US3524151A - Phased array transmission lens feed system - Google Patents
Phased array transmission lens feed system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US3524151A US3524151A US696559A US3524151DA US3524151A US 3524151 A US3524151 A US 3524151A US 696559 A US696559 A US 696559A US 3524151D A US3524151D A US 3524151DA US 3524151 A US3524151 A US 3524151A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- lens
- feed system
- wave
- rear face
- plate
- 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 - Lifetime
Links
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 title description 11
- 230000001902 propagating effect Effects 0.000 description 28
- 239000000523 sample Substances 0.000 description 11
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 description 6
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 description 5
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 description 5
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 description 5
- 238000005286 illumination Methods 0.000 description 4
- 230000000644 propagated effect Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000005284 excitation Effects 0.000 description 3
- 244000124209 Crocus sativus Species 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000284 extract Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005192 partition Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000010287 polarization Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000013139 quantization Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000007493 shaping process Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q21/00—Antenna arrays or systems
- H01Q21/0006—Particular feeding systems
- H01Q21/0012—Radial guide fed arrays
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q15/00—Devices for reflection, refraction, diffraction or polarisation of waves radiated from an antenna, e.g. quasi-optical devices
- H01Q15/02—Refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens, prism
-
- 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
- H01Q3/30—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 varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array
-
- 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
- H01Q3/30—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 varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array
- H01Q3/34—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 varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array by electrical means
Definitions
- This invention relates to electronically scanned radar antenna systems, and in particular to a parallel plate feed for a transmission type electronically scanned antenna.
- the most common electronically scanned antenna system employs an array of phase shifters, each phase shifter being attached to a radiating element for forming an antenna beam.
- the radiating elements are energized through the phase shifters by means of a feed system.
- Two types of feed systems, direct (confined) and optical (space) feeds, have been employed.
- Direct feeds, fabricated in wave guide, coaxial line, or strip line, may be of a variety of basic types, such as corporate feed, parallel feed, series feed and various matrices. All suffer from excessive complexity and weight in an antenna large enough to meet normal operational requirements.
- the depth of the feed system also significantly increases the volume of the antenna.
- Optical feeds utilize a horn spaced from the lens.
- phase shifters collimate the incident spherical wave front from the feed into a planar phase front, or into a nonplanar phase front to vary the beam shape. This phase front is tilted to scan the beam.
- the lens may be of either the reflection or the transmission type, but in either case the feed horn must be spaced from the lens. Furthermore, the feed horn must be held in a precisely determined position relative to the lens.
- One of the objects of this invention is to provide a feed system for an electronically scanned antenna which does not add significantly to the volume of the array.
- Another object is to provide such a feed system which is simple and light, and which is virtually self-supporting.
- a feed system for a phased array transmission 3,524,151 Patented Aug. 11, 1970 lens which includes a plate section parallel with and spaced from the rear face of the lens to form a wave guide with the rear face of the lens.
- the parallel plate is conveniently substantially congruent with the rear face of the lens.
- a propagating means connected to the parallel plate introduces an electromagnetic wave front into the wave guide section.
- Couplers or probes connected to the phase shifters in the lens couple the wave to the phase shifters. Each coupler is proportioned to give a coupling coefiicient which extracts sufficient power to give the desired amplitude taper.
- the parallel plate is attached to the rear face of the lens by a gasket around its outer periphery, at a distance from the rear face of the lens of less than a wave length of the dominant frequency of the propagating wave.
- the propagating means are a point source or a set of point sources of electromagnetic excitation.
- the Wave guide thus acts as a radial wave guide and produces a cylindrical wave front or set of cylindrical wave fronts.
- the propagating mode is T EM, and therefore the propagating means and couplers are both of the stub type and the spacing between the parallel plate and the rear face of the lens is very small, on the order of a small fraction of a wave length.
- the propagating means are a set of slotted rectangular wave guides, and the propagating mode is TE (rotated from TEM).
- the couplers are therefore of the loop type, and the spacing of the parallel plate from the rear face of the lens is on the order of three quarters of a wave length.
- FIG. 1 is a view in perspective partially cut away, of an antenna system including one illustrative embodiment of feed system of this invention
- FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view in section, taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;
- FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of an antenna system including another embodiment of feed system of this invention.
- FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of an antenna system including another embodiment of feed system of this invention.
- reference numeral 1 indicates one illustrative embodiment of feed system of this invention.
- the feed system 1 includes a propagating means 2 comprising a cable 3, into the end of which is embedded a stub probe 4.
- the propagating means 2 is mounted at the center of a plate 5 with the stub probe 4 extending through the plate 5.
- the plate 5 is attached to a lens 6, and spaced from it to form a gap 19, by a gasket 7 extending around the periphery of the plate 5 and the lens 6.
- the width of the gap 19 is a small fraction of a wave length of the dominant frequency to be propagated, proportioned according to standard wave guide engineering principles for TEM mode waves.
- the inner surface 8 of the gasket 7 is made of a lossy material which will absorb any energy which reaches it from the propagating means 2.
- the lens 6 includes a supporting structure 9 containing a large number of phase shifters 10. The rear face of the lens 6 is enclosed by a fiat closure plate 11. Stub probes 12 connected to the phase shifters 10 extend through the closure plate 11 into the gap between the closure plate 11 and the parallel plate 5. The stub probes 12 are proportioned to extract power according to the desired amplitude taper.
- phase shifter 10 shifts the phase of the electromagnetic Wave passing through it in response to a phase shifter driver 14 controlled by a computer 15.
- phase shifter setting includes a collimation factor compensating for the proximity of the phase shifter to the propagating probe 4 and a second factor for giving the desired phase taper.
- the phase shifters translate a cylindrical wave front to a planar wave front and then tilt the planar wave front to give the desired beam direction.
- a third factor may be added to distort the plane wave front for beam shaping.
- an optical feed is provided in which f/d (focal length over aperture diameter) is essentially zero, and therefore the spherically propagated wave front of the usual optical feed has been projected to a cylindrical wave front.
- the parallel plate feed thus yields the electrical advantage of an optical feed over a direct feed that if digital phase control is used the collimation correction randomizes the phase errors due to phase quantization and prevents the build up of high side lobes even when used with fewer control bits in each digital phase shifter. It is also lighter, more compact and physically simpler than either an optical feed with its requisite support structure or a direct feed.
- FIG. 3 Another illustrative embodiment of feed system of this invention is shown in FIG. 3.
- An elliptical transmission lens 26 is fed by a congruent parallel plate feed system 21 having an elliptical plate section 25 spaced from the lens 26 to form a gap 39 of the same width as thegap 19 in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
- the lens 26 is identical in every respect except shape (and therefore precise configuration of phase shifters) with the lens 6 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
- a seal' 27 spaces the feed system 21 from the lens 26 and supports the feed system 21. Additional seals 34 divide the gap between the plate 25 and the rear face of the lens 26 into quadrants.
- the propagating means 22 are connected to each other by a standard monopulsing circuit 35.
- the monopulsing circuit 35 includes three standard channels; a sum channel 36, an elevation difference channel 37 and an azimuth difference channel 38. This arrangement allows standard monopulsing techniques to be used in a search and track type radar system.
- FIG. 4 Another illustrative embodiment of feed system of this invention is shown in FIG. 4.
- a parallel plate is spaced from a rectangular transmission lens 46 by a peripheral seal 47 and quadrant seals 54.
- Loop type probes 52 connected to phase shifters in the lens 46 extend into the gap 59 between the lens 46 and the parallel plate 45.
- Each quadrant is fed by propagating means 42 comprising a rectangular wave guide 43 having slots 44 which extend through the plate 45 and radiate into the gap 59. Terminations 60 are provided at the outer ends of the wave guides 43.
- the propagating means 42 are thus analogs of a direct series feed.
- the four wave guides 43 are positioned to optimize the elevation illumination.
- the coupling coefficients of the wave guide slots 44 are chosen to optimize the azimuth illumination.
- the input in this embodiment is adapted to be in the TB mode, and thus the parallel plate 45 is spaced from the lens 46 by a distance of approximately three quarters of a wave length of the dominant frequency to be propagated, proportioned according to standard wave guide engineering principles for TE mode wa es.
- Attached to the propagating means 42 is a standard monopulsing circuit 55 having the usual three channels: a sum channel 56, an elevation difference channel 57, and an azimuth difference channel 58.
- a feed system for energizing a phased array transmission lens having a plurality of controllable phase shifters, a rear face, and couplers arranged in at least two dimensions over substantially the entire surface of said rear face, said couplers being connected to said phase shifters for coupling electromagnetic waves to said phase shifters through said rear face, comprising a plate spaced from said rear face to form a wave guide defined by said plate and said rear face, and propagating means for propagating electromagnetic Waves in said wave guide parallel to said plate and said rear face.
- a phased array transmission lens antenna system comprising a phased array transmission lens having a plurality of electronically controllable phase shifters, a rear face, and couplers arranged in at least two dimensions over substantially the entire surface of said rear face connected to said phase shifters for coupling electromagnetic waves to said phase shifters through said rear face; a feed system comprising a plate spaced from said rear face to form a wave guide defined by said plate and said rear face and propagating means for propgating electromagnetic waves in said wave guide, said propagating means comprising at least one point source of electromagnetic excitation at a dominant frequency for pro- 6 ducing a cylindrical wave front traveling parallel to said References Cited plate and said rear face about said point source; driver UNITED STATES PATENTS means for controlling said phase shifters, and computer means for controlling said driver means, said computer 2,566,703 9/ 1951 Iams 343-755 means and said driver means being adapted to cause said 3,170,158 2/1965 RQtman phase shifters to translate said cylindrical wave front to 5 3,245,081
Landscapes
- Variable-Direction Aerials And Aerial Arrays (AREA)
- Aerials With Secondary Devices (AREA)
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US69655968A | 1968-01-09 | 1968-01-09 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US3524151A true US3524151A (en) | 1970-08-11 |
Family
ID=24797572
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US696559A Expired - Lifetime US3524151A (en) | 1968-01-09 | 1968-01-09 | Phased array transmission lens feed system |
Country Status (6)
Cited By (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3673606A (en) * | 1969-08-26 | 1972-06-27 | Hazeltine Corp | Flush mounted steerable array antenna |
US3701158A (en) * | 1970-01-22 | 1972-10-24 | Motorola Inc | Dual mode wave energy transducer device |
US3852761A (en) * | 1973-04-23 | 1974-12-03 | Rca Corp | Lens fed antenna array system |
US3942130A (en) * | 1974-12-30 | 1976-03-02 | Hughes Aircraft Company | Coax-to-radial transition |
US3958247A (en) * | 1974-12-23 | 1976-05-18 | Rca Corporation | Rf power coupling network employing a parallel plate transmission line |
US4150382A (en) * | 1973-09-13 | 1979-04-17 | Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation | Non-uniform variable guided wave antennas with electronically controllable scanning |
FR2456399A1 (fr) * | 1979-05-08 | 1980-12-05 | Thomson Csf | Antenne reseau hyperfrequence du type disque avec son dispositif d'alimentation, et application aux radars d'ecartometrie |
US5285176A (en) * | 1991-05-06 | 1994-02-08 | Hughes Aircraft Company | Flat cavity RF power divider |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2566703A (en) * | 1947-05-14 | 1951-09-04 | Rca Corp | Radio wave focusing device |
US3170158A (en) * | 1963-05-08 | 1965-02-16 | Rotman Walter | Multiple beam radar antenna system |
US3245081A (en) * | 1963-02-08 | 1966-04-05 | Hughes Aircraft Co | Multiple feed wide angle antenna utilizing biconcave spherical delay lens |
Family Cites Families (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US90952A (en) * | 1869-06-08 | Improvement in shifting cleats, or ring-bolts | ||
US3276026A (en) * | 1962-05-10 | 1966-09-27 | Lab For Electronics Inc | Doppler array with plural slotted waveguides and feed switching |
US3305867A (en) * | 1963-11-05 | 1967-02-21 | Raytheon Co | Antenna array system |
US3354461A (en) * | 1963-11-15 | 1967-11-21 | Kenneth S Kelleher | Steerable antenna array |
US3290682A (en) * | 1964-11-02 | 1966-12-06 | Hughes Aircraft Co | Multiple beam forming antenna apparatus |
FR1470437A (fr) * | 1966-01-14 | 1967-02-24 | Csf | Perfectionnement aux antennes constituées par des réseaux de source |
-
1968
- 1968-01-09 US US696559A patent/US3524151A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1969
- 1969-01-03 GB GB638/69A patent/GB1205002A/en not_active Expired
- 1969-01-08 NL NL6900318A patent/NL6900318A/xx unknown
- 1969-01-08 DE DE19691901242 patent/DE1901242B2/de active Pending
- 1969-01-09 BE BE726641D patent/BE726641A/xx unknown
- 1969-01-09 FR FR6900203A patent/FR2000095A1/fr active Granted
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2566703A (en) * | 1947-05-14 | 1951-09-04 | Rca Corp | Radio wave focusing device |
US3245081A (en) * | 1963-02-08 | 1966-04-05 | Hughes Aircraft Co | Multiple feed wide angle antenna utilizing biconcave spherical delay lens |
US3170158A (en) * | 1963-05-08 | 1965-02-16 | Rotman Walter | Multiple beam radar antenna system |
Cited By (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3673606A (en) * | 1969-08-26 | 1972-06-27 | Hazeltine Corp | Flush mounted steerable array antenna |
US3701158A (en) * | 1970-01-22 | 1972-10-24 | Motorola Inc | Dual mode wave energy transducer device |
US3852761A (en) * | 1973-04-23 | 1974-12-03 | Rca Corp | Lens fed antenna array system |
US4150382A (en) * | 1973-09-13 | 1979-04-17 | Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation | Non-uniform variable guided wave antennas with electronically controllable scanning |
US3958247A (en) * | 1974-12-23 | 1976-05-18 | Rca Corporation | Rf power coupling network employing a parallel plate transmission line |
US3942130A (en) * | 1974-12-30 | 1976-03-02 | Hughes Aircraft Company | Coax-to-radial transition |
FR2456399A1 (fr) * | 1979-05-08 | 1980-12-05 | Thomson Csf | Antenne reseau hyperfrequence du type disque avec son dispositif d'alimentation, et application aux radars d'ecartometrie |
EP0020196A1 (fr) * | 1979-05-08 | 1980-12-10 | Thomson-Csf | Antenne réseau hyperfréquence du type disque avec son dispositif d'alimentation, et application aux radars d'écartométrie |
US4322731A (en) * | 1979-05-08 | 1982-03-30 | Thomson-Csf | Disk-type ultra-high frequency antenna array with its supply device and the application thereof to angular deviation measurement radars |
US5285176A (en) * | 1991-05-06 | 1994-02-08 | Hughes Aircraft Company | Flat cavity RF power divider |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB1205002A (en) | 1970-09-09 |
FR2000095B1 (US20060205796A1-20060914-C00130.png) | 1974-03-15 |
DE1901242B2 (de) | 1973-02-15 |
DE1901242A1 (de) | 1969-11-06 |
BE726641A (US20060205796A1-20060914-C00130.png) | 1969-07-09 |
FR2000095A1 (fr) | 1969-08-29 |
NL6900318A (US20060205796A1-20060914-C00130.png) | 1969-07-11 |
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