Analysis of the radiation patterns of reflector antennas

The development and application of a numerical technique for the rapid calculation of the far-field radiation patterns of a reflector antenna from either a measured or computed feed pattern are reported. The reflector is defined by the intersection of a cone with any surface of revolution or an offset sector of any surface of revolution. The feed is assumed to be linearly polarized and can have an arbitrary location. Both the copolarized and the cross polarized reflector radiation patterns are computed. Calculations using the technique compare closely with measured radiation patterns of a waveguide-fed offset parabolic reflector. The unique features of this technique are the freedom from restrictive feed assumptions and the numerical methods used in preparing the aperture plane electric field data for integration.     

Testing of a 1.5-m reflector antenna at 322 GHz in a CATR based on a hologram

Hologram-based compact antenna test range (CATR) is a potential method for testing large antennas at submillimeter wavelengths. This paper describes testing of a 1.5-m single offset parabolic reflector antenna with a 3-m-diameter hologram-based CATR. This is the first time such a measurement is carried out at submillimeter wavelengths. The antenna tests were done in a CATR that was specifically designed and constructed for these tests. The measured radiation pattern at the frequency of 322 GHz is presented. The measured pattern corresponds reasonably well to the simulated pattern of the antenna. The effect of the quiet-zone field nonidealities on the measurement results and the reasons for the discrepancies in the measured antenna beam are discussed.     

Beam squint in a linearly polarised offset reflector antenna

A beam squint has been found to occur in the field radiated by an offset paraboloid antenna illuminated by a feed with linear polarisation in the plane of offset. The squint, whose existence has been confirmed by computed and measured radiation patterns, occurs in the offset plane, and is typically 0.03 of a beamwidth for a reflector of 6-wavelengths diameter. An assessment is given of the likely effect of the squint on the performance of an offset reflector radiating a circularly polarised field     

An efficient plane wave spectral analysis to predict the focalregion fields of parabolic reflector antennas for small and wide anglescanning

An efficient approach is described for calculating the field distribution in the focal region of an electrically large, symmetric or offset parabolic reflector antenna with an arbitrary rim contour, when the concave reflector surface is fully illuminated by an obliquely incident arbitrary electromagnetic plane wave. The dominant contribution to the focal-region fields is found by transforming the physical-optics integral over the reflector surface into a plane-wave spectral (PWS) integral. The PWS integral is evaluated rapidly via the fast Fourier transform (FET) algorithm to furnish, in only a single computation, the field for every place in the focal plane (or any plane parallel to it) within the focal region for a given direction of the incident wave. The correction to the physical-optics field is relatively small in the focal region and may therefore be neglected. Numerical results based on this PWS approach are presented, and their accuracy is established by comparison with results based on other approaches     

Performance and design procedure of dual parabolic cylindricalantennas

The radiation characteristics of dual parabolic cylindrical antennas are studied, and the dependence of the principal plane beamwidths and the peak cross-polarization on their geometrical parameters is determined. The antenna aperture is rectangular in shape and generates an elliptical beam pattern, with a beamwidth ratio that can be controlled by the main and subreflector focal lengths. The far-field patterns are determined by an extended aperture integration method that includes the contributions of the reflected and the main diffracted rays. It is found that the cross-polarization depends of the offset angle between the axis and the direction of the normal to the subreflector surface and can be minimized by optimizing the relative angle between the reflectors. Other pattern characteristics are controlled by the antenna geometrical parameters and the feed illumination. A procedure for the design of these antennas and the expressions for determining the reflector geometries are provided     

Cross-polarization in satellite and earth-station antennas

Cross-plarization in axially symmetric reflector antennas can be reduced, theoretically, to zero by use of special feeds like the Huygens' source. Alternatively, paraboloidal reflectors with large f/D ratio do not deteriorate further the cross polarization level relative to the value due to the feed itself. The Cassegrainian optics is equivalent to a large f/D paraboloid. The reflector of linearly polarized off set fed antennas contribute more cross-polarization than symmetrical reflectors fed by the same feed. With symmetrical reflectors the cross-polarized component generated by the reflector vanishes in the principal planes and is confined to four main lobes that have peak values in planes at 45° to the principal planes. In the case of offset fed reflectors cross-polarization vanishes in the plane of symmetry and has its peak in the plane of asymmetry. The reflector generated cross-polarization with offset fed antennas may be reduced by use of small offset angles and large f/D ratios. Feed offsetting has but little effect on the peak level of cross-polarization. This is usually accompanied with an asymmetry in the cross-polarization radiation pattern. Feed offsetting also results in spatial tilt in the copolarized and cross-polarized lobes with the cross-polar minimum always coinciding with the main beam peak. The effect of surface errors on the antenna cross-polarization is to partly fill the cross-polar along boresight. The peak cross-polarization, however, changes but slightly.     

用PTD分析双弯曲反射面天线形变和穿孔的辐射特性

该文根据模型反射面天线的爆炸实验测试结果建立了反射面天线形变的数学模型,应用物理光学(P0)法和物理绕射(PTD)理论计钟:了一种赋形反射面天线形变后的辐射特性,同时还计算了反射面天线表面被爆炸破片穿孔后的辐射特性,结果表明,由于反射面的局部形变,直接导致辐射方向图的恶化,并且随着形变部分面积的增大,水平面的副瓣抬高很大,穿孔也会使水平面的副瓣抬高。     

均匀照射赋形反射面天线设计

为提高反射面天线的照射均匀性，利用波束赋形技术设计一款工作在15 GHz的高性能偏置反射面天线.该天线由一个非均匀有理B样条（non-uniform rational B-splines，NURBS）反射面和一个介质棒馈源组成，NURBS反射面通过物理光学法结合Nelder-Mead优化算法来赋形，从而获得理想的天线辐射场.仿真结果表明，赋形后的反射面天线相对旁瓣电平低于-20 dB，增益在-2.7°~2.7°的波束范围内超过20 dBi，且浮动不超过1 dB.该天线具有结构简单、旁瓣低、增益均匀的特点，在卫星通信等领域具有重要作用.     

基于介质波导混合模式的双频馈源喇叭天线

随着大型反射面天线技术的不断发展,天线系统对设备功能的多样化与一体化提出了更高的要求,馈源作为大型反射面天线的核心,其性能决定了反射面天线整体特性.文章基于介质波导混合模式提出了一种介质加载双频馈源喇叭天线,工作于X(7.25～7.75 GHz)/Ka(21～22 GHz)频段.利用特征值理论求解双层介质波导中电磁场表...     

改善单偏置天线交叉极化劣化的C-band馈源

描述了用波纹喇叭中的 HE_(21)模抵消单偏置抛物面天线非对称平面交叉极化分量的基本原理,介绍了 TE_(21) 模激励器、波纹喇叭的设计方法和展宽馈源抑制单偏置天线交叉极化分量频带宽度的设计方法,给出了 C 波段 2．4m 单偏置抛物面天线的实验测试数据,单偏置抛物面天线非对称平面交叉极化电平改善了10dB,抑制交叉极化分量的馈源相对工作频带宽度大于8％。这种 TE_(21)模激励技术和与主模 TE_(11)模相位差的调整方法,对馈源的电压驻波比几乎没有影响。     

W 波段电大尺寸椭圆柱形反射面天线的设计

设计了一种W波段电大尺寸波束扫描椭圆柱面反射面天线,利用椭圆双焦点的几何特性,通过合理设计口径面利用率及天线效率,使得天线在近场具有较窄的焦斑宽度,同时在远场也有较高的方向性,适用于中、远距离均要求较高横向距离分辨率的目标探测雷达。针对电大尺寸反射 面天线仿真工作量大的问题,提出一种简化设计方法,提高了天线设计效率。利用紧缩场（CR）测试方法对天线进行远场辐射方向图测量,通过雷达系统的目标探测实验测试了天线的近场焦斑宽度。实测数据与仿真结果之间的良好一致性证明了整个天线设计方法的可靠性和准确性。     

双频基站天线中的反射板形状设计

蜂窝移动通信系统中的基站天线通常由直线阵列加反射板构成,而反射板的形状主要影响天线的前后比特性及水平面辐射方向图.该文对适合于基站天线的几种典型反射板形状进行优选,并采用矩量法线栅技术仿真计算了各种反射板形状对天线辐射性能的影响,根据仿真结果给出了满足基站天线双频辐射要求的反射板形状.     

Offset parabolic reflector antennas

The paper provides a tutorial review of a number of offset parabolic reflector configurations including both single and double-reflector geometries. The author commences by describing some basic techniques which can be applied to predict the vector radiation fields and provides some indication of the validity of these methods. The formulation of a relatively simple analytical model for the offset reflector antenna is described based upon the physical-optics approximation. The electrical performance of the single-offset reflector is examined by comparison of predicted and measured data. The particular problems arising from the choice of polarisation and reflector dimensions are highlighted, and some practical applications involving multiplebeams, shaped and contoured beams, monopulse tracking and low sidelobes are briefly reviewed. Practical primary-feeds for offset-reflector antennas are discussed and the matched-feed concept is outlined, the matching of the electric fields in the primary-feed aperture to the reflector focal fields being illustrated. The advantages and disadvantages of dual-reflector antennas are then examined, with particular emphasis upon the open Cassegrainian configuration and the optimised doubleoffset configuration which offers, in principle, both freedom from blockage and low levels of cross-polarised radiation.     

Radiating Mechanisms in a Reflector Antenna System

The radiating mechanisms of a reflector antenna system are discussed. Means of computing the various component fields are given, including aperture radiation, direct feed radiation, and diffracted radiation. An offset parabolic reflector antenna system fed with a corrugated horn is treated as an example. Means of reduction of the undesired components of radiation are suggested.     

RF characterization of an inflatable parabolic torus reflectorantenna for space-borne applications

Space-borne satellite applications provide a vast array of services extending from global connectivity to Earth observation systems. The soil moisture radiation mission is a proposed space-borne passive microwave system complementary to the existing Earth observing system operating at low microwave frequencies and requiring an antenna with multibeam, high-beam efficiency, and dual polarization capabilities. To achieve both the large reflector size and the multibeam pattern at the operational frequencies an innovative multibeam reflector antenna design was needed. The advances in inflatable antenna technology has been proposed to overcome the launch vehicle size and weight restrictions. This paper describes a novel offset parabolic torus reflector antenna design that produces the desired multibeam pattern and is compatible with the inflatable antenna technology. Using the system requirements of this mission as an example, the design process for an inflatable parabolic torus reflector antenna is outlined, the development of suitable distortion models is given, and representative RF characteristics are presented. These RF characteristics include far-field patterns, beam contour patterns, beam efficiency, and other key performance parameters. The development of an advanced analytical modeling/numerical tool in support of the design effort is also detailed     

Shaped reflector antenna analysis using the Jacobi-Bessel series

The physical optics approximation is employed to derive the radiation integral for a doubly curved offset reflector antenna illuminated by an arbitrary source. A novel procedure is presented for expressing the radiation integral in terms of a summation of Fourier transforms of an "effective" aperture distribution which includes the effect of the curvature of the surface. The Jacobi-Bessel series is used to evaluate the Fourier transforms. The vector nature of the far-field pattern is studied by evaluating its three Cartesian components in a unified fashion. The rapid numerical evaluations of the expressions obtained are demonstrated via extensive test cases. In particular, the scattering characteristics of symmetric and offset parabolic, spherical, and shaped reflectors are studied in detail, and comparisons are made with other available data.     

Impulse-radiating antenna with an offset geometry

An offset impulse-radiating antenna (IRA) is numerically analyzed and compared with a typical centered IRA. In the typical centered IRA, the transverse electromagnetic (TEM) feed arms block the aperture because they are located at the center of the aperture. This blockage causes multiple reflections inside the antenna and, thus, ripples in the tail of the radiated waveform. In the offset IRA, the TEM feed arms are removed from the aperture, lowering the tail ripples caused by multiple reflections between the TEM feed arms and the reflector. The boresight gains and the impulse amplitudes are seen to be essentially the same for both IRAs. The monostatic radar cross section of the offset IRA is significantly lower than that of the centered IRA for the plane wave incident from the boresight direction because the wave incident to the offset IRA is diverted toward the focal point of the reflector, which is away from the boresight direction. The offset IRA has a shadow behind the reflector. This feature can be useful in bistatic radar applications because the antennas can be placed in the shadows of each other.     

前馈圆极化反射面天线的焦场分析

在大型射电天文望远镜中,研究焦面场的分布对于合理配置馈源阵列具有指导意义。本文采用物理光学法,推导了平面入射波为圆极化、斜入射时,前馈抛物面天线的焦平面及与焦面平行的平面上的电场计算公式。并以我国计划建造的500m 口径球面反射天文望远镜(FAST)为实例,计算了 FAST 的焦面场。     

A measurement technique for modeling the effects of feed support struts on large reflector antennas

A measurement technique is described in which frequency scaled models of struts are placed in the near-field region of an offset reflector. In this compact range environment the excitation of the strut model is by plane waves, as would be encountered in the axisymmetrical reflector situation. Far-field radiation patterns are recorded, with and without the strut model in place, and, because of the low sidelobe levels associated with offset reflector antenna systems, it is possible to isolate the far-field response of the strut model. This technique is particularly useful for determining the real effects of structures that are difficult to analyze mathematically, such as latticed struts or metallic geodetic radomes.