RU2065236C1 - Antenna system - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: space communication; reception of telecasts and radio transmissions from geostationary satellites. SUBSTANCE: antenna system has several feeds 2 installed on guide 7 concentric to spherical reflector 1. The shape of this reflector is specified. The reflector outputs are connected to SHF collector 4. The quantity of reflectors 2 equal the quantity of geostationary satellites, whose signals are received by the antenna system. EFFECT: enhanced reliability. 1 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to techniques for microwave (microwave) mirror antennas with a change in the orientation of the radiation pattern and can be used for simultaneous positioning on a large group of geostationary satellites (GSS) or other stationary objects located mainly in the same plane.

 Known single-mirror spherical antennas mounted on a GSS and having several irradiators. The radiation patterns formed by them mainly have the character of a global beam, covering significant areas of the globe and, therefore, not selecting ground stations (positions) separately.

The well-known "Controlled Illuminator for a Toroidal Antenna" according to US Pat. in a small (20 ^o ) corner sector.

 However, the mentioned system is difficult to adapt for widespread individual use, since it includes a large heavy mirror and a separate building with irradiators, and their joint installation is a complex construction and geodesic task: the relative position of the mirror and the structure, as well as the angle of the mirror, must be strictly observed. irradiators with rails and windows in the building. In addition, for various installation points of this system that differ in geographical coordinates, the values of the angle of inclination of the mirror and the window in the house should be accordingly changed, for example, for the latitude of the equator it is very significant, which already leads to constructive changes. But its main drawback is the limited view of space, since it can only receive signals from satellites located to the left of the local meridian (directions from south to east for the northern hemisphere). Or, if it is mirrored, then it will be possible to receive a group of GSS located only to the right of the local meridian (direction from south to west). Joint reception to the left and to the right of the south is fundamentally impossible for this design.

 The prototype is the "Synchronous Communications Satellite Antenna" patent SU, 310466 (Western Electric Company Incorporated), October 11, 1971 which provides for the selection of individual ground stations by individual irradiators, but in practice in spots of antenna beams aimed at a given "correspondent" ground stations, there may be completely extraneous receiving antennas. Moreover, this system can only serve for initially “mirror-locked” positions of both irradiators on the satellite and “correspondent” antennas on Earth, without the right to change their positions, since this possibility is absent on the GSS.

 Currently, parabolic mirrors are used as individual multi-position antennas for receiving GSS signals, providing in the stationary state of their mirrors an additional reception of only two or three GSS located at neighboring positions. This limitation is due to the properties of the parabola. These antennas include two to three additional irradiators, each with its own low-noise converter. To receive signals from other GSSs, the parabolic mirror must be rotated around its axes using an electric drive and a control unit.

 The main technical objective of the present invention is the creation of a simple mirror antenna, which will allow for simultaneous selected positioning on a very large (almost all) group of GSS. Moreover, unlike analogs, mechanical rotation of any parts of this antenna of its mirror or irradiator should not be made.

 It is proposed to implement this task by using mirrors with a spherical profile in combination with a number of fixed mounted irradiators, the number of which is equal to the number of positioned GSS and which are independently oriented by each of their axes to each “own” stationary satellite.

 It is advisable to install all the irradiators on one special guide of double curvature, which should be concentric to the spherical mirror and have a radius of curvature of the order of half the radius of the spherical mirror. The irradiators should be able to adjust their position on this guide, after which they should be fixed. Irradiators are attached to the rail using special holders.

 Since GSS take their places in orbit not at strictly defined intervals from each other, for the convenience and accuracy of guidance (positioning) of the irradiators on their GSS, it is proposed that the irradiator paths be made partially flexible by including flexible segments of the paths in them. Depending on the frequency range of the positioned GSS, these can be pieces of flexible corrugated waveguides or pieces of coaxial cables.

 The flexibility of the paths of the irradiators allows the installation and adjustment of the antenna to use the holders of the irradiators to move the axes (or openings) of the irradiators along (left / right) and across (up / down) relative to the guide, providing the most accurate positioning on the GSS, and also allows you to "the axis of the irradiators to those GSS that are in demand by the consumer, bypassing the unclaimed GSS.

 In addition, each irradiator is proposed to be made with the possibility of telescoping changes in its length in order to most accurately adjust to the maximum signal in the region of its paraxial focus (at the apex of caustics).

 Another technical problem solved in this invention is to achieve the possibility of using when receiving signals from the GSS group only one block of low-noise converter (MSK).

 This problem is solved by the fact that the outputs of the irradiators in the proposed multi-position antenna system are connected to the inputs of a passive microwave multipole, called a microwave collector. It is an analogue of a simple microwave adder with the number of inputs corresponding to the number of outputs of the irradiators, and at least one output. However, the summation of the signals is not performed. An MSK is connected to the output of the microwave collector, which amplifies the signal that arrives at its input from the output of the microwave collector. The fact that the irradiators with their outputs converge to the center of the sphere makes it possible to realize a microwave collector of very compact dimensions, with minimally introduced mirror shading.

 In order to make it possible to select the GSS required for viewing from the general GSS menu, microwave switches were introduced into the irradiators, for example, based on p-i-n diodes or other microwave elements that block them. Switching the direction of positioning is performed by commands from the switch.

 In addition, standard wave polarizers and phase-correcting elements such as drop-shaped dielectric inserts (lenses) can be introduced into the irradiators. Depending on the frequency menu of the positioned GSS, the proposed antenna system can be equipped with multi-band irradiators, MBCs and microwave collectors, if necessary.

 Depending on the required angular sector of positioning in the GSS in azimuth, opening the mirror can be expanded in its width up to reaching the size of the hemisphere, but no more. At the same time, given that all GSSs are located in the same equatorial plane, the vertical height of the mirror may not change depending on the direction to the GSS, but remain equal to the optimal value that is sufficient for high-quality reception of the weakest signal from the positioned signal a number of GSS in the region of installation of the antenna.

 In FIG. 1 shows the device and principle of operation of the proposed multi-position antenna system.

 The antenna system contains: a spherical mirror 1, irradiators 2, microwave switches 3, a microwave collector 4, MSC 5, holders of irradiators 6, guide 7, positioning switch 8.

 Description of the design. Spherical mirror 1 is a notch of a spherical surface, consisting of a set of private openings used. According to its width (azimuth), the contour of a spherical mirror 1 is set by the directions to the extreme GSS in the group of GSSs that is in demand for positioning with an additional semicircle area at the edges, described by the optimal radius of the particular aperture used, and by its height, the contour of the mirror 1 is given by the optimal diameter of the same particular used aperture spherical mirror 1. In this case, the optimal is meant the diameter (radius) of such a private aperture, the value of which is sufficient for high-quality reception of signals from the GSS in installation point of the antenna.

 Irradiators 2, the number of which corresponds to the number of positioned GSS, consist of two segments: a rigid segment of the microwave path, for example, a circular waveguide, and a flexible segment of the microwave path, coupled with it, for example, a corrugated waveguide. In their rigid part of the microwave paths, the irradiators 2 are made with the possibility of telescopic changes in their length. The irradiators 2 are equipped with microwave switches 3. The outputs of the irradiators 2 are connected to the inputs of the microwave collector 4, which is a microwave multipole, to the output of which an MSK 5 unit is connected.

 Irradiators 2 are installed in holders 6, which are made and installed with the possibility of alignment movements and fixing on the double curvature guide 7. The guide 7 is made concentric to the spherical mirror 1 and, in turn, is attached to some support with the ability to adjust its position in three coordinates relative to the center of the sphere.

 For positioning on the GSS, the axes of the irradiators 2 by aligning their positions on the guide 7 are oriented with the help of the holders 6 in directions to “their” GSS, and their openings are telescopically aligned with the surface of the paraxial foci and fixed.

 The principle of operation of a multi-position antenna system is as follows. The signals from the GSS independently arrive in their private directions to the spherical mirror 1. Independently reflected from the corresponding private openings of the spherical mirror 1, they are formed in their caustic regions, at the vertices of which they are intercepted by the openings of the irradiators 2 and canalized into their microwave paths.

 In working condition, the microwave paths of all the irradiators, except one specified, are “locked” by the microwave switches 3. The signal of the “open” irradiator through the microwave collector 4 is fed to the amplifier in the MSC 5 and from the output of the latter is fed to the television receiver, radio channels or other receiving device.

 Switching the positioning of the antenna system to other GSS is carried out remotely from the switch 8 by issuing commands "open" / "close" to the appropriate microwave switches 3.

Claims (1)

 An antenna system for receiving signals from geostationary satellites, containing a spherical mirror and irradiators, the number of which is equal to the number of geostationary satellites, characterized in that the irradiators consist of segments of circular waveguides made with the possibility of telescoping changes in their length, and segments of flexible waveguides and are equipped with microwave switches, the outputs of the irradiators are connected to the inputs of the microwave collector, the irradiators are mounted on the introduced guide, concentric to a spherical mirror, the contour of which is wide It is not determined taking into account the azimuthal sector between the directions to the geostationary satellites extreme for a given latitude and longitude, and by the diameter diameter optimal for receiving the weakest of the signals from geostationary satellites.