JP6818787B2 - Antenna device, communication satellite, and antenna device mounting method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an antenna device equipped with a reflector, a communication satellite, and a method of mounting the antenna device.

In future high-speed satellite communication, it is required to improve the communication performance of communication satellites as the communication traffic between terrestrial and satellite increases. As a method for improving the communication performance of the communication satellite, for example, there is a method of making the antenna beam multi-beam. In this method, a large number of antenna beams are arranged, the coverage area of one antenna beam is reduced, and the antenna pattern shape is steep. As a result, in this method, the antenna gain is increased to improve the communication performance.

The antenna device mounted on the communication satellite includes a plurality of primary radiators that emit electromagnetic waves as beams, and a reflector that reflects electromagnetic waves from the primary radiators. In order to realize high density of multi-beam, for example, it is necessary to arrange primary radiators mounted on communication satellites at high density. In addition, as the density of the multi-beam increases, the required directional accuracy becomes higher. Therefore, it is necessary to manage the positional relationship between the primary radiator and the reflector with high accuracy. In order to improve the accuracy of the positional relationship, the drive mechanisms for controlling the direction of the reflector are distributed and arranged (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-107305

The retroreflector drive mechanism and the primary radiator are attached directly or indirectly to the structure of the satellite bus. Therefore, the positional relationship between the primary radiator and the reflector, in other words, the directivity accuracy of the antenna beam, is affected by the structure of the satellite bus, especially the structure, and the mechanical strength. Therefore, in order to further improve the directivity accuracy of the antenna beam, it can be said that the influence of the structure of the satellite bus and the mechanical strength should be taken into consideration.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an antenna device, a communication satellite, and a method for mounting the antenna device, which can realize higher directional accuracy of the antenna beam.

The antenna device according to the present invention includes a primary radiator group having a plurality of primary radiators that emit electromagnetic waves, a reflector that reflects electromagnetic waves from the primary radiator group, and a first structure attached to a satellite bus. , A second structure attached to the first structure and supporting the primary radiator group, a third structure attached to the first structure and supporting the reflector, and a first structure. An actuator that can change the relative positional relationship between the structure and the third structure is provided , and the third structure is attached to the first structure via the actuator .

The communication satellite according to the present invention includes the above antenna device.

In the method for mounting an antenna device according to the present invention, a primary radiator group having a plurality of primary radiators that emit electromagnetic waves and a reflector that reflects electromagnetic waves from the primary radiator group are supported by a first structure, and the first structure is used. The structure 1 is attached to the satellite bus, the primary radiator group and the electromagnetic wave device including the reflector are mounted on the communication satellite, and the primary radiator group and the reflector are supported by the first structure and reflected. By attaching a third structure that supports the mirror to the first structure via an actuator, the reflecting mirror is supported by the first structure, and the first structure and the third structure are supported. The relative positional relationship with the object can be changed by the actuator .

According to the present invention, higher directional accuracy of the antenna beam can be realized.

It is a figure which shows the configuration example of the satellite communication system constructed by using the communication satellite equipped with the antenna device which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a side view which shows the outline of the communication satellite equipped with the antenna device which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is another side view which shows the outline of the communication satellite equipped with the antenna device which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the 1st modification of the antenna device which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the 2nd modification of the antenna device which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a side view which shows the outline of the communication satellite equipped with the antenna device which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a figure which shows a part of the satellite control system example constructed in the ground station. It is a figure which shows a part of the system example constructed in the communication satellite which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the antenna device, the communication satellite, and the antenna device mounting method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The communication satellite according to the present invention is realized by attaching the antenna device according to the present invention to the communication satellite. The communication satellite according to the present invention can also be realized by applying the antenna device mounting method according to the present invention. In each figure, the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a satellite communication system constructed by using a communication satellite equipped with an antenna device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the satellite communication system includes a large number of mobile stations 20 and one or more ground stations 30 in addition to the communication satellite 10 according to the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the communication satellite 10 and each mobile station 20 are assumed to communicate in both directions. However, the communication satellite 10 may perform one-way communication that relays the information transmitted from the ground station 30 and transmits it to each mobile station 20.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing an outline of a communication satellite equipped with the antenna device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a side view of the communication satellite equipped with the antenna device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is another side view which shows an outline.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the communication satellite 10 includes a satellite bus 11 and an antenna device 12. The antenna device 12 is the antenna device according to the first embodiment, and is mounted on the communication satellite 10 by being attached to the structure of the satellite bus 11. The antenna device 12 is arranged outside one side surface of the satellite bus 11.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the antenna device 12 includes a reflector 1, a feed cluster 2, a cluster support structure 3, an integrated structure 4, a reflector support structure 5, and an actuator 6. In the first embodiment, the integrated structure 4 corresponds to the first structure, the cluster support structure 3 corresponds to the second structure, and the reflector support structure 5 corresponds to the third structure.

The concave reflector 1 is foldable and is attached to and supported by a rod-shaped reflector support structure 5. One end of the reflector support structure 5 on the satellite bus 11 side is attached to one end of the plate-shaped integrated structure 4 via an actuator 6.

The state of the reflector 1 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is after deployment. At the time of launch of the communication satellite 10, the reflector 1 is in a folded state, and the reflector support structure 5 is in a state of being rotated to the right toward FIG. 2 with the actuator 6 as an axis. There is.

The actuator 6 is a component that makes it possible to change the relative positional relationship between the integrated structure 4 and the reflector support structure 5. The actuator 6 rotates the reflector support structure 5 to the left toward FIG. 2 from the state when the reflector 1 is folded, and deploys the reflector 1. Deployment of the reflector 1 is performed by, for example, an elastic member.

The feed cluster 2 is a high-density arrangement of a plurality of antenna feeds, which are primary radiators that emit electromagnetic waves for an antenna beam. The feed cluster 2 is attached to and supported by the cluster support structure 3. One end of the cluster support structure 3 on the satellite bus 11 side is attached to the end of the integrated structure 4 on the opposite side of the end to which the actuator 6 is attached. In the first embodiment, the feed cluster 2 corresponds to the primary radiator group.

As described above, the feed cluster 2 is attached to and supported by the integrated structure 4 via the cluster support structure 3, and the reflector 1 is attached to and supported by the integrated structure 4 via the reflector support structure 5 and the actuator 6. To. The integrated structure 4 is attached to the structure of the satellite bus 11, more specifically, the satellite bus 11. Therefore, the antenna device 12 is mounted on the communication satellite 10 as a module structurally independent of the satellite bus 11.

Due to such modularization, the relative positional relationship between the feed cluster 2 and the reflector 1 is not affected by the structure on the satellite bus 11 side and the mechanical strength, even if it is affected. , The degree of influence is very small. Each part constituting the antenna device 12 can be manufactured with high accuracy, and each part can be assembled with high accuracy. Therefore, regardless of the structure and mechanical strength of the satellite bus 11, it is possible to realize a highly accurate relative positional relationship between the feed cluster 2 and the reflector 1. The relative positional relationship between the feed cluster 2 and the reflector by driving the actuator 6 can also be changed with high accuracy. As a result, higher directional accuracy of the antenna beam radiated through the reflector 1 can be easily realized.

In the first embodiment, the feed cluster 2 is supported by the cluster support structure 3, but a portion that becomes the cluster support structure 3 may be provided in the integrated structure 4. That is, the cluster support structure 3 and the integrated structure 4 may be manufactured as one structure. Various modifications may be made to the method of attaching the feed cluster 2 and the reflector 1 to the integrated structure 4. That is, the structure of the antenna device 12 is not limited to the first embodiment. For example, the number of one of the reflector 1 and the feed cluster 2 may be 2 or more. A plurality of feed clusters 2 may be associated with one reflector 1. The number of antenna devices 12 attached to the satellite bus 11 may be two or more.

The shapes of the cluster support structure 3, the integrated structure 4, and the reflector support structure 5 are not limited to the first embodiment. This is because it is sufficient if the relative positional relationship between the feed cluster 2 and the reflector 1 can be stably maintained. Therefore, for example, in the integrated structure 4, the shape may be a rod shape as shown in FIG. 4 instead of a plate shape as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. When the mechanical strength is insufficient in such a rod-shaped shape, as shown in FIG. 5, one or more reinforcing members 4a may be added to satisfy the mechanical strength. For this reason, none of the cluster support structure 3, the integrated structure 4, and the reflector support structure 5 need to be one structure. As shown in FIG. 4 or 5, when the shape of the integrated structure 4 is changed, the weight of the integrated structure 4 can be further reduced.

Further, in the first embodiment, the antenna device 12 includes a cluster support structure 3, an integrated structure 4, and a reflector support structure 5 for modularization of the antenna device 12. These may be separated from the antenna device 12 and integrated with the feed cluster 2 and the reflector 1. From this, the structure of the antenna device 12 is not limited to the first embodiment.

Embodiment 2.
FIG. 6 is a side view showing an outline of a communication satellite equipped with the antenna device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the antenna device 12 is attached to the satellite bus 11 via two actuators 41.

The two actuators 41 are provided so that the relative positional relationship between the satellite bus 11 and the antenna device 12 can be changed. Therefore, the integrated structure 4 of the antenna device 12 is attached to the structure of the satellite bus 11 via two actuators 41. By arranging the two actuators 41 apart from each other, the relative positional relationship between the satellite bus 11 and the antenna device 12 can be changed in the three axial directions. The two actuators 41 are driven by receiving an instruction from the ground station 30, that is, a command.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, a mechanism for changing the relative positional relationship between the satellite bus 11 and the antenna device 12 by driving the two actuators 41 will be specifically described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a part of an example of a satellite control system constructed on a ground station, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a part of an example of a system constructed on a communication satellite according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Is.

As shown in FIG. 7, the satellite control system constructed in the ground station 30 includes an antenna device 71, an amplifier 72, a modulation / demodulation unit 73, a command processing unit 74, an input unit 75, and a received signal processing unit 76.

The antenna device 71 is dedicated to communication with the communication satellite 10. The amplifier 72 amplifies the transmission signal output from the modulation / demodulation unit 73 and the reception signal output from the antenna device 71.

On the ground station 30 side, for example, the antenna beam radiated from the communication satellite 10 is measured on the ground, and the amount of deviation of the antenna beam is calculated. The input unit 75 enables data input according to the operation of the operator. When the calculated deviation amount is out of the permissible range, the operator operates the input unit 75 to input, for example, the deviation amount and the deviation direction, and the relative between the satellite bus 11 and the antenna device 12. Instructs to send a command to change the positional relationship. This command will be referred to as the "position adjustment command" hereafter.

When the operator operates the input unit 75 to instruct the transmission of the position adjustment command, the command processing unit 74 generates a position adjustment command including the deviation amount and the deviation direction input by the operator, and the generated position adjustment command. Is output to the modulation / demodulation unit 73. As a result, the modulation / demodulation unit 73 outputs the transmission signal obtained by modulation using the position adjustment command to the amplifier 72. As a result, the position adjustment command is transmitted to the communication satellite 10 via the antenna device 71.

The modulation / demodulation unit 73 demodulates the received signal from the amplifier 72, and outputs the data obtained by the demodulation to the received signal processing unit 76. The reception signal processing unit 76 processes the data input from the modulation / demodulation unit 73.

As shown in FIG. 8, the system constructed on the communication satellite 10 includes an antenna device 81, an amplifier 82, a modulation / demodulation unit 83, a control unit 84, a drive amount calculation unit 85, and a drive circuit 86.

The antenna device 81 is dedicated to communication with the ground station 30. The amplifier 82 amplifies the transmission signal output from the modulation / demodulation unit 83 and the reception signal output from the antenna device 81.

The modulation / demodulation unit 83 performs modulation using the data output from the control unit 84, and outputs the transmission signal obtained by the modulation to the antenna device 81. Further, the modulation / demodulation unit 83 demodulates the received signal from the amplifier 82 and outputs the data obtained by the demodulation to the control unit 84.

The control unit 84 controls, for example, for the operation of the communication satellite 10. Therefore, the data to be notified to the ground station 30 is output to the modulation / demodulation unit 83, and the data is transmitted to the ground station 30. In addition, the data input from the modulation / demodulation unit 83 is processed, and control corresponding to various commands transmitted from the ground station 30 is performed.

When the position adjustment command is transmitted from the ground station 30, the position adjustment command is received by the antenna device 81 and output from the modulation / demodulation unit 83 to the control unit 84. For example, the control unit 84 extracts the deviation amount and the deviation direction in the input position adjustment command, and outputs the extracted deviation amount and the deviation direction to the drive amount calculation unit 85.

The drive amount calculation unit 85 calculates the drive amount including the direction of each actuator 41 for each axis from the input deviation amount and the deviation direction. The drive circuit 86 drives each actuator 41 according to the drive amount for each axis calculated by the drive amount calculation unit 85 for each actuator 41. As a result, the relative positional relationship between the satellite bus 11 and the antenna device 12 is changed so that the antenna beam is radiated in an appropriate direction.

The actuator 6 can be driven by, for example, an instruction from the ground station 30. When the actuator 6 is driven by an instruction from the ground station 30, the actuator 6 may be connected to the drive circuit 86 or another drive circuit, and the actuator 6 may be driven by the control of the control unit 84.

The system constructed on the communication satellite 10 and the ground station 30 to drive the two actuators 41 is not limited to the second embodiment. The configuration of the position adjustment command, that is, the data included in the position adjustment command is not limited to the second embodiment. The number of actuators 41 may be 1 or more, and the number is not particularly limited.

1 Reflector, 2 Feed cluster (primary radiator group), 3 Cluster support structure (2nd structure), 4 Integrated structure (1st structure), 5 Reflector support structure (3rd structure) Structure), 6 actuators, 10 communication satellites, 11 satellite buses, 12, 71, 81 antenna devices, 84 control units, 85 drive amount calculation units, 86 drive circuits.

Claims (5)

A group of primary radiators that have multiple primary radiators that radiate electromagnetic waves,
A reflector that reflects the electromagnetic waves from the primary radiator group,
The first structure attached to the satellite bus and
A second structure attached to the first structure and supporting the primary radiator group,
A third structure attached to the first structure and supporting the reflector,
An actuator capable of changing the relative positional relationship between the first structure and the third structure,
Equipped with a,
The third structure is attached to the first structure via the actuator.
Antenna device. The antenna device according to claim 1 .
A communication satellite equipped with. Further comprising one or more other actuators capable of changing the relative positional relationship between the first structure and the satellite bus.
The first structure is attached to the satellite bus via the other actuator.
The communication satellite according to claim 2 . A group of primary radiators having a plurality of primary radiators that radiate electromagnetic waves, a reflector that reflects the electromagnetic waves from the primary radiator group, a first structure attached to a satellite bus, and the first structure. An electromagnetic device having a second structure attached to an object and supporting the primary radiator group, and a third structure attached to the first structure and supporting the reflector, and
It comprises one or more other actuators that can change the relative positional relationship between the first structure and the satellite bus.
The first structure is attached to the satellite bus via the other actuator.
Communication satellite. A group of primary radiators having a plurality of primary radiators that radiate electromagnetic waves, and a reflector that reflects the electromagnetic waves from the primary radiator group are supported by a first structure.
The first structure is attached to a satellite bus, the primary radiator group and an antenna device including the reflector are mounted on a communication satellite, and the primary radiator group and the reflector are mounted on the first. is supported by the structure,
By attaching a third structure that supports the reflector to the first structure via an actuator, the reflector is supported by the first structure, and the first structure and the first structure are described. The relative positional relationship with the third structure can be changed by the actuator.
How to mount the antenna device.

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