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At least 73 records · Page 4

Cassegrain dual reflector antenna design

A folded optics reflector system could mitigate problems associated with the pointability and controllability of the large UHF antenna for MSAT. Such a system is comprised of a parabolic main reflector and a hyperboloidal subreflector (Cassegrain arrangement) or an ellipsoidal subreflector (Gregorian arrangement), either of which brings the feed closer to the main reflector. By shaping the subreflector and the main reflector, an improved scan capability might be achieved and the size of the required feed aperture-per-beam could be reduced. In such a shaped dual reflector system, the need for overlapping cluster feed arrangement and its concomitant beam forming network could be removed. In this system, a relatively low gain feed element together with the shaped subreflector would be sufficient to produce the required high illumination taper that at the main reflector.

Source record↗

Designing Ground Antennas for Maximum G/T: Cassegrain or Gregorian?

For optimum performance, a ground antenna system must maximize the ratio of received signal to the receiving system noise power, defined as the ratio of antenna gain to system-noise temperature (G/T). The total system noise temperature is the linear combination of the receiver noise temperature (including the feed system losses) and the antenna noise contribution. Hence, for very low noise cryogenic receiver systems, antenna noise-temperature properties are very significant contributors to G/T.It is well known that, for dual reflector systems designed for maximum gain, the gain performance of the antenna system is the same for both Cassegrain and Gregorian configurations. For a12-meter antenna designed to be part of the large array based Deep Space Network, a Cassegrain configuration designed for maximum G/T at X-band was 0.7 dB higher than the equivalent Gregorian configuration. This study demonstrates that, for maximum GIT, the dual shaped Cassegrain design is always better than the Gregorian.

ground antennas↗

Design Procedure for the New 70-meter Antenna Subreflector Positioner

Design procedures are developed for determining Cassegrain type antenna subreflector positioner strength and displacements under wind and gravity loading conditions. The procedures are applied to the JPL 70-m antenna subreflector design, and the resulting design details are presented. The generalized analysis can be adapted to other antenna and subreflector-positioners. It is shown that the new design meets the strength and displacements criteria under worst case loading.

Hughes, R. D.↗

Bifocal dual reflector antenna

A bifocal dual reflector antenna is similar to and has better scan capability than classical cassegrain reflector antenna. The method used in determining the reflector surfaces is a modification of a design method for the dielectric bifocal lens. The three dimensional dual reflector is obtained by first designing an exact (in geometrical optics sense) two-point corrected two dimensional reflector and then rotating it around its axis of symmetry. A point by point technique is used in computing the reflector surfaces. Computed radiation characteristics of the dual reflector are compared with those of a cassegrain reflector. The results confirm that the bifocal antenna has superior performance.

Rao, B. L. J.↗

Beam-waveguide antenna performance predictions with comparisons to experimental results

An overview of a NASA/JPL antenna project is presented, with specific focus on the methodology used to predict the microwave performance of a 34-m-diameter beam-waveguide (BWG) reflector antenna, designated DSS 13 (Deep Space Station 13). DSS 13 is the R&D facility serving the NASA/JPL Deep Space Network. Microwave performance predictions as well as a summary of test results for the antenna are given. The antenna has Cassegrain and centerline BWG operating modes at X-band (8.450-GHz) and Ka-band (32-GHz) frequencies. The performance predictions regarding antenna area efficiencies, corresponding beampeak gains, and for several (but not all) operating noise temperatures are found to agree reasonably well with the corresponding experimental results.

Bathker, Dan A.↗

Evaluation of frequency-selective reflector antenna systems

The performance of a four-frequency (S/X/Ku/Ku bands) frequency-selective surface (FSS) with double-ring elements (the type of geometry particularly well suited for the circular polarization requirement of the NASA's Cassini project) is evaluated for a planar and a curved FSS subreflector in a dual reflector antenna system. Good agreement is obtained between the calculated and measured data for the planar FSS model. The FSS effects in a four-frequency Cassegrain reflector antenna were accurately evaluated by taking into account the surface curvature and the FSS subreflector's transmitted/reflected field variation as functions of the polarization and the incident angles with respect to the local coordinates.

Wu, T. K.↗

Dual-frequency feed system for 26-meter antenna conversion

New cassegrain feed cone assemblies were designed as part of the upgrade of three 26-meter diameter antennas to 34-meter diameter with improved performance. The new dual-frequency feed cone (SXD) will provide both S- and X-band feed systems and traveling wave masers, with a reflex reflector system to permit simultaneous operation analogous to the 64-meter antennas. Tasks involved in adding the X-band receiving capability and improving the S-band feed performance in support of Voyager and later missions described in.

Hartop, R. W.↗

Analyzing Large Reflector Antenna Structures

Iterative Design of Antenna Structures (IDEAS) computer program performs finite-element analysis and optimization of design, with special features for analysis and design of microwave antennas and associated structural components. Primary feature to perform root-mean-square-best-fitting path-length-error and boresight-pointing-error analyses for Cassegrain microwave antenna structure loaded by gravity, wind, or other environmental effects. Flexible and easy to use. Written in ATHENA FORTRAN and ASSEMBLER.

Levy, Roy↗

Variable-beamwidth antennas

Two effective designs have been developed for Cassegrain and Gregorian antenna configurations. Each provides for both high-gain and low-gain operations. Cassegrain system sacrifices some efficiency due to small amount of increased spillover loss. Gregorian system provides for independent spillover control with two feeds.

Schmidt, R. F.↗