US3852764A - Phased array antenna with phase shifter cooling - Google Patents

Phased array antenna with phase shifter cooling Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3852764A
US3852764A US00405232A US40523273A US3852764A US 3852764 A US3852764 A US 3852764A US 00405232 A US00405232 A US 00405232A US 40523273 A US40523273 A US 40523273A US 3852764 A US3852764 A US 3852764A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
disposed
waveguides
toroid
conduits
coolant
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
Application number
US00405232A
Inventor
B Smith
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to US00405232A priority Critical patent/US3852764A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3852764A publication Critical patent/US3852764A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01P—WAVEGUIDES; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE
    • H01P1/00—Auxiliary devices
    • H01P1/18—Phase-shifters
    • H01P1/19—Phase-shifters using a ferromagnetic device
    • H01P1/195—Phase-shifters using a ferromagnetic device having a toroidal shape
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
    • H01Q1/02—Arrangements for de-icing; Arrangements for drying-out ; Arrangements for cooling; Arrangements for preventing corrosion

Definitions

  • a phased array radar antenna including a plurality of individual radar emitters disposed in honeycomb arrangement and supplied through corresponding waveguides from a common source of microwaves to propagate a radar wavefront.
  • the phases of the microwaves in the conduits are shifted to slow the waves and scan the wavefront by changing the magnetization of ferrite toroids in the conduits.
  • Capillary means and a coolant cooperate in the conduits to remove excess heat from the toroids.
  • a microwave phase shifter incorporates a rectangular toriod of ferrite longitudinally disposed in a sealed section in each of the waveguides and secured in electrical connection with the wide sides of the waveguides.
  • An insulated conductor loop encloses one of the remaining sides of the toroid to carry electrical current to magnetize the toroid for the phase shift. Cooling means usually disposed along the wide sides of such waveguides remove sufficient heat from the attached surfaces of the toroid. The material of the toroid, ferrite.
  • the walls of the spaces within the toroid and adjacent thereto are lined with connected wicking material for capillary action between the unattached walls of the waveguide and toroid.
  • a coolant that vaporizes below the critical tent-- perature of the ferrite is selected and the wicking or grooves are saturated with the coolant.
  • the coolant is vaporized; only to be condensed again by encounter with the unattached walls of the waveguide that are provided with additional cooling coils for dissipation of the excess heat.
  • the capillary means return the condensed coolant to the toroid to repeat the cycle.
  • FIG. 1 is an elevation of a radar antenna showing the individual emitters.
  • FIG. 2 is a view along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the waveguides to the emitters.
  • FIG. 3 is a view along line 33 of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 4 is a view along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.
  • FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the capillary means including grooves engraved on unattached surfaces.
  • a radar antenna 11 includes individual emitters 13 connected by waveguides 15 to a common source (not shown) of radar waves.
  • Waveguides 15 include lateral bulkheads or windows 17 of dielectric material transparent to microwaves to form sealed chambers 19 therebetween.
  • a hollow rectangular core or toroid 21 substantially 10 cm long and 1 cm wide ofa 3 mm thick posed in each chamber 19 in electrical conductive enferromagnetic dielectric material such as ferrite is dis gagement with the long sides 23 of the chamber. Sides 23 are spaced substantially 1.5cm apart.
  • An electrical conductor loop 25 is provided around an unattached side of toroid 21 for energization to magnetize toroid 21 and slow the microwaves in the core. The degree of magnetization of the waveguide cores is continuously and selectively varied to produce 20 scanning of the wavefront from antenna 11.
  • Cooling tubes 29 are provided on the unattached sides of waveguide 15, and wicking 30 is secured to the surfaces within chamber 19- for capillary action between the unattached sides of waveguide 15 and toroid 21.
  • Chamber 19 is provided with a coolant 31 to saturate wicking 30, water or freon may be used since either vaporizes below the. critical and/or cracking temperature for tor0id2l.
  • coolant 31 vaporizes to absorb excess heat and prevent the toroid temperature from rising to the critical value.
  • the coolant condenses on contact with the unattached walls of waveguide 15 for dissipation of the excess heat by cooling tubes 29 and the condensate is returned by capillary action through the wick to toroid 21 to repeat the cycle.
  • a portion of the unattached surfaces within chamber 19 may be scribed with fine connected grooves 33 as in FIG. 5 to implement the capillary flow of the coolant.
  • An antenna comprising a plurality of waveguides disposed in honeycomb relation and connected to a common source of microwaves to produce a wavefront; and toroidal phase shifters respectively disposed in said waveguides for selective 'control of the speed of the waves in said conduits for scanning the wavefront and wicking means lining portions of the inner surfaces of said waveguides and the outer surfaces of the toroidal phase shifters to dissipate heat by capillary action.
  • An antenna comprising: a plurality of waveguides with respective phase shifters, disposed in honeycomb relation and connected to a single source of microwaves to produce a wavefront with each of said phase shifters including a pair of lateral microwave transparent windows in sealed spaced relation with one of said conduits to form a compartment therein; toroids respectively disposed in longitudinal electrical contact with the wide sides of said compartments to provide enclosures within and adjacent said toroids and individually wound with an insulated electrical loop for magnetization of the toroid to slow the waves in the conduit; cooling coils enclosing each of said waveguides; capillary means disposed on unattached surfaces of said enclosures; and a coolant saturating said capillary means for vaporization to remove excess heat of said toroid and condensation to dissipate the excess heat to the cooling coils; said capillary means being disposed for communication to convey the coolant to said toroid for revaporization.
  • a phase shifter as in claim 2 with said capillary means comprising wicking material secured to the unattached enclosure surfaces.

Abstract

A phased array radar antenna including a plurality of individual radar emitters disposed in honeycomb arrangement and supplied through corresponding waveguides from a common source of microwaves to propagate a radar wavefront. The phases of the microwaves in the conduits are shifted to slow the waves and scan the wavefront by changing the magnetization of ferrite toroids in the conduits. Capillary means and a coolant cooperate in the conduits to remove excess heat from the toroids.

Description

United States Paten [1 Smith Dec. 3, 1974 PHASED ARRAY ANTENNA WITH PHASE SHIFTER COOLING Scharfman 333/22 F Primary Examiner-Eli Lieberman Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Edward J. Kelly; Herbert Berl; William P. Murphy ABSTRACT A phased array radar antenna including a plurality of individual radar emitters disposed in honeycomb arrangement and supplied through corresponding waveguides from a common source of microwaves to propagate a radar wavefront. The phases of the microwaves in the conduits are shifted to slow the waves and scan the wavefront by changing the magnetization of ferrite toroids in the conduits. Capillary means and a coolant cooperate in the conduits to remove excess heat from the toroids.
5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PHASED ARRAY ANTENNA WITH PHASE SHIFTER COOLING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A microwave phase shifter incorporates a rectangular toriod of ferrite longitudinally disposed in a sealed section in each of the waveguides and secured in electrical connection with the wide sides of the waveguides. An insulated conductor loop encloses one of the remaining sides of the toroid to carry electrical current to magnetize the toroid for the phase shift. Cooling means usually disposed along the wide sides of such waveguides remove sufficient heat from the attached surfaces of the toroid. The material of the toroid, ferrite. is excellent dielectric material but a poor heat conductor so that accumulation of heat in the unattached legs of the toroid would cause the ferrite to crack and the toroid to fail or at least would change the electrical characteristics of the toroid. The walls of the spaces within the toroid and adjacent thereto are lined with connected wicking material for capillary action between the unattached walls of the waveguide and toroid. A coolant that vaporizes below the critical tent-- perature of the ferrite is selected and the wicking or grooves are saturated with the coolant. As the toroid becomes heated, the coolant is vaporized; only to be condensed again by encounter with the unattached walls of the waveguide that are provided with additional cooling coils for dissipation of the excess heat. The capillary means return the condensed coolant to the toroid to repeat the cycle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an elevation of a radar antenna showing the individual emitters.
FIG. 2 is a view along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the waveguides to the emitters.
FIG. 3 is a view along line 33 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a view along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the capillary means including grooves engraved on unattached surfaces.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A radar antenna 11 includes individual emitters 13 connected by waveguides 15 to a common source (not shown) of radar waves. Waveguides 15 include lateral bulkheads or windows 17 of dielectric material transparent to microwaves to form sealed chambers 19 therebetween. A hollow rectangular core or toroid 21 substantially 10 cm long and 1 cm wide ofa 3 mm thick posed in each chamber 19 in electrical conductive enferromagnetic dielectric material such as ferrite is dis gagement with the long sides 23 of the chamber. Sides 23 are spaced substantially 1.5cm apart. An electrical conductor loop 25 is provided around an unattached side of toroid 21 for energization to magnetize toroid 21 and slow the microwaves in the core. The degree of magnetization of the waveguide cores is continuously and selectively varied to produce 20 scanning of the wavefront from antenna 11.
Resistance of the ferrite to the microwave flow plus the continual scanning produces a great deal of heat and since dielectrics such as ferrite are notoriously poor heat conductors the heat could cause a change in the electrical characteristics of the ferrite and unequal expansions in the unattached sides of core 21 would cause early failure by cracking. Cooling tubes 29 are provided on the unattached sides of waveguide 15, and wicking 30 is secured to the surfaces within chamber 19- for capillary action between the unattached sides of waveguide 15 and toroid 21.
Chamber 19 is provided with a coolant 31 to saturate wicking 30, water or freon may be used since either vaporizes below the. critical and/or cracking temperature for tor0id2l. As the antenna is operated coolant 31 vaporizes to absorb excess heat and prevent the toroid temperature from rising to the critical value. The coolant condenses on contact with the unattached walls of waveguide 15 for dissipation of the excess heat by cooling tubes 29 and the condensate is returned by capillary action through the wick to toroid 21 to repeat the cycle.
Alternately, a portion of the unattached surfaces within chamber 19 may be scribed with fine connected grooves 33 as in FIG. 5 to implement the capillary flow of the coolant.
I claim:
I. An antenna comprising a plurality of waveguides disposed in honeycomb relation and connected to a common source of microwaves to produce a wavefront; and toroidal phase shifters respectively disposed in said waveguides for selective 'control of the speed of the waves in said conduits for scanning the wavefront and wicking means lining portions of the inner surfaces of said waveguides and the outer surfaces of the toroidal phase shifters to dissipate heat by capillary action.
2. An antenna comprising: a plurality of waveguides with respective phase shifters, disposed in honeycomb relation and connected to a single source of microwaves to produce a wavefront with each of said phase shifters including a pair of lateral microwave transparent windows in sealed spaced relation with one of said conduits to form a compartment therein; toroids respectively disposed in longitudinal electrical contact with the wide sides of said compartments to provide enclosures within and adjacent said toroids and individually wound with an insulated electrical loop for magnetization of the toroid to slow the waves in the conduit; cooling coils enclosing each of said waveguides; capillary means disposed on unattached surfaces of said enclosures; and a coolant saturating said capillary means for vaporization to remove excess heat of said toroid and condensation to dissipate the excess heat to the cooling coils; said capillary means being disposed for communication to convey the coolant to said toroid for revaporization.
3. A phase shifter as in claim 2 with said capillary means comprising wicking material secured to the unattached enclosure surfaces.
tion capability to slow the microwaves in said conduits and said coolant disposed for vaporization substantially below the critical and/or cracking temperature of said material.

Claims (5)

1. An antenna comprising a plurality of waveguides disposed in honeycomb relation and connected to a common source of microwaves to produce a wavefront; and toroidal phase shifters respectively disposed in said waveguides for selective control of the speed of the waves in said conduits for scanning the wavefront and wicking means lining portions of the inner surfaces of said waveguides and the outer surfaces of the toroidal phase shifters to dissipate heat by capillary action.
2. An antenna comprising: a plurality of waveguides with respective phase shifters, disposed in honeycomb relation and connected to a single source of microwaves to produce a wavefront with each of said phase shifters including a pair of lateral microwave transparent windows in sealed spaced relation with one of said conduits to form a compartment therein; toroids respectively disposed in longitudinal electrical contact with the wide sides of said compartments to provide enclosures within and adjacent said toroids and individually wound with an insulated electrical loop for magnetization of the toroid to slow the waves in the conduit; cooling coils enclosing each of said waveguides; capillary means disposed on unattached surfaces of said enclosures; and a coolant saturating said capillary means for vaporization to remove excess heat of said toroid and condensation to dissipate the excess heat to the cooling coils; said capillary means being disposed for communication to convey the coolant to said toroid for revaporization.
3. A phase shifter as in claim 2 with said capillary means comprising wicking material secured to the unattached enclosure surfaces.
4. A phase shifter as in claim 2 with said capillary means including narrow grooves engraved in the unattached enclosure surfaces.
5. A phase shifter as in claim 2 with said toroid formed of a material such as ferrite having magnetization capability to slow the microwaves in said conduits and said coolant disposed for vaporization substantially below the critical and/or cracking temperature of said material.
US00405232A 1973-10-10 1973-10-10 Phased array antenna with phase shifter cooling Expired - Lifetime US3852764A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00405232A US3852764A (en) 1973-10-10 1973-10-10 Phased array antenna with phase shifter cooling

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00405232A US3852764A (en) 1973-10-10 1973-10-10 Phased array antenna with phase shifter cooling

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3852764A true US3852764A (en) 1974-12-03

Family

ID=23602837

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00405232A Expired - Lifetime US3852764A (en) 1973-10-10 1973-10-10 Phased array antenna with phase shifter cooling

Country Status (1)

Country Link
US (1) US3852764A (en)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4238732A (en) * 1979-03-29 1980-12-09 General Dynamics Corporation Method of qualifying diodes for a microwave power combiner
EP0286069A2 (en) * 1987-04-09 1988-10-12 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Phased array antenna
GB2214433A (en) * 1988-01-22 1989-09-06 John Hayward Ski learning device
US20120092091A1 (en) * 2010-10-15 2012-04-19 Kang Yoon W Radio Frequency (RF) Microwave Components and Subsystems Using Loaded Ridge Waveguide

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2894219A (en) * 1955-03-18 1959-07-07 Blossy D Frederico Co-axial resistive load
US3205501A (en) * 1959-10-01 1965-09-07 Gen Electric Closely spaced stocked waveguide antenna array employing reciprocal ridged wageguide phase shifters
US3369198A (en) * 1965-10-21 1968-02-13 Army Usa Water cooled waveguide load
US3660784A (en) * 1970-08-28 1972-05-02 Raytheon Co Energy absorber and evaporative cooling system

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2894219A (en) * 1955-03-18 1959-07-07 Blossy D Frederico Co-axial resistive load
US3205501A (en) * 1959-10-01 1965-09-07 Gen Electric Closely spaced stocked waveguide antenna array employing reciprocal ridged wageguide phase shifters
US3369198A (en) * 1965-10-21 1968-02-13 Army Usa Water cooled waveguide load
US3660784A (en) * 1970-08-28 1972-05-02 Raytheon Co Energy absorber and evaporative cooling system

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4238732A (en) * 1979-03-29 1980-12-09 General Dynamics Corporation Method of qualifying diodes for a microwave power combiner
EP0286069A2 (en) * 1987-04-09 1988-10-12 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Phased array antenna
EP0286069A3 (en) * 1987-04-09 1991-01-09 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Phased array antenna
GB2214433A (en) * 1988-01-22 1989-09-06 John Hayward Ski learning device
US20120092091A1 (en) * 2010-10-15 2012-04-19 Kang Yoon W Radio Frequency (RF) Microwave Components and Subsystems Using Loaded Ridge Waveguide
US8514034B2 (en) * 2010-10-15 2013-08-20 Ut-Battelle, Llc Radio frequency (RF) microwave components and subsystems using loaded ridge waveguide

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US2926317A (en) Transmission line
US3277401A (en) Multi-stable phase shifters for microwaves employing a plurality of high remanent magnetization materials
US3041605A (en) Electronically scanned antenna system
US3085212A (en) Tunable circulator
US3205501A (en) Closely spaced stocked waveguide antenna array employing reciprocal ridged wageguide phase shifters
US4613869A (en) Electronically scanned array antenna
US3852764A (en) Phased array antenna with phase shifter cooling
US3246262A (en) Heat sink for a ferrite material employing metal oxides as the dielectric material
US2925565A (en) Coaxial couplers
CN111952699A (en) Phase shifter and antenna
Su et al. Mode composite sandwich slot line and its applications in antenna development
US4467292A (en) Millimeter-wave phase shifting device
US4382261A (en) Phase shifter and line scanner for phased array applications
US3986149A (en) High power reciprocal co-planar waveguide phase shifter
US3031666A (en) Three conductor planar antenna
Chiu et al. Substrate integrated waveguide slot array antenna with enhanced scanning range for automotive application
US3474454A (en) Power divider for antenna array using digital ferrite phase shifters
US3418605A (en) Nonreciprocal microstrip ferrite phase shifter having regions of circular polarization
US4353042A (en) Differential phase shifter for a waveguide carrying high-power microwaves
US3553733A (en) Transverse electromagnetic devices for ferrite loaded planar circuits
US3225318A (en) Heat transfer member for coaxial waveguide device
US3811099A (en) Means of securing ferrimagnetic core in a microwave phaser
US3250945A (en) Interdigital wave structure having fingers connected to side walls by insulation means
US4837528A (en) Microwave phase shifter
US3205459A (en) Waveguide termination with magnetic metal walls wherein the curie temperature thereof is exceeded during operation