EP0104173B1 - Antennensystem zur elektronischen abtastung mit einer linearen gruppe von yagi antennen - Google Patents

Antennensystem zur elektronischen abtastung mit einer linearen gruppe von yagi antennen Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0104173B1
EP0104173B1 EP82901744A EP82901744A EP0104173B1 EP 0104173 B1 EP0104173 B1 EP 0104173B1 EP 82901744 A EP82901744 A EP 82901744A EP 82901744 A EP82901744 A EP 82901744A EP 0104173 B1 EP0104173 B1 EP 0104173B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
aircraft
yagi
antenna system
antenna
antennas
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP82901744A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0104173A1 (de
EP0104173A4 (de
Inventor
Frederick M. Ganz
Justine D. Cermignani
Richard H. Imgram
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Grumman Corp
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Grumman Aerospace Corp
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Filing date
Publication date
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Publication of EP0104173A1 publication Critical patent/EP0104173A1/de
Publication of EP0104173A4 publication Critical patent/EP0104173A4/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0104173B1 publication Critical patent/EP0104173B1/de
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q21/00—Antenna arrays or systems
    • H01Q21/06—Arrays of individually energised antenna units similarly polarised and spaced apart
    • H01Q21/08—Arrays of individually energised antenna units similarly polarised and spaced apart the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
    • H01Q1/27—Adaptation for use in or on movable bodies
    • H01Q1/28—Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
    • H01Q1/286—Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons substantially flush mounted with the skin of the craft
    • H01Q1/287—Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons substantially flush mounted with the skin of the craft integrated in a wing or a stabiliser
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
    • H01Q1/42—Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome
    • H01Q1/428—Collapsible radomes; rotatable, tiltable radomes
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q19/00—Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic
    • H01Q19/28—Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic using a secondary device in the form of two or more substantially straight conductive elements
    • H01Q19/30—Combinations of primary active antenna elements and units with secondary devices, e.g. with quasi-optical devices, for giving the antenna a desired directional characteristic using a secondary device in the form of two or more substantially straight conductive elements the primary active element being centre-fed and substantially straight, e.g. Yagi antenna
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q3/00—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system
    • H01Q3/26—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an antenna system for conformal mounting on an aircraft, comprising a linear array of Yagi antennas.
  • Electronically scanned linear arrays of simple elements are well known. Such arrays are generally characterized by relatively low gain, and a broad elevation pattern. Arrays of Yagi antennas in which scanning is accomplished mechanically by rotating the entire array are also known. These arrays are unsatisfactory when conformal mounting in the plane of the array is required, e.g., on or within airfoil surfaces (wings and horizontal stabilizer) of an aircraft.
  • United States Patent 2,236,393 discloses a broad bandwidth endfire antenna.
  • United States Patent 3,182,330 (Blume) dislcoses an antenna array having non-uniform spacing of the individual elements.
  • United States Patent 2,425,887 discloses an endfire antenna in which all the elements are energized with equal voltages in proper phase.
  • United States Patent 3,258,774 discloses a series-fed phased antenna array. See also United States Patent 3,509,577 (Kinsey).
  • United States Patent 2,419,562 discloses a binomial array for producing a clover leaf pattern having highly directive properties.
  • a Yagi antenna is referenced in United States Patent 3,466,655 (Mayes et al).
  • Endfire elements such as Yagi antennas are known to produce high density with narrow patterns in both planes (azimuth and elevation), and are therefore, according to conventional practice, considered unsuitable for wide angle electronic scanning when multiple elements are arrayed. (The scan angle limits being established by the width of the in-array element pattern).
  • the present invention advantageously utilizes arrayed Yagi elements for wide angle scanning by employing mutual coupling between the elements to broaden the element pattern in the plane in which electronic scanning is desired.
  • an antenna system for conformal mounting on an aircraft, comprising a linear array of Yagi antennas, each of the Yagi antennas including a driven element, a reflector member and a director member, each of which has a length less than the spacing between adjacent Yagi antennas, characterised in that the Yagi antennas each lie in the E-plane and are laterally spaced from one another a distance of between substantially 0.3 ⁇ and 0.9A centre to centre, and the antenna system further comprises means connected to the Yagi antennas for electronically scanning the antenna system main lobe in the E plane over an angle A substantially greater than the free space beam width of the individual Yagi antennas in the E plane, whereby said scan angle A can be greaterthan 90°.
  • the invention also concerns an aircraft on which such an antenna system is conformally mounted, for example in a wing thereof.
  • Electrode scanning as the term is used therein entails adjustments in the excitation coefficients (e.g., phase and amplitude) of the elements in the array in accordance with 'the direction in which the formation of a beam is desired.
  • phase front is adjusted to steer the beam by individual control of the phase excitation of each radiating element.
  • Phase shifters are electronically actuated to permit rapid scanning and are adjusted in phase to a value between 0 and 2n radians. While this method of electronic scanning is perhaps the most commonly used, other means may be employed to effect the same changes in the phase front of the array to produce steerage of the beam.
  • Control of the excitation coefficients of the elements of the array is commonly known as "antenna feed", and includes all means for independently or dependently controlling the amplitude and phase of the signals to or from the individual elements of the antenna array, and dividing or combining means therefor.
  • an antenna according to the present invention is generally illustrated at 10.
  • the antenna 10 includes a linear array of Yagi elements 12 electronically coupled to an element driving network 14 which is conventionally known as an antenna feed.
  • Each element 12 is laterally spaced a distance (D) between 0.3 ⁇ and 0.9 A apart, preferably about 0.55 ⁇ apart (center-to-center) to enhance the effects of mutual coupling between the elements 12, resulting in a broadened element pattern of the mainbeam in the plane of the array.
  • the length (L) of each individual element 12 is approximately 1.25 ⁇ .
  • a Yagi element 12A for use in the array of the present invention is shown.
  • a Yagi array includes at least two parasitic elements in addition to the driven element.
  • the Yagi element 12A includes six conductive elements 16,18, 20, 22, 24 and 26.
  • Such a multiparasitic array is known as a 6-element beam.
  • Each element has a diameter of approximately 0.01 ⁇ and a length of approximately 0.5 ⁇ .
  • the six elements 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 are positioned in spaced parallel relationship along the same line of sight (transverse axis) with the spacing between adjacent elements being approximately .25 ⁇ .
  • the six elements 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 are supported on a pair of nonconductive Plexiglass supports 28 and 30, e.g., by inserting the elements 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 into mating holes in the Plexiglass support.
  • the supports 28 and 30 electrically insulate the elements 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 from one another, and advantageously are substantially invisible to the resulting electromagnetic waves.
  • Element 16 is a reflector element, element 18 the driven element, and elements 20, 22, 24 and 26 the director elements.
  • a coaxial cable 32 is electrically coupled to the driven element 18 for providing a signal thereto.
  • the reflector 16 and directors 20-26 interact in a conventional manner to provide increased gain and unidirectiv- ity to the radiated signal pattern.
  • the free-space half-power beam-widths of element 12A is 42° in the E plane and 48° in the H plane.
  • ten Yagi elements 12A-J of the type shown in Fig. 2 are arranged in a linear array 10A.
  • the elements 12A-J have a common reflector 16A and are closely spaced laterally a distance of between about 0.3 X and about 0.9 ⁇ apart, preferably about 0.55 ⁇ apart (center-to-center), to increase the effects of mutual coupling therebetween.
  • the in-array pattern i.e., the angle over which the antenna mainlobe can be electronically scanned increases from 42° for the single endfire element 12A of Fig. 2 to greater than 90° in the array 10A.
  • the narrow H plane pattern of 48° for the single element 12A is maintained in the array 10A.
  • the effect of closely spacing the elements 12A in the linear array 10 is to broaden the element pattern in the plane of the array 10A (E plane) while preserving the narrow H plane pattern.
  • the broadened E-plane pattern of the in-array element may be demonstrated as follows:
  • the elements 12A-D and 12F-J have individual terminating impedances 34A-D and 34F-J coupled to ground 36 in the array 10A.
  • the terminating impedances 34A-D and 34F-J are chosen to match the antenna driving point impedance to an antenna scan angle of 0° in the E-plane.
  • the terminating impedances 34A-D and 34F-J are 50 ohms.
  • Element 12E is monitored by meter 38 which measures the power received by element 12E when the array 10A is used as a receiving device to receive signals transmitted by a radiating device (not shown) positioned at sufficient distance from the array 10A so as to be in the far field of the array 10A.
  • the power measured in meter 38 will vary in proportion to the in-array element pattern of element 12E. This method of pattern measurement is well known in the art.
  • the in-array element pattern measured in this manner is approximately proportional to the gain of the array 10A as a function of angle when the outputs of all of the elements 12A-J are utilized to form a beam.
  • the array 10A operates as follows: A feed means (not shown) applies transmission signals to a combining/dividing network 40 which splits the signals for transmission by the individual elements 42 of the array 44 (N elements are shown). N phase shifters 46 shift the phase of the signals in accordance with the direction in which a beam is desired. In applications where unequal amplitudes are desired for each antenna element to provide lower antenna sidelobes (commonly known as amplitude taper, the combining/dividing network 48 advantageously provides such a distribution.
  • the antenna array 10A with its feed is linear, passive and bilateral and is subject to the law of reciprocity so that when it is used in the receiving mode its characteristics are unaltered.
  • an aircraft 48 is illustrated with antenna arrays 10 B, C and D in accordance with the present invention positioned in the wing leading edges 50 and 52 and in the horizontal stabilizer 54.
  • 360° azimuthal coverage is obtained by electronically scanning the arrays 10B-D and conventional side-looking antennas 56 and 58 mounted on opposite sides of the fuselage 60 in a back-to-back relationship.
  • such an arrangement avoids the need for a large dome mounted on the fuselage 60 which must be mechanically rotated to provide the same 360° azimuthal coverage.

Claims (15)

1. Antennensystem (10) zur konformen Montage an einem Flugzeug, enthaltend eine lineare Gruppe von Yagi-Antennen (12), wobei jede der Yagi-Antennen ein gespeistes Element (18), ein Reflektorelement (16) und ein Direktorelement (20) aufweist, von denen jedes eine Länge aufweist, die kleiner als der Abstand zwischen benachbarten Yagi-Antennen ist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Yagi-Antennen jeweils in der E-Ebene liegen und in Querrichtung voneinander einen Teilungsabstand von etwa 0,3 λ bis 0,9 λ aufweisen, und daß das Antennensystem weiterhin eine Einrichtung aufweist, die mit den Yagi-Antennen verbunden ist, um die Hauptkeule des Antennensystems elektronisch in der E-Ebene über einen Winkel A abzulenken, der wesentlich größer ist, als die Freiraum-Keulenbreite der einzelnen Yagi-Antennen in der E-Ebene, wodurch der Ablenkwinkel A größer als 90° sein kann.
2. Antennensystem nach Anspruch 1, bei dem der Abstand zwischen den Yagi-Antennen im wesentlichen 0,55 A ist.
3. Antennensystem nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, bei dem jede Yagi-Antenne eine Hauptkeulen-Keulenbreite in der E-Ebene von im wesentlichen 42° aufweist.
4. Antennensystem nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei dem die Systemhauptkeulen-Keulenbreite in der H-Ebene im wesentlichen 48° ist.
5. Antennensystem nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei dem die lineare Gruppe zehn Yagi-Antennen (12A-12J) aufweist, die in der E-Ebene angeordnet sind, wobei jede Yagi-Antenne weiterhin drei zusätzliche Direktorelemente (22, 24, 26) aufweist.
6. Antennensystem nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei dem das Reflektorelement jeder der Yagi-Antennen ein gemeinsames Reflektorelement (16A) ist.
7. Antennensystem nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei dem jede Yagi-Antenne eine Länge von im wesentlichen 1,25 λ hat.
8. Antennensystem nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei dem die Yagi-Antennen jeweils nicht-leitfähige Halteeinrichtungen (28,30) zum festen Anbringen des gespeisten Elements (18), des Reflektorelements (16) und des oder jedes Direktorelements (20) relativ zueinander aufweisen.
9. Antennensystem nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei dem das gespeiste Element, das Reflektorelement und das oder jedes Direktorelement einer jeden Yagi-Antenne voneinander einen Abstand von im wesentlichen 0,25 λ aufweisen.
10. Flugzeug mit einem Antennensystem nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei das System konform in einem Flügel des Flugzeugs montiert ist.
11. Flugzeug mit einem Antennensystem nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 9, wobei das System weiterhin zwei zur Seite schauende Antennen (56, 58) an sich bekannter Art aufweist und das System konform in einem Flugzeug montiert ist, wodurch eine breite Azimutalbedeckung erzeilt ist.
12. Flugzeug nach Anspruch 11, bei dem das System konform im Flügel des Flugzeugs montiert ist.
13. Flugzeug nach Anspruch 11, bei dem zwei der genannenten Antennensysteme vorgesehen sind, die Rücken an Rücken montiert sind.
14. Flugzeug nach Anspruch 13, bei dem die zwei Systeme konform im Flügel bzw. im Horizontalstabilisator des Flugzeugs montiert sind.
15. Flugzeug nach Anspruch 11, bei dem die zur Seite schauenden Antennen konform am Flugzeugrumpf montiert sind.
EP82901744A 1982-03-26 1982-03-26 Antennensystem zur elektronischen abtastung mit einer linearen gruppe von yagi antennen Expired EP0104173B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US1982/000377 WO1983000952A1 (en) 1982-03-26 1982-03-26 An electronically scanned antenna system having a linear array of endfire elements

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0104173A1 EP0104173A1 (de) 1984-04-04
EP0104173A4 EP0104173A4 (de) 1984-09-28
EP0104173B1 true EP0104173B1 (de) 1988-10-12

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EP82901744A Expired EP0104173B1 (de) 1982-03-26 1982-03-26 Antennensystem zur elektronischen abtastung mit einer linearen gruppe von yagi antennen

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EP (1) EP0104173B1 (de)
JP (1) JPS59500645A (de)
BE (1) BE892812A (de)
DE (1) DE3279118D1 (de)
WO (1) WO1983000952A1 (de)

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB9004024D0 (en) * 1990-02-22 1997-03-12 British Aerospace Airborne radar
FR2677813B1 (fr) * 1991-06-17 1994-01-07 Tecnes Sa Antenne active de faible encombrement pour satellite meteorologique.

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2407169A (en) * 1941-05-26 1946-09-03 Hazeltine Research Inc System for locating radiated-signal reflectors
US3373434A (en) * 1964-12-01 1968-03-12 Sperry Rand Corp Lightweight antenna formed from net of dielectric cord, having metalized sectors thereon

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Publication number Publication date
EP0104173A1 (de) 1984-04-04
JPS59500645A (ja) 1984-04-12
JPH0480561B2 (de) 1992-12-18
DE3279118D1 (en) 1988-11-17
BE892812A (fr) 1982-08-02
EP0104173A4 (de) 1984-09-28
WO1983000952A1 (en) 1983-03-17

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