JP2014017654A - Antenna device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an antenna device, used for satellite installation, capable of achieving high sensitivity of a reception system without need of an insulated container and cooling means for a reception circuit.SOLUTION: A reception filter 4 extracts a predetermined frequency band component from a signal received by an antenna and acquires a reception signal. An LNA 6 low noise-amplifies the reception signal output from the reception filter 4. The reception filter 4 is formed from super conduction material which is kept in a super conduction state by an extremely low space in space, and is disposed at the extremely low space in the space.

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to an antenna device used in a satellite-mounted radar, a communication system, or the like.

  As a measure for improving the performance of a system having a signal receiving function such as a radar or a communication system, there is a high sensitivity of a receiving system by reducing a system noise temperature. In general, the system noise temperature is dominated by transmission loss from the antenna to the LNA (Low Noise Amplifier) and internal noise generated by the LNA. Furthermore, the LNA is accommodated in a heat insulating container such as a vacuum container and provided with a cooling means for cooling them until they are in a superconducting state, thereby reducing the power supply loss from the antenna to the LNA close to zero. An antenna device has been devised that reduces the internal noise and increases the sensitivity of the receiving system.

JP 2000-236206 A

  By the way, in an antenna device that reduces the power loss from the antenna to the LNA to zero, reduces the internal noise of the LNA, and enhances the sensitivity of the receiving system, it is necessary to make sure that the receiving circuit such as the receiving filter is in a superconducting state. Cooling means such as a container and a cooling device or a refrigerator was necessary. This is not limited to ground and aircraft mounted antenna devices that are operated at high ambient temperatures, but also in satellite mounted antenna devices that are operated in outer space. There are problems such as an increase, an increase in the size of equipment, and an increase in cost, and it has been desired to improve these problems for satellite-equipped equipment used in a space of vacuum and cryogenic temperature.

  Therefore, the present embodiment has been made in view of the above problems, and in a satellite-mounted antenna device, it is possible to achieve high sensitivity of a receiving system without requiring a heat insulating container and a cooling means for a receiving circuit. An object of the present invention is to provide an antenna device that can be used.

  According to the present embodiment, the antenna device is a satellite-mounted antenna device operated in outer space, and includes an antenna for transmission and reception, a reception filter, and an amplifier. The reception filter extracts a predetermined frequency band component from the signal received by the antenna to obtain a reception signal. The amplifier amplifies the reception signal output from the reception filter with low noise. The reception filter and the transmission line connecting the reception filter and the amplifier are made of a superconducting material that is in a superconducting state in a cryogenic space in outer space, and is disposed in the cryogenic space in outer space.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the antenna apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the modification 1 of the antenna apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the modification 2 of the antenna apparatus which concerns on this embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same part in subsequent figures, the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted, and a different part is mainly described. In the following embodiments, the same description is omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the antenna device according to the present embodiment.

  This antenna apparatus is configured to transmit a transmission system including a transmission amplifier 1 and a transmission filter 2, a reception system including a transmission / reception switch 3, a reception filter 4, a limiter 5, and an LNA (low noise amplifier) 6 to the antenna. A heat exhaust mechanism 7.

  Note that any antenna such as a reflector antenna such as a parabolic antenna, an array antenna using a linear antenna, a planar antenna, or the like can be used as the antenna used in the antenna device of the present embodiment.

  The transmission amplifier 1 receives a transmission signal from an external device and amplifies the power of the transmission signal with a desired gain.

  The transmission filter 2 receives the transmission signal amplified by the transmission amplifier 1 and suppresses unnecessary waves such as harmonics from the transmission signal to extract a desired transmission frequency band component.

  The transmission / reception switch 3 switches between a transmission system and a reception system, and uses, for example, a circulator or a coaxial switch. Moreover, the transmission / reception switch 3 may be a diplexer when the transmission frequency and the reception frequency are different.

  The reception filter 4 receives a reception signal supplied from an antenna via the transmission / reception switch 3 and extracts a predetermined frequency band component from the reception signal. The reception filter 4 is made of a superconductive material.

  The limiter 5 receives a desired reception signal output from the reception filter 4, limits the signal level of the reception signal, and performs over-input protection to the LNA 6.

  The LNA 6 receives the reception signal output from the reception filter 4 and amplifies the reception signal with low noise.

  The reception waste heat mechanism 7 discharges heat generated by the reception filter 4, the limiter 5, and the LNA 6.

  In the above configuration, at the time of transmission, the transmission signal input from the host device is power amplified by the transmission amplifier 1, unnecessary wave components such as harmonics are suppressed by the transmission filter 2, and from the antenna to the space via the transmission / reception switch 3. Radiates the transmitted signal.

  At the time of reception, the signal received by the antenna is input to the reception filter 4 via the transmission / reception switch 3, the unnecessary wave component is suppressed by the reception filter 4, the amplitude is limited by the limiter 5, and the signal is reduced by the LNA 6. After noise amplification, the received signal is output.

  The transmission line and the reception filter 4 connecting the reception filter 4, the limiter 5 and the LNA 6 shown in FIG. 1 are made of a superconducting material. By setting these to a cryogenic state, the transmission loss can be brought close to zero. it can. In addition, the internal noise of the LNA 6 can be reduced by cooling the LNA 6 to an extremely low temperature.

  Here, since the antenna device of the present embodiment is operated in a cryogenic space, the receiving filter 4, the limiter 5 and the LNA 6 are arranged without using a heat insulating container, and the antenna device is used in a cryogenic space in the outer space. Operate as a superconducting state. This eliminates the need to use an insulated container and a refrigerator.

  Furthermore, these receiving systems that are in a superconducting state can be operated while maintaining the superconducting state while maintaining a cryogenic temperature by being placed in a place where sunlight is not irradiated in the operating environment.

  Adopting a high-temperature superconductor such as mercury-based copper oxide is effective for the superconducting material, but is not limited thereto. It is also important to efficiently exhaust heat generated by the reception filter 4, the limiter 5, and the LNA 6. For this purpose, a thermoelectric conversion element or the like that exhausts heat by converting heat radiation or heat from a radiator or the like into an electrical signal is used as the receiving heat exhaust mechanism 7.

  The transmission filter 2 and the reception filter 4 may be arranged between the transmission / reception switch 3 and the antenna and may also be used as a transmission / reception filter. The limiter 5 may be arranged on the input side of the reception filter 4.

(Modification 1)
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of Modification 1 of the antenna device according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the transmission system and the reception system are each provided with a transmission antenna and a reception antenna. In this case, the transmission signal output from the transmission system composed of the transmission filter 1 and the transmission amplifier 2 is output to the transmission antenna without using the transmission / reception switch 3. The reception signal output from the reception antenna is output to a reception system including the reception filter 4, the limiter 5 and the LNA 6.

(Modification 2)
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of Modification Example 2 of the antenna device according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the transmission line connecting the transmission amplifier 1 and the transmission filter 2 and the transmission filter 2 are made of a superconducting material, and the transmission filter 2 is provided with a transmission heat removal mechanism 8, which is the same as the above reception system. In addition, a superconducting state is assumed in a cryogenic space in space. This realizes a transmission system with low loss, high gain, and high efficiency.

  This low loss and high gain of the transmission system can further improve the communication performance or the detection performance together with the high sensitivity of the reception system. In addition, power consumption can be reduced by increasing efficiency by reducing loss.

  As described above, the antenna device according to the above-described embodiment arranges the reception filter 4, the limiter 5, and the LNA 6 without using a heat insulating container, and operates as a superconducting state in a cryogenic space in outer space. Therefore, the antenna device does not require a heat insulating container and a cooling means for the receiving circuit in the satellite-mounted antenna device, and can achieve high sensitivity of the receiving system.

  Although some embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Transmission amplifier, 2 ... Transmission filter, 3 ... Transmission / reception switching device, 4 ... Reception filter, 5 ... Limiter, 6 ... Low noise amplifier (LNA), 7 ... Reception heat exhaust mechanism, 8 ... Transmission heat exhaust mechanism

Claims (3)

In an antenna device for satellite installation operated in outer space,
An antenna for transmission and reception,
A reception filter that obtains a reception signal by extracting a predetermined frequency band component from the signal received by the antenna;
An amplifier for amplifying the reception signal output from the reception filter with low noise,
The reception filter and a transmission line connecting the reception filter and the amplifier are made of a superconducting material that is in a superconducting state in a cryogenic space in outer space, and are arranged in a cryogenic space in outer space. Antenna device. A limiter that is provided on the input side of the amplifier, inputs a reception signal output from the reception filter, limits the signal level of the input reception signal, and performs over-input protection to the amplifier;
The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a heat exhaust mechanism that is provided in a reception system including the reception filter and the amplifier and exhausts heat generated by the reception filter and the amplifier. A transmission amplifier that inputs a transmission signal from an external device and amplifies the power of the input transmission signal with a desired gain;
A transmission filter that inputs a transmission signal amplified by the transmission amplifier and extracts a desired transmission frequency band component from the input transmission signal; and
The antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission filter is made of a superconducting material that is in a superconducting state in a cryogenic space in outer space, and is arranged in the cryogenic space in outer space.

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