US3273152A - Doppler vor beacon - Google Patents

Doppler vor beacon Download PDF

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Publication number
US3273152A
US3273152A US280834A US28083463A US3273152A US 3273152 A US3273152 A US 3273152A US 280834 A US280834 A US 280834A US 28083463 A US28083463 A US 28083463A US 3273152 A US3273152 A US 3273152A
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United States
Prior art keywords
wave
frequency
beacon
antennas
waves
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Expired - Lifetime
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US280834A
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English (en)
Inventor
Earp Charles William
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International Standard Electric Corp
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International Standard Electric Corp
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S1/00—Beacons or beacon systems transmitting signals having a characteristic or characteristics capable of being detected by non-directional receivers and defining directions, positions, or position lines fixed relatively to the beacon transmitters; Receivers co-operating therewith
    • G01S1/02—Beacons or beacon systems transmitting signals having a characteristic or characteristics capable of being detected by non-directional receivers and defining directions, positions, or position lines fixed relatively to the beacon transmitters; Receivers co-operating therewith using radio waves
    • G01S1/08—Systems for determining direction or position line
    • G01S1/38—Systems for determining direction or position line using comparison of [1] the phase of the envelope of the change of frequency, due to Doppler effect, of the signal transmitted by an antenna moving, or appearing to move, in a cyclic path with [2] the phase of a reference signal, the frequency of this reference signal being synchronised with that of the cyclic movement, or apparent cyclic movement, of the antenna
    • G01S1/40—Systems for determining direction or position line using comparison of [1] the phase of the envelope of the change of frequency, due to Doppler effect, of the signal transmitted by an antenna moving, or appearing to move, in a cyclic path with [2] the phase of a reference signal, the frequency of this reference signal being synchronised with that of the cyclic movement, or apparent cyclic movement, of the antenna the apparent movement of the antenna being produced by cyclic sequential energisation of fixed antennas

Definitions

  • the invention relates to Doppler VOR beacons of the type in which there is simulated a radiating source moving on a circle, and to an antenna arrangement for such beacons.
  • One method of achieving this simulation is by coupling each of the antennas of a circular array in turn to a transmitter.
  • a source moving this does not imply that any antenna is in physical motion but that a receiver co-operating with such a Doppler VOR beacon experiences a wave having a frequency modulation owing to the coupling of the transmitter to successive antennas.
  • the phase and deviation of the frequency modulation depends both on the position of the receiver relative to the beacon, to the phase of the coupling movement, and to the diameter of the circular array.
  • Such beacons are often used to guide an aircraft equipped with a co-operating receiver in the vicinity of an airport preparatory to its landing.
  • beacons having a ring of aerials Another difficulty encountered in beacons having a ring of aerials is that the proximity of the neighbouring aerial to the aerial actually being coupled results in a distortion of the radiated field.
  • An aim in making the present invention is to provide an antenna arrangement for a Doppler VOR beacon which is less susceptible to mechanical shock than previous antenna arrangements for such beacons.
  • Another aim is to provide an antenna arrangement wherein the radiations from individual antennas are not so influenced as in previous arrangements by the proximity of the other antennas in the arrangement.
  • radio beacon equipment including a hollow metal circular cylinder having in its curved surface a row of parallel slots constituting a circular array of slot antennas, means to feed the slot antennas cyclically and consecutively around the circle with a first wave train, means to feed the antennas in a similar order with a second Wave train, the two feeding cycles being always diametrically opposite on the circle and progressing at a constant rate, and means to radiate via one or more slot antennas a third wave train midway in frequency between the first and second wave trains.
  • FIG. 1 shows a pictorial view of a cylinder having a row of slots
  • FIG. 2 shows a method of locating the antenna arrangement beneath a runway
  • FIG. 3 shows a section on a small portion of the antenna arrangement of FIGS. 1 and 2 and, diagrammatically, apparatus for commutating the antennas.
  • an enclosed hollow metal cylinder 1 of right circular form having in its ICC curved surface a row of regularly spaced vertical slots 2 constituting slot antennas.
  • the slot antennas 2 are fed by three separate Waves in the following manner.
  • the waves are:
  • a first wave of frequency F commutatively coupled to the slots 2 singly in succession, the commutation frequency being G.
  • the amplitude modulation is synchronized with the commutation cycles, so that the phase of the AM is an indication of which particular slot is being fed with the first or second wave at any instant.
  • the radiation pattern from a slot 2 is roughly hemispherical in form.
  • either the first wave or the second wave, in addition to the third wave which it will be recalled is radiated from all the slots simultaneously.
  • the procedure at a distant receiver station for evaluating its angle of elevation from the beacon is to relate a Doppler frequency deviation or maximum shift to the deviation which would be obtained if the receiver station were at the same horizontal level as the beacon.
  • the Doppler frequency deviation is zero.
  • the Doppler frequency modulation arises due to the circular movement of the sources of the first and second waves simulated by the commutation cycles.
  • the first preferred step in deriving the frequency modulation is to beat the first and second waves (which arrive separately) with the third wave in a non-linear device. Since the frequency F of the third wave lies midway between the frequencies F and F the heat wave has a constant frequency, say The beat wave has a frequency modulation of deviation equal to the Doppler deviations on the first and second waves. If at some instant the frequency of the first wave reaching the receiver is apparently (F -l-x), i.e. (Fa-i-f-i-X), the beat wave has frequency (f-l-x).
  • the second wave is not propagated towards the receiver due to the hemispherical direction pattern of a slot, but if the pattern were omnidirectional, the apparent frequency of the second wave would be (F -ac), i.e. (F fx), which would similarly give rise to a beat wave of instantaneous frequency (f+x).
  • F -ac apparent frequency of the second wave
  • F fx instantaneous frequency
  • the second preferred step at a receiver to evaluate its angle of elevation from the beacon is to apply the heat wave to a frequency discriminator, the amplitude of whose output will be an indication of the frequency deviation, i.e.
  • the angle of elevation can be calculated as sin -d/D.
  • the procedure for the evaluation of the horizontal bearing of the receiver from the beacon is to derive the amplitude modulation of frequency G present on the third wave, which modulation is phase-related to the commutation cycle, and to compare it in phase with the output of the frequency discriminator, which will also be a wave of frequency G.
  • the components in a receiver equipped to carry out this procedure are well-known, and may include preamplifiers, broad-band filters etc. or any other normal refinements.
  • the third Wave need not be AM-detected if it is only required to measure angles of elevation.
  • the electronic equipment at the beacon station to produce the three waves consists of a single transmitter and a side-band generator.
  • the third Wave then has a frequency exactly midway between those of the first and second waves.
  • the equipment to generate the three waves can be three independent transmitters, but the frequencies would have to be carefully controlled to maintain constant frequency separations.
  • FIG. 2 shows an arrangement for the physical protection of the system from impacts, hot jets of gas, etc.
  • a well is dug in an aircraft runway 3, and the steel cylinder 1 and the necessary electrical connections, equipment, etc. are placed therein.
  • the runway is rebuilt with asbestos or other heat-resisting nonconductive material 4, concreted over, and an aircraft may then be guided to rest over the cylinder 1.
  • output leads 5, 6 and 5', 6 from transmitters 7 and 7 respectively tuned to the frequencies F and F coupled through respective rotary connectors 8, 9 and 8, 9' to rotatable capacitive segments 10, 11 and 10', 1 1'.
  • Fixed capacitive segments 12 lying in a ring are connected one to each of the metallic portions separating adjacent slot antennas (four of which can be see at 2).
  • a given slot antenna is energized by coupling the metallic portions each side of the slot to the two outputs of either transmitter 7 or 7'.
  • the four rotatable capacitive segments 10, 11 and 10', 11 are moved around in a circle so as to pass close to the fixed segments 12 in succession.
  • the slots 2 are successively energized with the outputs of transmitters and 7 and 7.
  • the waves at frequency F are generated by having an energized loop aerial 13 on the axis within the cylinder 1 fed by a transmitter 14, the waves from which will propagate out of all the slots.
  • Waves at frequency F could be transmitted from a separate horizontal loop located outside the cylinder 1 but on the axis. It is obvious that transmitters 7, 7' and 14 could be replaced by a single transmitter, as hereinbefore mentioned.
  • Radio beacon equipment including, a hollow metal circular cylinder having in its curved surface a row of parallel slots constituting a circular array of slot antennas, means to feed the slot antennas cyclically and consecutively around the circle with a first wave train, means to feed the antennas in a similar order with a second wave train, the two feeding cycles being always diametrically opposite on the circle and progressing at a constant rate, and means to radiate via one or more slot antennas a third wave train midway in frequency between the first and second wave trains.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
  • Remote Sensing (AREA)
  • Radar Systems Or Details Thereof (AREA)
  • Details Of Aerials (AREA)
US280834A 1962-05-30 1963-05-16 Doppler vor beacon Expired - Lifetime US3273152A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB20747/62A GB1038626A (en) 1962-05-30 1962-05-30 Improvements relating to radio beacons

Publications (1)

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US3273152A true US3273152A (en) 1966-09-13

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US280834A Expired - Lifetime US3273152A (en) 1962-05-30 1963-05-16 Doppler vor beacon

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US (1) US3273152A (US06818201-20041116-C00086.png)
BE (1) BE633022A (US06818201-20041116-C00086.png)
CH (1) CH407257A (US06818201-20041116-C00086.png)
GB (1) GB1038626A (US06818201-20041116-C00086.png)
NL (1) NL293383A (US06818201-20041116-C00086.png)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3435457A (en) * 1965-12-07 1969-03-25 Us Army Underground antenna
US3691560A (en) * 1961-02-02 1972-09-12 Calvin M Hammack Method and apparatus for geometrical determination
US3720949A (en) * 1970-04-06 1973-03-13 Us Navy Variable resolution radar for tropospheric sounders
US3775772A (en) * 1966-05-11 1973-11-27 Us Air Force Ultra hard communications antenna
US3972044A (en) * 1974-04-08 1976-07-27 Andrew Alford Antenna system for Doppler VOR ground stations
US5530358A (en) * 1994-01-25 1996-06-25 Baker Hughes, Incorporated Method and apparatus for measurement-while-drilling utilizing improved antennas

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1898474A (en) * 1929-01-19 1933-02-21 John A Willoughby Aircraft landing system
US2665381A (en) * 1947-10-16 1954-01-05 Smith Slotted cylindrical antenna
US2760192A (en) * 1954-11-16 1956-08-21 Collins Radio Co Suppression of vertically polarized radiation from an omnidirectional range antenna system
US3103663A (en) * 1961-08-23 1963-09-10 Louis W Parker Three-dimensional direction finder for aircraft guidance
US3181159A (en) * 1958-07-16 1965-04-27 Int Standard Electric Corp Omnidirectional bearing system

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1898474A (en) * 1929-01-19 1933-02-21 John A Willoughby Aircraft landing system
US2665381A (en) * 1947-10-16 1954-01-05 Smith Slotted cylindrical antenna
US2760192A (en) * 1954-11-16 1956-08-21 Collins Radio Co Suppression of vertically polarized radiation from an omnidirectional range antenna system
US3181159A (en) * 1958-07-16 1965-04-27 Int Standard Electric Corp Omnidirectional bearing system
US3103663A (en) * 1961-08-23 1963-09-10 Louis W Parker Three-dimensional direction finder for aircraft guidance

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3691560A (en) * 1961-02-02 1972-09-12 Calvin M Hammack Method and apparatus for geometrical determination
US3435457A (en) * 1965-12-07 1969-03-25 Us Army Underground antenna
US3775772A (en) * 1966-05-11 1973-11-27 Us Air Force Ultra hard communications antenna
US3720949A (en) * 1970-04-06 1973-03-13 Us Navy Variable resolution radar for tropospheric sounders
US3972044A (en) * 1974-04-08 1976-07-27 Andrew Alford Antenna system for Doppler VOR ground stations
US5530358A (en) * 1994-01-25 1996-06-25 Baker Hughes, Incorporated Method and apparatus for measurement-while-drilling utilizing improved antennas

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CH407257A (de) 1966-02-15
BE633022A (US06818201-20041116-C00086.png)
NL293383A (US06818201-20041116-C00086.png)
GB1038626A (en) 1966-08-10

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