Ground penetrating radar ultra-wideband antenna and ground penetrating radar system

Abstract

The application discloses a ground penetrating radar ultra-wideband antenna and a ground penetrating radar system, which comprise two microstrip patches, an antenna dielectric plate, a first metal conductive loop and a second metal conductive loop; the two microstrip patches are symmetrically arranged on the upper surface of the antenna dielectric plate; wherein a feed gap is arranged between the front ends of the two microstrip patches, and the ends of the two microstrip patches are flush with the two short edge portions of the antenna dielectric plate; the first metal conductive loop and the second metal conductive loop are symmetrically arranged on the two short edge portions of the antenna dielectric plate; wherein the first metal conductive loop is vertically arranged on the upper portion of the end of the first microstrip patch, and the second metal conductive loop is vertically arranged on the upper portion of the end of the second microstrip patch; the application effectively increases the current path by using the metal conductive loop, expands the low-frequency bandwidth of the antenna, meets the ultra-wideband requirement, meanwhile, reduces the working center frequency of the antenna, realizes the miniaturization of the ground penetrating radar antenna, and is convenient for the integrated test of the ground penetrating radar system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of antenna technology, and specifically relates to an ultra-wideband antenna for ground penetrating radar and a ground penetrating radar system. Background Technology

[0002] Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) systems offer advantages such as non-destructive testing, high efficiency, high resolution, and intuitive results. Early applications of GPR primarily focused on detecting low-dielectric-loss materials, such as polar ice and coal mines. With ongoing research into GPR technology and equipment, its application has expanded to detect high-dielectric-loss materials, such as complex rock formations. Due to the broadening of its applications, GPR has far exceeded the scope of "ground exploration," finding wide use in geological exploration, archaeology, search and rescue, and military reconnaissance. Currently, GPR has become the optimal solution for solving underground detection problems, attracting attention and research from experts across various fields.

[0003] As a key component of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) systems, the antenna plays a crucial role in the overall system's detection performance. High-frequency electromagnetic waves offer higher resolution but shallower detection depths; conversely, low-frequency electromagnetic waves, while having lower resolution, can achieve greater detection depths. Therefore, GPR antennas generally operate in lower frequency bands, with the operating frequency inversely proportional to the detection depth. Secondly, unlike other antennas operating in underground environments, GPR antennas must also consider factors such as ground coupling. GPR antennas also require ultra-wideband performance, low ringing response, and in some cases, directional characteristics. Low ringing response is a unique performance indicator for GPR antennas, ensuring effective pulse signal radiation and echo signal extraction and analysis. Currently, because antenna size is inversely proportional to frequency, low-frequency antennas are often too large, hindering system integration and practical testing. Therefore, miniaturization of the antenna design is urgently needed to reduce the overall size of the GPR system as much as possible. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the technical problems existing in the prior art, this invention provides an ultra-wideband ground-penetrating radar antenna and a ground-penetrating radar system, thereby solving the technical problem that the existing low-frequency ground-penetrating radar antennas are too large, which is not conducive to system integration and testing.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] This invention provides an ultra-wideband ground-penetrating radar antenna, comprising two microstrip patches, an antenna dielectric substrate, a first metal conductive circuit, and a second metal conductive circuit;

[0007] Two microstrip patches are symmetrically disposed on the upper surface of the antenna dielectric substrate; wherein, a feed gap is provided between the front ends of the two microstrip patches, and the ends of the two microstrip patches are respectively flush with the two short sides of the antenna dielectric substrate;

[0008] The first metal conductive circuit and the second metal conductive circuit are symmetrically arranged on the two short sides of the antenna dielectric substrate; wherein, the first metal conductive circuit is vertically arranged on the upper part of the end of the first microstrip patch, and the second metal conductive circuit is vertically arranged on the upper part of the end of the second microstrip patch.

[0009] Furthermore, the two microstrip patches have the same structure, each including a circular patch and a trapezoidal patch; the circular patch is disposed near the center of the upper surface of the antenna dielectric substrate, and the trapezoidal patch is disposed between the circular patch and the short side of the antenna dielectric substrate.

[0010] Furthermore, the two inclined sides of the trapezoidal patch are respectively tangent to the two sides of the circular patch, the short side of the trapezoidal patch is equal to the diameter of the circular patch, and the short side of the trapezoidal patch passes through the center of the circular patch; the long side of the trapezoidal patch is equal to the short side of the antenna dielectric substrate, and the long side of the trapezoidal patch coincides with and is flush with the short side of the antenna dielectric substrate.

[0011] Furthermore, the radius of the circular patch is 80-85mm.

[0012] Furthermore, the antenna dielectric board is made of epoxy resin and has a thickness of 1.6 mm.

[0013] Furthermore, the width of the power supply gap is 1.6 mm.

[0014] Furthermore, the first metal conductive circuit and the second metal conductive circuit have the same structure, both using a rectangular metal frame with an opening at the bottom.

[0015] The rectangular metal frame with an opening at the lower end includes a first metal rod, a second metal rod, and a third metal rod connected in sequence. The first metal rod and the third metal rod are arranged parallel to each other on the short side of the antenna dielectric substrate. One end of the first metal rod is perpendicularly connected to one side of the upper end of the microstrip patch, and one end of the third metal rod is perpendicularly connected to the other side of the upper end of the microstrip patch. The second metal rod is arranged parallel to the short side of the antenna dielectric substrate, and one end of the second metal rod is perpendicularly connected to the other end of the first metal rod, and the other end of the second metal rod is perpendicularly connected to the other end of the third metal rod.

[0016] Furthermore, the width of the rectangular metal frame with the lower opening is the same as the short side dimension of the antenna dielectric substrate, and the height of the rectangular metal frame with the lower opening is 150-170mm.

[0017] Furthermore, resistors are provided between the first metal rod and the upper end of the microstrip patch, and between the second metal rod and the upper end of the microstrip patch; wherein one end of the resistor is connected to the upper end of the microstrip patch, and the other end of the resistor is connected to the first metal rod or the second metal rod; wherein the resistance value of the resistor is 210-230Ω.

[0018] The present invention also provides a ground-penetrating radar system, characterized in that it includes the aforementioned ultra-wideband ground-penetrating radar antenna.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0020] This invention provides an ultra-wideband ground-penetrating radar (GPR) antenna and a GPR system. Microstrip patches are symmetrically arranged on the upper surface of the antenna dielectric substrate, with a feed gap between two microstrip patches for antenna feeding. A metal conductive loop perpendicular to the antenna dielectric substrate and the microstrip patches is formed at the end of each microstrip patch. This metal conductive loop effectively increases the current path, thereby expanding the low-frequency bandwidth of the antenna to meet ultra-wideband requirements. Simultaneously, it effectively reduces the antenna's operating center frequency, enabling miniaturization of the GPR antenna and facilitating the integration and testing of the GPR system.

[0021] Furthermore, the microstrip patch uses a circular patch followed by a trapezoidal patch to give the antenna a smaller input impedance and a smoother current path, which facilitates the realization of ultra-wideband.

[0022] Furthermore, by setting a resistor between the metal rod and the end of the microstrip patch, the metal conductive circuit can be connected to the microstrip patch using the resistor. This effectively absorbs the current reflection at the antenna end, reduces the current reflection caused by discontinuities in the antenna end structure, and widens the bandwidth to achieve ultra-wideband. At the same time, it helps to control the tail duration of the received signal in the ground penetrating radar system, reduces the time-domain waveform tail, and effectively improves the detection accuracy of the ground penetrating radar system. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a top view of the ultra-wideband ground-penetrating radar antenna described in the embodiment;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the ultra-wideband ground-penetrating radar antenna described in the embodiment.

[0025] Figure 3The image shows the return loss test results of the ultra-wideband ground-penetrating radar antenna described in the embodiment.

[0026] Among them, 1 is a microstrip patch, 2 is an antenna dielectric substrate, 3 is a feed slot, 4 is a first metal conductive circuit, 5 is a second metal conductive circuit, 6 is a first resistor, 7 is a second resistor, 8 is a third resistor, 9 is a fourth resistor; 11 is a circular patch, and 12 is a trapezoidal patch. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the technical problems solved by the present invention, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects clearer, the following specific embodiments provide a further detailed description of the present invention. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0028] This invention provides an ultra-wideband ground-penetrating radar antenna, comprising two microstrip patches 1, an antenna dielectric substrate 2, a first metal conductive circuit 4, a second metal conductive circuit 5, and several resistors; the two microstrip patches 1 are symmetrically arranged on the upper surface of the antenna dielectric substrate 2; wherein, a feeding gap 3 is provided between the front ends of the two microstrip patches 1, and a feeding interface is provided at the feeding gap 3 for feeding the antenna; the ends of the two microstrip patches 1 are respectively flush with the two short sides of the antenna dielectric substrate 2.

[0029] The first metal conductive circuit 4 and the second metal conductive circuit 5 are symmetrically arranged on the two short sides of the antenna dielectric substrate 2; wherein, the first metal conductive circuit 4 is vertically arranged on the upper part of the end of the first microstrip patch, and the second metal conductive circuit 5 is vertically arranged on the upper part of the end of the second microstrip patch; the first metal conductive circuit 4 and the second metal conductive circuit 5 have the same structure, both adopting a rectangular metal frame with an open bottom; wherein, one side of the lower end of the rectangular metal frame with an open bottom is connected to one side of the upper part of the end of the microstrip patch 1, and the other side of the lower end of the rectangular metal frame with an open bottom is connected to the other side of the upper part of the end of the microstrip patch 1.

[0030] The resistor is positioned between the rectangular metal frame with the lower opening and the upper part of the end of the microstrip patch 1. One end of the resistor is connected to the rectangular metal frame with the lower opening, and the other end of the resistor is connected to the upper part of the end of the microstrip patch 1.

[0031] The present invention also provides a ground penetrating radar system, including a ground penetrating radar body and an antenna; wherein the antenna adopts the above-mentioned ground penetrating radar ultra-wideband antenna; the specific structure will not be described in detail here.

[0032] Working principle:

[0033] The ultra-wideband ground-penetrating radar antenna of this invention utilizes symmetrically arranged microstrip patches on the upper surface of the antenna dielectric substrate, with a feeding gap between the two microstrip patches for antenna feeding. The use of metal conductive circuits at the ends of both microstrip patches effectively increases the current path, thereby expanding the low-frequency bandwidth of the antenna, reducing the antenna's operating center frequency, and achieving antenna miniaturization. The metal conductive circuits and microstrip patches are connected by four equal-value resistors, which effectively absorbs current reflections at the antenna ends, widening the bandwidth and achieving ultra-wideband performance. This helps to control the signal trailing time in the ground-penetrating radar system, further improving the detection accuracy of the ground-penetrating radar system.

[0034] Example

[0035] As attached Figure 1-2 As shown, this embodiment provides a ground-penetrating radar ultra-wideband antenna, including two microstrip patches 1, an antenna dielectric substrate 2, a first metal conductive circuit 4, a second metal conductive circuit 5, a feed interface, a first resistor 6, a second resistor 7, a third resistor 8, and a fourth resistor 9.

[0036] Two microstrip patches 1 are symmetrically disposed on the upper surface of the antenna dielectric substrate 2; wherein, the first microstrip patch is located on one side of the upper surface of the antenna dielectric substrate 2, and the second microstrip patch is located on the other side of the upper surface of the antenna dielectric substrate 2; the front ends of the two microstrip patches 1 are respectively located on both sides of the short axis centerline of the antenna dielectric substrate 2, and the ends of the two microstrip patches 1 are respectively flush with the two short sides of the antenna dielectric substrate 2; a feed gap 3 is provided between the front ends of the two microstrip patches 1; wherein, a feed interface is provided at the feed gap 3 for feeding the antenna.

[0037] The first metal conductive circuit 4 and the second metal conductive circuit 5 are symmetrically arranged on the two short sides of the antenna dielectric substrate 2; wherein, the first metal conductive circuit 4 is vertically arranged on the upper part of the end of the first microstrip patch, and the second metal conductive circuit 5 is vertically arranged on the upper part of the end of the second microstrip patch.

[0038] In this embodiment, the two microstrip patches 1 have the same structure, each including a circular patch 11 and a trapezoidal patch 12; the circular patch 11 is disposed near the center of the upper surface of the antenna dielectric substrate 2, and the trapezoidal patch 12 is disposed between the circular patch 11 and the short side of the antenna dielectric substrate 2.

[0039] Specifically, the front end of the circular patch 11 is positioned close to the center of the upper surface of the antenna dielectric substrate 2, and the front end of the trapezoidal patch 12 is connected to the end of the circular patch 11. The two inclined sides of the trapezoidal patch 12 are tangent to the two sides of the circular patch 11, and both the short and long sides of the trapezoidal patch 12 are parallel to the short side of the antenna dielectric substrate 2. The short side of the trapezoidal patch 12 is equal to the diameter of the circular patch 11, and the short side of the trapezoidal patch 12 passes through the circle of the circular patch 11. That is, the short side of the trapezoidal patch 12 coincides with one of the diameters of the circular patch 11, and this diameter is parallel to the short side of the antenna dielectric substrate 2. The long side of the trapezoidal patch 12 is equal to the short side of the antenna dielectric substrate 2, and the long side of the trapezoidal patch 12 coincides with and is flush with the short side of the antenna dielectric substrate 2.

[0040] In this embodiment, the first metal conductive circuit 4 and the second metal conductive circuit 5 have the same structure, both using a rectangular metal frame with an open bottom. The rectangular metal frame includes a first metal rod, a second metal rod, and a third metal rod connected in sequence. The first and third metal rods are arranged parallel to each other on the short side of the antenna dielectric substrate 2. One end of the first metal rod is perpendicularly connected to one side of the upper end of the microstrip patch 1, and one end of the third metal rod is perpendicularly connected to the other side of the upper end of the microstrip patch 1. The short side of the second metal rod is arranged parallel to each other, and the second metal rod is positioned between the first and second metal rods. One end of the second metal rod is perpendicularly connected to the other end of the first metal rod, and the other end of the second metal rod is perpendicularly connected to the other end of the third metal rod. Resistors are provided between the first metal rod and the upper end of the microstrip patch 1, and between the second metal rod and the upper end of the microstrip patch 1. One end of each resistor is connected to the upper end of the microstrip patch 1, and the other end is connected to either the first or the second metal rod.

[0041] Specifically, in the first metal conductive circuit 4, the first metal rod and the third metal rod are arranged vertically parallel to each other and symmetrically arranged on the left short side of the antenna dielectric substrate 2; the lower end of the first metal rod is vertically connected to one side of the upper end of the first microstrip patch, and the lower end of the third metal rod is vertically connected to the other side of the upper end of the first microstrip patch; wherein, a first resistor 6 is provided between the lower end of the first metal rod and the end of the first microstrip patch, and a second resistor 7 is provided between the lower end of the third metal rod and the end of the first microstrip patch; the second metal rod is horizontally arranged above the left short side of the antenna dielectric substrate 2 and positioned between the upper ends of the first metal rod and the upper ends of the third metal rod.

[0042] Specifically, in the second metal conductive circuit 5, the first metal rod and the third metal rod are arranged vertically parallel to each other and symmetrically arranged on the right short side of the antenna dielectric substrate 2; the lower end of the first metal rod is vertically connected to one side of the upper end of the second microstrip patch, and the lower end of the third metal rod is vertically connected to the other side of the upper end of the second microstrip patch; wherein, a third resistor 8 is provided between the lower end of the first metal rod and the end of the second microstrip patch, and a fourth resistor 9 is provided between the lower end of the third metal rod and the end of the second microstrip patch; the second metal rod is horizontally arranged above the right short side of the antenna dielectric substrate 2 and positioned between the upper ends of the first metal rod and the upper ends of the third metal rod.

[0043] Structural parameter description:

[0044] In this embodiment, the radius of the circular patch 11 is 80-85mm; the antenna dielectric board 2 is made of epoxy resin board, and the thickness of the antenna dielectric board 2 is 1.6mm; the feed gap 3 is located at the center of the antenna dielectric board 2, and the width of the feed gap 3 is 1.6mm; the width of the rectangular metal frame with the lower opening is the same as the short side dimension of the antenna dielectric board 2, and the height of the rectangular metal frame with the lower opening is 150-170mm; preferably, the first metal rod, the second metal rod, and the third metal rod are all made of copper; the first resistor 6, the second resistor 7, the third resistor 8, and the fourth resistor 9 have the same resistance value, all of which are resistors with a resistance value of 210-230Ω.

[0045] As attached Figure 3 As shown, attached Figure 3 The image below shows the return loss test results of the ultra-wideband ground-penetrating radar antenna described in this embodiment; from the attached image... Figure 3 It can be seen that the antenna's -10dB bandwidth reaches 175-700MHz, achieving ultra-wideband, which can be applied to ultra-wideband ground penetrating radar systems.

[0046] The ultra-wideband ground-penetrating radar antenna and ground-penetrating radar system of this invention utilizes two microstrip patches symmetrically arranged on the surface of the antenna dielectric substrate, with a pre-reserved feeding gap between the two microstrip patches for power feeding. The microstrip patches are a combination of circular and trapezoidal patches. The two hypotenuses of the trapezoidal patch are tangent to the two sides of the circular patch. The length of the shorter side of the trapezoidal patch is related to the radius of the circle, and the length of the longer side is consistent with the width of the antenna dielectric substrate. At the antenna feeding end, a smooth circular patch is used in the microstrip, with a transitional trapezoidal patch connected to the end of the circular patch. This results in a lower input impedance and a smoother current path for the antenna, making it easier to achieve ultra-wideband operation.

[0047] In this invention, metal conductive loops perpendicular to the antenna dielectric substrate are respectively set at the ends of the two microstrip patches. The width of the metal conductive loops is set to be the same as the width of the antenna dielectric substrate, which effectively increases the current path, thereby expanding the low-frequency bandwidth of the antenna, reducing the antenna operating center frequency, and realizing antenna miniaturization. A resistor is set between the metal conductive loop and the end of the trapezoidal patch to absorb the current at the antenna end, which can effectively reduce the current reflection caused by the discontinuity of the antenna end structure and reduce the time-domain waveform tail.

[0048] The above embodiments are merely one of the implementation methods for achieving the technical solution of the present invention. The scope of protection claimed by the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, but also includes any variations, substitutions and other implementation methods that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention.

Claims

1. A ground-penetrating radar ultra-wideband antenna, characterized in that, It includes two microstrip patches (1), an antenna dielectric substrate (2), a first metal conductive circuit (4), and a second metal conductive circuit (5); Two microstrip patches (1) are symmetrically arranged on the upper surface of the antenna dielectric substrate (2); wherein, a feed gap (3) is provided between the front ends of the two microstrip patches (1), and the ends of the two microstrip patches (1) are respectively flush with the two short sides of the antenna dielectric substrate (2); The first metal conductive circuit (4) and the second metal conductive circuit (5) are symmetrically arranged on the two short sides of the antenna dielectric substrate (2); wherein, the first metal conductive circuit (4) is vertically arranged on the upper part of the end of the first microstrip patch, and the second metal conductive circuit (5) is vertically arranged on the upper part of the end of the second microstrip patch. The first metal conductive circuit (4) and the second metal conductive circuit (5) have the same structure, both using a rectangular metal frame with an opening at the bottom. The rectangular metal frame with an opening at the lower end includes a first metal rod, a second metal rod, and a third metal rod connected in sequence. A resistor is provided between the first metal rod and the upper end of the microstrip patch (1) and between the second metal rod and the upper end of the microstrip patch (1); wherein one end of the resistor is connected to the upper end of the microstrip patch (1) and the other end of the resistor is connected to the first metal rod or the second metal rod; wherein the resistance value of the resistor is 210-230Ω.

2. The ultra-wideband ground-penetrating radar antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two microstrip patches (1) have the same structure, each including a circular patch (11) and a trapezoidal patch (12); the circular patch (11) is disposed near the center of the upper surface of the antenna dielectric substrate (2), and the trapezoidal patch (12) is disposed between the circular patch (11) and the short side of the antenna dielectric substrate (2).

3. The ultra-wideband ground-penetrating radar antenna according to claim 2, characterized in that, The two slanted sides of the trapezoidal patch (12) are respectively tangent to the two sides of the circular patch (11). The short side of the trapezoidal patch (12) is equal to the diameter of the circular patch (11), and the short side of the trapezoidal patch (12) passes through the center of the circular patch (11). The long side of the trapezoidal patch (12) is equal to the short side of the antenna dielectric substrate (2), and the long side of the trapezoidal patch (12) coincides with and is flush with the short side of the antenna dielectric substrate (2).

4. A ground-penetrating radar ultra-wideband antenna according to claim 3, characterized in that, The radius of the circular patch (11) is 80-85 mm.

5. A ground-penetrating radar ultra-wideband antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The antenna dielectric board (2) is made of epoxy resin board and the thickness of the antenna dielectric board (2) is 1.6mm.

6. The ultra-wideband ground-penetrating radar antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The width of the power supply gap (3) is 1.6 mm.

7. A ground-penetrating radar ultra-wideband antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first metal rod and the third metal rod are arranged parallel to each other on the short side of the antenna dielectric substrate (2); wherein, one end of the first metal rod is perpendicularly connected to one side of the upper end of the microstrip patch (1), and one end of the third metal rod is perpendicularly connected to the other side of the upper end of the microstrip patch (1); the second metal rod is arranged parallel to the short side of the antenna dielectric substrate (2), one end of the second metal rod is perpendicularly connected to the other end of the first metal rod, and the other end of the second metal rod is perpendicularly connected to the other end of the third metal rod.

8. A ground-penetrating radar ultra-wideband antenna according to claim 7, characterized in that, The width of the rectangular metal frame with the lower opening is the same as the short side dimension of the antenna dielectric substrate (2), and the height of the rectangular metal frame with the lower opening is 150-170mm.

9. A ground-penetrating radar system, characterized in that, Including a ground-penetrating radar ultra-wideband antenna as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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