned array (STAR) radiometer. The RadSTAR development will support NASA Earth science goals by developing a novel, L-band scatterometer/ radiometer that measures Earth surface bulk material properties (surface emissions and backscatter) as well as surface characteristics (backscatter). Present, real aperture airborne L-Band active/passive measurement systems such as the JPUPALS (Wilson, et al, 2000) provide excellent sampling characteristics, but have no scanning capabilities, and are extremely large; the huge JPUPALS horn requires a the C-130 airborne platform, operated with the aft loading door open during flight operation. The approach used for the upcoming Aquarius ocean salinity mission or the proposed Hydros soil mission use real apertures with multiple fixed beams or scanning beams. For real aperture instruments, there is no upgrade path to scanning over a broad swath, except rotation of the whole aperture, which is an approach with obvious difficulties as aperture size increases. RadSTAR will provide polarimetric scatterometer and radiometer measurements over a wide swath, in a highly space-efficient configuration. The electronic scanning approaches provided through STAR technology and digital beam forming will enable the large L-band aperture to scan efficiently over a very wide swath. RadSTAR technology development, which merges an interferometric radiometer with a digital beam forming scatterometer, is an important step in the path to space for an L-band scatterometer/radiometer. RadSTAR couples a patch array antenna with a 1.26 GHz digital beam forming radar scatterometer and a 1.4 GHz STAR radiometer to provide Earth surface backscatter and emission measurements in a compact, cross-track scanning instrument with no moving parts. This technology will provide the first L-band, emission and backscatter measurements in a compact aircraft instrument and will be ideally suited to large apertures, possibly at GEO, and could possibly be implemented on a swarm of micro-satellites. This instrument will have wide application for validation studies, and will have application for other microwave frequencies.
A Comparison Between Jerusalem Cross and Square Patch Frequency Selective Surfaces for Low Profile Antenna Applications
In this paper, a comparison between Jerusalem Cross (JC) and Square Patch (SP) based Frequency Selected Surfaces (FSS) for low profile antenna applications is presented. The comparison is aimed at understanding the performance of low profile antennas backed by high impedance surfaces. In particular, an end loaded planar open sleeve dipole (ELPOSD) antenna is examined due to the various parameters within its configuration, offering significant design flexibility and a wide operating bandwidth. Measured data of the antennas demonstrate that increasing the number of unit cells improves the fractional bandwidth. The antenna bandwidth increased from 0.8% to 1.8% and from 0.8% to 2.7% for the JC and SP structures, respectively. The number of unit cells was increased from 48 to 80 for the JC-FSS and from 24 to 48 for the SP-FSS.
Reducing Cross-Polarized Radiation From A Microstrip Antenna
Change in configuration of feed of nominally linearly polarized microstrip-patch transmitting array antenna reduces cross-polarized component of its radiation. Patches fed on opposing sides, in opposite phases. Combination of spatial symmetry and temporal asymmetry causes copolarized components of radiation from fundamental modes of patches to reinforce each other and cross-polarized components of radiation from higher-order modes to cancel each other.
Piezoelectrically Adjustable Array Of Antenna Reflectors
Reflecting patches on piezoelectric actuators constitutes subreflector. Actuators adjusted individually to displace reflecting patches, compensating for distortion in main reflector and restoring desired radiation pattern.
Key design issues for user terminals operating with HEO satellites
Coverage of high-latitude areas in the northern hemisphere using geostationary satellites can not be achieved with good elevation angles, and highly inclined elliptical orbits (HEO) present one possible way to overcome this problem. The high elevation angles they achieve and the relative motion of the satellites across the sky, including satellite hand-over, present a specific set of requirements for the design of user terminals, be they for communication or broadcast-reception purposed. This paper reviews key design issues for user terminals operating with satellites in highly inclined elliptical orbits. While all aspects of user terminal design are broadly covered, special emphasis is given to the antenna and RF front-end design. The types of terminals discussed include communications terminals: the hand-held, the notebook, and the vehicle-mounted types, as well as the vehicle-mounted digital audio broadcasting (DAB) receiver terminal. A number of solutions are outlined, based on tradeoffs with respect to the most significant system interface parameters such as G/T and equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP). Candidate antenna and front-end configurations were studied, in particular patch and helical antennas with the principal aim of deriving low cost, yet effective solutions. Issues related to achieving best EIRP for the communications terminals are presented, taking into account radiation safety limits. The differences in the design of receive only versus receive/transmit RF front-ends for HEO system terminals are highlighted and solutions for both proposed. This paper summarizes the results of internal ESTEC studies and external ESA-sponsored work concerning major user terminal parameters and design aspects performed for Archimedes -- a HEO satellite constellation for multimedia broadcasting and communications.
Microstrip Yagi Antenna with Dual Aperture-Coupled Feed
A proposed microstrip Yagi antenna would operate at a frequency of 8.4 GHz (which is in the X band) and would feature a mechanically simpler, more elegant design, relative to a prior L-band microstrip Yagi antenna. In general, the purpose of designing a microstrip Yagi antenna is to combine features of a Yagi antenna with those of a microstrip patch to obtain an antenna that can be manufactured at low cost, has a low profile, and radiates a directive beam that, as plotted on an elevation plane perpendicular to the antenna plane, appears tilted away from the broadside. Such antennas are suitable for flush mounting on surfaces of diverse objects, including spacecraft, aircraft, land vehicles, and computers. Stated somewhat more precisely, what has been proposed is a microstrip antenna comprising an array of three Yagi elements. Each element would include four microstrip-patch Yagi subelements: one reflector patch, one driven patch, and two director patches. To obtain circular polarization, each driven patch would be fed by use of a dual offset aperture-coupled feed featuring bow-tie-shaped apertures. The selection of the dual offset bow-tie aperture geometry is supported by results found in published literature that show that this geometry would enable matching of the impedances of the driven patches to the 50-Omega impedance of the microstrip feedline while maintaining a desirably large front-to-back lobe ratio.
Multifrequency synthetic aperture radar antenna comparison study
Three multifrequency, dual polarization SAR antenna designs are reviewed. The SAR antenna design specifications were for a "straw man' SAR which would approximate the requirements for projected shuttle-based SAR's. Therefore, the physical dimensions were constrained to be compatible with the space shuttle. The electrical specifications were similar to those of SIR-A and SIR-B with the addition of dual polarization and the addition of C and X band operation. Early in the antenna design considerations, three candidate technologies emerged as having promise. They were: (1) microstrip patch planar array antennas, (2) slotted waveguide planar array antennas, and (3) open-ended waveguide planar array antennas.
Microstrip Yagi array antenna for mobile satellite vehicle application
A novel antenna structure formed by combining the Yagi-Uda array concept and the microstrip radiator technique is discussed. This antenna, called the microstrip Yagi array, has been developed for the mobile satellite (MSAT) system as a low-profile, low-cost, and mechanically steered medium-gain land-vehicle antenna. With the antenna's active patches (driven elements) and parasitic patches (reflector and director elements) located on the same horizontal plane, the main beam of the array can be tilted, by the effect of mutual coupling, in the elevation direction providing optimal coverage for users in the continental United States. Because the parasitic patches are not connected to any of the lossy RF power distributing circuit the antenna is an efficient radiating system. With the complete monopulse beamforming and power distributing circuits etched on a single thin stripline board underneath the microstrip Yagi array, the overall L-band antenna system has achieved a very low profile for vehicle's rooftop mounting, as well as a low manufacturing cost. Experimental results demonstrate the performance of this antenna.
Low gain and steerable vehicle antennas for communications with land mobile satellite
Current development activities at JPL for ground mobile vehicle antennas to be used with the Land Mobile Satellite Service (LMSS) system are described. Both low gain and electronically steerable high gain type antennas are discussed in terms of their design concept and RF performance. For the low gain type, three classes of antennas are under various stages of development. These are the crossed-drooping dipole, quadrifilar helix, and microstrip patch designs. The antennas are intended to provide circularly-polarized radiation with a minimum of 3-dB gain in the angular region from 19 degrees to 60 deg from the horizon in elevation plane and with an omnidirectional pattern in azimuthal plane. For the electronically steerable high gain type, circularly-polarized microstrip patch phased arrays formed on a planar surface and on the surface of a truncated cone are under study. The arrays are intended to provide a minimum of 12 dB gain in the same angular region in elevation plane at all azimuthal angles. This coverage is accomplished by scanning the high gain pencil beam in both elevation and azimuthal directions. Both types of antennas are to transmit at 821-831 MHz band and to receive at 866-876 MHz band. They must be of low cost design and reasonably conformal to the vehicle.
Dielectric Covered Planar Antennas at Submillimeter Wavelengths for Terahertz Imaging
Most optical systems require antennas with directive patterns. This means that the physical area of the antenna will be large in terms of the wavelength. When non-cooled systems are used, the losses of microstrip or coplanar waveguide lines impede the use of standard patch or slot antennas for a large number of elements in a phased array format. Traditionally, this problem has been solved by using silicon lenses. However, if an array of such highly directive antennas is to be used for imaging applications, the fabrication of many closely spaced lenses becomes a problem. Moreover, planar antennas are usually fed by microstrip or coplanar waveguides while the mixer or the detector elements (usually Schottky diodes) are coupled in a waveguide environment. The coupling between the antenna and the detector/ mixer can be a fabrication challenge in an imaging array at submillimeter wavelengths. Antennas excited by a waveguide (TE10) mode makes use of dielectric superlayers to increase the directivity. These antennas create a kind of Fabry- Perot cavity between the ground plane and the first layer of dielectric. In reality, the antenna operates as a leaky wave mode where a leaky wave pole propagates along the cavity while it radiates. Thanks to this pole, the directivity of a small antenna is considerably enhanced. The antenna consists of a waveguide feed, which can be coupled to a mixer or detector such as a Schottky diode via a standard probe design. The waveguide is loaded with a double-slot iris to perform an impedance match and to suppress undesired modes that can propagate on the cavity. On top of the slot there is an air cavity and on top, a small portion of a hemispherical lens. The fractional bandwidth of such antennas is around 10 percent, which is good enough for heterodyne imaging applications.The new geometry makes use of a silicon lens instead of dielectric quarter wavelength substrates. This design presents several advantages when used in the submillimeter-wave and terahertz bands: a) Antenna fabrication compatible with lithographic techniques. b) Much simpler fabrication of the lens. c) A simple quarter-wavelength matching layer of the lens will be more efficient if a smaller portion of the lens is used. d) The directivity is given by the lens diameter instead of the leaky pole (the bandwidth will not depend anymore on the directivity but just on the initial cavity). The feed is a standard waveguide, which is compatible with proven Schottky diode mixer/detector technologies. The development of such technology will benefit applications where submillimeter- wave heterodyne array designs are required. The main fields are national security, planetary exploration, and biomedicine. For national security, wideband submillimeter radars could be an effective tool for the standoff detection of hidden weapons or bombs concealed by clothing or packaging. In the field of planetary exploration, wideband submillimeter radars can be used as a spectrometer to detect trace concentrations of chemicals in atmospheres that are too cold to rely on thermal imaging techniques. In biomedicine, an imaging heterodyne system could be helpful in detecting skin diseases.