A beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna

Abstract

The present invention discloses a beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna, which includes a dielectric substrate, a feed source connected to the dielectric substrate, and a plano-convex dielectric container connected to the dielectric substrate through a connector. A first liquid-containing cavity and a second liquid-containing cavity separated from each other are arranged inside the dielectric container. The first liquid-containing cavity is arranged around the outside of the second liquid-containing cavity. The first liquid-containing cavity and the second liquid-containing cavity respectively have a first empty state and a second state containing liquid medium. When the first liquid-containing cavity and the second liquid-containing cavity are both in the first state, the antenna radiates a flat-top beam; when the first liquid-containing cavity is in the second state and the second liquid-containing cavity is in the first state, the antenna radiates an equal flux beam; when the first liquid-containing cavity and the second liquid-containing cavity are both in the second state, the antenna radiates a pencil beam; the three beams can be flexibly switched, achieving a good beam reconfigurable effect. At the same time, the antenna structure is simple and compact, with high integration, and can adapt to a more diverse communication environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of wireless communications and relates to an antenna, in particular to a beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna. Background Art

[0002] In the information age, the propagation of information is inseparable from electromagnetic waves, and antennas, as key components for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves, play a vital role in the fields of communications, radar, navigation, aerospace, etc. With the rapid development of communication technology, the requirements for antenna performance are also constantly increasing, making antennas gradually develop in the direction of miniaturization, broadband, multi-function and high integration. However, it is difficult to take into account the above requirements in traditional antenna design, because once the traditional antenna is designed and manufactured, its structure cannot be changed, resulting in the antenna often only being able to pursue one or several of the above requirements, and the function is relatively single.

[0003] To solve this technical problem, the industry has developed reconfigurable antennas, which mainly achieve the reconfiguration of antenna performance by adjusting state-variable devices. Since reconfigurable antennas can realize multiple functions in the same antenna and can greatly reduce the number of antennas on communication equipment, they have received widespread attention. According to the reconfigurable form, reconfigurable antennas can be roughly divided into the following four categories: mechanical multi-beam scanning antennas, phased array antennas, liquid reconfigurable antennas, and electrically reconfigurable antennas. Among them, liquid reconfigurable antennas have received widespread attention in recent years due to their simple structure, good reconfigurable performance, and ability to realize the functions of two or more antennas in the same antenna physical structure. However, most liquid reconfigurable antennas currently have problems such as large size, low integration, and complex structure, which makes it difficult to meet the requirements of modern communication systems for miniaturization and integration of antennas.

[0004] In view of this, it is necessary to further improve the liquid reconfigurable antenna in the prior art. Summary of the invention

[0005] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is that the existing liquid reconfigurable antennas are difficult to meet the requirements of miniaturization and integration, and thus a beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna with a simple structure and high integration is proposed.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is:

[0007] The present invention provides a beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna, comprising:

[0008] dielectric substrate;

[0009] A feed source connected to the dielectric substrate;

[0010] A plano-convex medium container is connected to the medium substrate through a connecting piece, so that the medium container is spaced apart from the feed source, and a first liquid containing cavity and a second liquid containing cavity separated from each other are arranged inside the medium container, and the first liquid containing cavity is arranged around the outside of the second liquid containing cavity, and the first liquid containing cavity and the second liquid containing cavity respectively have a first empty state or a second state of containing liquid medium.

[0011] Preferably, the medium container includes a bottom wall and a side wall connected to the bottom wall away from the feed source, the bottom wall is connected to an annular medium wall, the end of the annular medium wall away from the feed source is connected to a medium plate, and the edge of the medium plate abuts the side wall; the outer wall surface of the annular medium wall is enclosed by the medium plate, the bottom wall and the side wall to form the first liquid containing cavity.

[0012] Preferably, the dielectric plate and the inner wall surface of the annular dielectric wall, the side wall and the bottom wall enclose the second liquid containing cavity; the second liquid containing cavity includes a first sub-liquid containing cavity and a second sub-liquid containing cavity arranged on both sides of the dielectric plate, the dielectric plate is provided with at least one connecting through hole, and the first sub-liquid containing cavity is connected with the second sub-liquid containing cavity through the connecting through hole.

[0013] Preferably, the feed source comprises a first metal waveguide, a metal connecting waveguide and a second metal waveguide which are connected in sequence, the first metal waveguide is connected to the dielectric substrate, and the second metal waveguide is arranged between the first metal waveguide and the dielectric container.

[0014] Preferably, one end of the second metal waveguide away from the first metal waveguide is in an open structure, and a first choke slot and a second choke slot separated from each other are arranged in the second metal waveguide.

[0015] Preferably, the bottom wall is a flat plate structure, the side wall is a curved surface structure, the curvature of the side wall is 80 degrees to 90 degrees, and a grid-shaped groove is provided on one side of the bottom wall close to the feed source; the annular dielectric wall is arranged perpendicular to the bottom wall, and the dielectric plate is arranged parallel to the bottom wall.

[0016] Preferably, the bottom wall is a circular plate structure with a diameter of 3λ0-4λ0, the height of the dielectric container is 1.2λ0-1.5λ0, the diameter of the annular dielectric wall is 1.5λ0-2λ0, and the height is 0.25λ0-0.35λ0; the dielectric plate is a circular plate, and the dielectric plate is provided with 4 connecting through holes at intervals, the diameter of the dielectric plate is 2.2-2.5λ0, the thickness is 0.02λ0-0.03λ0, the length of the connecting through hole is 0.7λ0-0.9λ0, and the width of the connecting through hole is 0.15λ0-0.2λ0, wherein λ0 is the wavelength at the center frequency of the antenna.

[0017] Preferably, the connecting member includes a first hollow connecting member connected to the first liquid containing cavity and a second hollow connecting member connected to the second liquid containing cavity; the first hollow connecting member includes a first medium pipeline and a second medium pipeline that pass through the bottom wall and are connected to the first liquid containing cavity, and the first medium pipeline and the second medium pipeline are spaced apart; the second hollow connecting member includes a third medium pipeline and a fourth medium pipeline that pass through the bottom wall and are connected to the second liquid containing cavity, and the third medium pipeline and the fourth medium pipeline are spaced apart; the inner diameters of the first medium pipeline, the second medium pipeline, the third medium pipeline, and the fourth medium pipeline are 0.1λ0-0.15λ0, and the lengths are 1.5λ0-2λ0, and the lengths of the third medium pipeline and the fourth medium pipeline are greater than the lengths of the first medium pipeline and the second medium pipeline.

[0018] Preferably, the cross-section of the second metal waveguide is in a double-layered ring shape, comprising an inner wall and an outer wall arranged at intervals, a metal retaining wall being arranged between the inner wall and the outer wall, the first choke slot being formed between the inner wall and the metal retaining wall, and the second choke slot being formed between the outer wall and the metal retaining wall;

[0019] The outer diameter of the second metal waveguide is 0.8λ0-1.2λ0, and the width and depth of the first choke slot and the second choke slot are both 0.2λ0-0.3λ0; the height of the metal connecting waveguide is 0.3λ0-0.4λ0; wherein λ0 is the wavelength at the center frequency of the antenna.

[0020] Preferably, the dielectric substrate is a circular dielectric plate, the diameter of the dielectric substrate is 3λ0-4λ0, and the thickness of the dielectric substrate is 0.1λ0-0.15λ0; the dielectric substrate and the dielectric container are manufactured by 3D printing.

[0021] The above technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0022] The present invention provides a beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna, which comprises a dielectric substrate, a feed source connected to the dielectric substrate, and a plano-convex dielectric container connected to the dielectric substrate via a connector. The dielectric container is spaced apart from the feed source, and a first liquid containing cavity and a second liquid containing cavity which are separated from each other and not connected to each other are arranged inside the dielectric container. The first liquid containing cavity is arranged around the outside of the second liquid containing cavity, and the first liquid containing cavity and the second liquid containing cavity respectively have a first empty state and a second state of containing liquid medium. The connector comprises a first hollow connector connected to the first liquid containing cavity and a second hollow connector connected to the second liquid containing cavity. Liquid medium can be injected into the first liquid containing cavity and the second liquid containing cavity or discharged through the connector. When the first liquid-containing cavity and the second liquid-containing cavity are both in the first state, the antenna radiates a flat-top beam; when the first liquid-containing cavity is in the second state and the second liquid-containing cavity is in the first state, the antenna radiates an equal-flux beam; when the first liquid-containing cavity and the second liquid-containing cavity are both in the second state, the antenna radiates a high-gain pencil beam, so that the three beams can be flexibly switched, achieving a good beam reconfigurable effect. The antenna has a simple and compact structure, a high degree of integration, and can adapt to a more diverse communication environment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to make the content of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below according to specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein

[0024] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 is another cross-sectional schematic diagram of the beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a dielectric container in a beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of another angle of the beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 is an exploded schematic diagram of a beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of a feed source in a beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 8 It is a schematic structural diagram of another angle of the feed source in the beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Fig. 9 is an S11 performance curve diagram of the beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention when radiating three beams;

[0033] Fig.10 This is the E-plane radiation pattern of the beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention when radiating three beams.

[0034] The reference numerals in the figure are represented as follows: 1- dielectric substrate; 11- mounting slot; 2- feed source; 21- first metal waveguide; 22- metal connecting waveguide; 23- second metal waveguide; 231- inner wall; 232- outer wall; 233- metal baffle wall; 234- first choke slot; 235- second choke slot; 3- dielectric container; 31- first liquid containing cavity; 32- second liquid containing cavity; 321- first sub-liquid containing cavity; 322- second sub-liquid containing cavity; 33- bottom wall; 34- side wall; 35- annular dielectric wall; 36- dielectric plate; 37- connecting through hole; 38- grid-like groove; 4- first dielectric pipeline; 5- second dielectric pipeline; 6- third dielectric pipeline; 7- fourth dielectric pipeline; 8- limiting ring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0036] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or are the orientations or positional relationships in which the products of the present invention are conventionally placed when in use, or are the orientations or positional relationships conventionally understood by those skilled in the art. These are merely for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0037] The terms “first”, “second”, etc. in the present invention are only used to distinguish between the two in the description and have no special meaning.

[0038] In the description of the present invention, it is also necessary to explain that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "setting" and "installation" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0039] Example

[0040] This embodiment provides a beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna. Figure 1-Figure 8 The beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna comprises: a dielectric substrate 1, a feed source 2 is connected to the dielectric substrate 1, and a flat-convex dielectric container 3, which is connected to the dielectric substrate 1 through a connecting member, so that the dielectric container 3 and the feed source 2 are arranged at a distance, and the dielectric container 3 is arranged on a side away from the dielectric substrate 1, that is, the feed source 2 is located between the dielectric container 3 and the dielectric substrate 1. A first liquid containing cavity 31 and a second liquid containing cavity 32 are arranged in the dielectric container 3, which are separated and independent from each other, and the first liquid containing cavity 31 is arranged around the outside of the second liquid containing cavity 32. The first liquid-containing cavity 31 and the second liquid-containing cavity 32 respectively have a first empty state or a second state containing a liquid medium, so that the beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna has the following three states: (1) the first liquid-containing cavity 31 and the second liquid-containing cavity 32 are both empty, that is, the first liquid-containing cavity 31 and the second liquid-containing cavity 32 are both in the first state; (2) the first liquid-containing cavity 31 contains a liquid medium and the second liquid-containing cavity 32 is empty, that is, the first liquid-containing cavity 31 is in the second state and the second liquid-containing cavity is in the first state; (3) the first liquid-containing cavity 31 and the second liquid-containing cavity 32 both contain a liquid medium, that is, the first liquid-containing cavity 31 and the second liquid-containing cavity 32 are both in the second state.

[0041] The beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna provided in this embodiment has the following working process: when the first liquid cavity 31 and the second liquid cavity 32 are both in the first state, the electromagnetic wave radiated by the feed source 2 forms a flat-top beam after passing through the empty dielectric container 3; when the first liquid cavity 31 is in the second state and the second liquid cavity 32 is in the first state, that is, only the annular first liquid cavity 31 is filled with liquid medium, an equal flux beam can be formed at this time; when the first liquid cavity 31 and the second liquid cavity 32 are both in the second state, that is, the entire dielectric container 3 is filled with liquid medium, a high-gain pencil beam is formed. Thus, the reconfigurability of the antenna beam is achieved through the charging and discharging of the liquid medium. Specifically, by switching between the above three states, the aperture field phase distribution radiated by the feed source 2 is changed, thereby achieving different directional patterns. When only the medium container 3 is loaded, the aperture field phase of the feed source 2 can be controlled to realize a flat-top beam. On this basis, the first liquid-containing cavity 31 is filled with liquid medium to further change the phase of the aperture field, thereby realizing an equal flux beam. On the basis of the first two states, the second liquid-containing cavity 32 is filled with liquid medium to control the phase of the aperture field to be the phase of a pencil beam, thereby realizing a pencil beam.

[0042] The beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna provided in this embodiment realizes the control of the phase of the electromagnetic wave radiated by the feed source 2 by controlling the filling and discharging of the liquid medium in the first liquid-containing cavity 31 and the second liquid-containing cavity 32 in the plano-convex lens-shaped dielectric container 3, and realizes three different beams, namely, a flat-top beam, an equal flux beam, and a high-gain pencil beam, that is, it realizes good antenna beam reconfigurability, overcomes the problem of single function of traditional antennas, can meet different communication needs, and improves the adaptability of the antenna in a multi-communication environment. At the same time, the overall structure of the antenna is simple and compact, with a high degree of integration, and has a high application value, and can be widely used in the field of wireless communications.

[0043] See also Figure 1-Figure 6In the beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna provided in this embodiment, the outer contour of the dielectric container 3 is a plano-convex lens. In order to form the plano-convex shape, the dielectric container 3 includes a bottom wall 33. The bottom wall 33 is in a flat plate shape, and its cross-sectional shape is a rectangle. The side of the bottom wall 33 away from the feed source 2 is connected to a side wall 34. The side wall 34 is an arc surface structure, and its cross-sectional shape is an arc. The arc of the arc side wall 34 is 80-90 degrees, and preferably 85 degrees in this embodiment. The bottom wall 33 and the side wall 34 are combined to form a hollow accommodating chamber, in which the above-mentioned first liquid-containing chamber 31 and the second liquid-containing chamber 32 are arranged. Specifically, in the accommodating chamber, the bottom wall 33 is connected to an annular dielectric wall 35, and a dielectric plate 36 is connected to the side of the annular dielectric wall 35 away from the feed source 2, that is, the bottom end of the annular dielectric wall 35 is connected to the bottom wall 33, and the top end is connected to the dielectric plate 36, and the edge of the dielectric plate 36 abuts against the side wall 34. The diameter of the annular dielectric wall 35 is smaller than the diameters of the bottom wall 33 and the dielectric plate 36. The annular dielectric wall 35 has an inner wall surface on one side close to the center thereof, and an outer wall surface on the opposite side of the inner wall surface. In this way, the first liquid-containing chamber 31 is formed between the outer wall surface of the annular dielectric wall 35 and the bottom wall 33, the side wall 34 and the dielectric plate 36, and the first liquid-containing chamber 31 is an annular chamber. The diameter of the annular dielectric wall 35 is 1.5λ0-2λ0, and the height is 0.25λ0-0.35λ0. In this embodiment, λ0 is the wavelength at the center frequency of the antenna, and the center frequency of the antenna is 15 GHz. In this embodiment, preferably, the diameter of the annular dielectric wall 35 is 1.8λ0, and the height is 0.3λ0. The dielectric plate 36 is a circular plate, and its diameter is 2.2-2.5λ0, and preferably 2.4λ0 in this embodiment, and its thickness is 0.02λ0-0.03λ0, and preferably 0.025λ0 in this embodiment.

[0044] The dielectric plate 36 and the inner wall surface of the annular dielectric wall 35 and the side wall 34 and the bottom wall 33 enclose a second liquid containing cavity 32. Furthermore, the second liquid containing cavity 32 includes a first sub-liquid containing cavity 321 and a second sub-liquid containing cavity 322 arranged on both sides of the dielectric plate 36. The dielectric plate 36 is provided with at least one connecting through hole 37, so that the first sub-liquid containing cavity 321 and the second sub-liquid containing cavity 322 are connected through the connecting through hole 37 to form the second liquid containing cavity 32.

[0045] In the present embodiment, preferably, the connecting through hole 37 is an arc-shaped hole, the length of the arc-shaped hole is 0.7λ0-0.9λ0, and the width is 0.15λ0-0.2λ0. In the present embodiment, the length of the connecting through hole is 0.8λ0, and the width is 0.18λ0; in the present embodiment, the connecting through hole 37 includes 4 arc-shaped holes, and the 4 arc-shaped holes are evenly spaced and opened on the dielectric plate 36, so that the first sub-liquid chamber 321 and the second sub-liquid chamber 322 are connected with each other over a large area.

[0046] A grid-shaped groove 38 is also provided on one side of the bottom wall 33 close to the feed source 2. The grid-shaped groove 38 plays a role in reducing the reflection coefficient of the antenna and has a certain contribution to the realization of a flat-top beam. The bottom wall 33 is a circular plate-shaped structure with a diameter of 3λ0-4λ0, preferably 3.5λ0 in this embodiment, and the overall height of the medium container 3 is 1.2λ0-1.5λ0, preferably 1.35λ0 in this embodiment. The grid-shaped groove 38 includes a plurality of square grooves provided inside the bottom wall 33 and a special-shaped groove located at the edge of the bottom wall 33, wherein the side length of the square groove is 0.24λ0-0.26λ0, and the depth is 0.14λ0-0.16λ0, and the side length of the square groove in this embodiment is preferably 0.25λ0, and the depth is 0.15λ0.

[0047] In order to inject liquid medium into the first liquid containing cavity 31 and the second liquid containing cavity 32 or discharge the liquid medium, and to firmly connect the medium container 3 to the dielectric substrate 1 to improve the service life of the antenna, the connector includes: a first hollow connector connected to the first liquid containing cavity 31 and a second hollow connector connected to the second liquid containing cavity 32. Based on the hollow structure of the first hollow connector and the second hollow connector, the liquid medium can be injected into the first liquid containing cavity 31 and the second liquid containing cavity 32 or the liquid medium can be discharged, so that the first liquid containing cavity 31 and the second liquid containing cavity 32 are in different states and different radiation beams are formed. In this embodiment, preferably, in order to avoid leakage of the liquid medium, the hollow connector and the second hollow connector are also connected with a sealing mechanism. The first hollow connecting member includes a first medium pipeline 4 and a second medium pipeline 5 which are arranged at intervals. The bottom ends of the first medium pipeline 4 and the second medium pipeline 5 are connected to the medium substrate 1, and the top ends penetrate the bottom wall 33 and are connected to the inside of the first liquid containing cavity 31. The first medium pipeline 4 and the second medium pipeline 5 are symmetrically arranged relative to a diameter of the bottom wall 33. The inner diameter of the first medium pipeline 4 and the second medium pipeline 5 is 0.1λ0-0.15λ0, and the length is 1.5λ0-2λ0. In this embodiment, preferably, the inner diameter of the first medium pipeline 4 and the second medium pipeline 5 is 0.12λ0, and the length is 1.6λ0.

[0048] The second hollow connector includes a third medium pipeline 6 and a fourth medium pipeline 7 which are arranged at intervals. The bottom ends of the third medium pipeline 6 and the fourth medium pipeline 7 are connected to the medium base plate 1, and the top ends sequentially penetrate the bottom wall 33 and the medium plate 36 to be connected to the inside of the second liquid containing cavity 32. The third medium pipeline 6 and the fourth medium pipeline 7 are symmetrically arranged relative to the other diameter of the flat plate portion, and the connecting line of the first medium pipeline 4 and the second medium pipeline 5 is arranged perpendicularly relative to the connecting line of the third medium pipeline 6 and the fourth medium pipeline 7. In this way, the four medium pipelines are evenly supported around the medium container 3, making the antenna structure more stable. The inner diameter of the third medium pipeline 6 and the fourth medium pipeline 7 is 0.1λ0-0.15λ0, and the length is 1.5λ0-2λ0. In this embodiment, preferably, the inner diameter of the third medium pipeline 6 and the fourth medium pipeline 7 is 0.12λ0, and the length is 1.8λ0, that is, the length of the third medium pipeline 6 and the fourth medium pipeline 7 is greater than the length of the first medium pipeline 4 and the second medium pipeline 5.

[0049] In this embodiment, the material of the medium container 3, the first medium pipeline 4, the second medium pipeline 5, the third medium pipeline 6 and the fourth medium pipeline 7 can be photosensitive resin material or Teflon and other hard plastics with low dielectric constant. In this embodiment, photosensitive resin is preferred. For the convenience of manufacturing and reducing production costs, the medium container 3, the first medium pipeline 4, the second medium pipeline 5, the third medium pipeline 6 and the fourth medium pipeline 7 are made by 3D printing, and the medium wall 34 inside the medium container 3 and the grid-like groove 33 at the bottom are also made by 3D printing.

[0050] See also Figure 6-Figure 8In the beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna provided in this embodiment, the feed source 2 includes a first metal waveguide 21 connected to the dielectric substrate 1, a metal connecting waveguide 22 connected to the first metal waveguide 21, and a second metal waveguide 23 connected to the metal connecting waveguide 22. The metal connecting waveguide 22 serves to connect the first metal waveguide 21 and the second metal waveguide 23, and the second metal waveguide 23 is arranged between the first metal waveguide 21 and the dielectric container 3. As shown in the figure, the first metal waveguide 21 is a rectangular metal plate structure, the outer periphery of the second metal waveguide 23 is cylindrical, and one end away from the first metal waveguide 21 is open. The metal connecting waveguide 22 includes a trapezoidal stage segment and a cylindrical segment connected in sequence, wherein the end (bottom end) of the trapezoidal stage segment with a smaller size is connected to the first metal waveguide 21, and the cross-sectional size of the metal connecting waveguide 22 is smaller than the cross-sectional size of the first metal waveguide 21. In this embodiment, preferably, as shown in the figure, the bottom end of the metal connecting waveguide 22 is connected to the central position of the first metal waveguide 22. One end of the cylindrical section in the metal connecting waveguide 22 is connected to the top of the trapezoidal stage section, and the other end is connected to the bottom of the second metal waveguide 23. The diameter of the cylindrical section is smaller than the diameter of the second metal waveguide 23. In this embodiment, preferably, the top of the metal connecting waveguide 23 is connected to the central position of the second metal waveguide 23. In this way, based on the structure of the metal connecting waveguide 22 being narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, the feed source 2 forms a structure transitioning from a rectangular first metal waveguide to a cylindrical second metal waveguide 23. In this embodiment, the feed source 2 is made of copper or aluminum metal. The first metal waveguide 21 is connected to an external coaxial waveguide signal source, and the feed signal is fed into the second metal waveguide 23 with a circular outer peripheral shape through the first metal waveguide 21 and the metal connecting waveguide 22. The feed source structure can improve the symmetry of the E-plane and H-plane radiation patterns of the circular waveguide, which is conducive to the symmetric design of the dielectric container 3 behind and reduces the complexity of the antenna structure.

[0051] See also Figure 7Specifically, in this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the second metal waveguide 23 is a double-layer circular ring, and its top end is an open structure. The second metal waveguide 23 includes an inner wall 231 connected to the metal connecting waveguide 22, and the inner wall 231 is a hollow cylindrical shape. The cylindrical section of the metal connecting waveguide 22 is also a hollow cylindrical shape. The inner wall 231 has the same diameter as the cylindrical section. The trapezoidal platform section is also a hollow structure and the bottom end is open. The first metal waveguide 21 is provided with a rectangular through groove corresponding to the bottom end of the trapezoidal platform section, thereby forming a structure in which the inner periphery of the inner wall 231, the inner periphery of the cylindrical section, the inner periphery of the trapezoidal platform section and the rectangular through groove are sequentially connected. The second metal waveguide 23 further includes an outer wall 232 spaced apart from the inner wall 231, the outer wall 232 also presents a hollow cylindrical shape, a metal retaining wall 233 is disposed between the inner wall 231 and the outer wall 232, the metal retaining wall 233 presents a hollow cylindrical structure, the interval between the metal retaining wall 233 and the inner wall 231 forms a first choke slot 234, and the interval between the metal retaining wall 233 and the outer wall 232 forms a second choke slot 235. In this embodiment, preferably, the metal retaining wall 233 is disposed on the inner wall 231. The first choke slot 234 and the second choke slot 235 are located at the center of the outer wall 232, so that the width of the first choke slot 234 and the second choke slot 235 are the same, which is 0.2λ0-0.3λ0. In this embodiment, λ0 is the wavelength at the center frequency of the antenna. In this embodiment, preferably, the width of the first choke slot 234 and the second choke slot 235 is 0.25λ0. Further, the depth of the first choke slot 234 and the second choke slot 235 is 0.2λ0-0.3λ0, and preferably 0.25λ0 in this embodiment. The first choke slot 235 and the second choke slot 236 play the role of reducing the side lobes and back lobes of the feed pattern and improving the symmetry of the feed pattern.

[0052] The outer diameter of the second metal waveguide 23 is 0.8λ0-1.2λ0, and is preferably 1λ0 in this embodiment.

[0053] The first metal waveguide 21 adopts a standard size, and the height of the metal connecting waveguide 22 is 0.3λ0-0.4λ0, and preferably 0.35λ0 in this embodiment. In order to connect the feed source 2 to the dielectric substrate 1, the dielectric substrate 1 is provided with an installation slot 11, and the installation slot 11 is adapted to the size of the first metal waveguide 21, so that the first metal waveguide 21 is adapted and firmly installed in the slot. As shown in the figure, the dielectric substrate 1 adopts a circular dielectric plate, and its diameter is 3λ0-4λ0, and preferably 3.5λ0 in this embodiment, and the thickness is 0.1λ0-0.15λ0, and preferably 0.125λ0 in this embodiment. The dielectric substrate 1 can be made of photosensitive resin material or Teflon and other hard plastics with low dielectric constants. In this embodiment, photosensitive resin is preferred. In order to facilitate production and reduce production costs, the dielectric substrate 1 is made by 3D printing.

[0054] In order to firmly connect the medium container 3 to the medium substrate 1 and to make the flat plate portion parallel to the medium substrate 1 to achieve a better signal radiation effect, a limiting ring 8 is also sleeved on the outside of the first medium pipeline 4, the second medium pipeline 5, the third medium pipeline 6 and the fourth medium pipeline 7, and the bottom of the limiting ring 8 abuts against the medium substrate 1 to locate the position where the first medium pipeline 4, the second medium pipeline 5, the third medium pipeline 6 and the fourth medium pipeline 7 are connected to the medium substrate 1. As shown in the figure, the first medium pipeline 4, the second medium pipeline 5, the third medium pipeline 6 and the fourth medium pipeline 7 all penetrate the medium substrate 1 and extend to the outside of the bottom surface of the medium substrate 1.

[0055] In this embodiment, the liquid medium is trihexyltetradecylphosphonium chloride, which has a dielectric constant of 3 and a loss of 0.04. As a convertible implementation method, the liquid medium can also be transformer oil.

[0056] Experimental example

[0057] 1. Test the S11 performance curve of the beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna provided in the embodiment when radiating three beams. The test results are as follows: Fig. 9 shown.

[0058] When the first liquid-containing cavity 31 and the second liquid-containing cavity 32 are both in an empty state, the antenna radiates a flat-top beam; when the first liquid-containing cavity 31 is filled with liquid medium and the second liquid-containing cavity is in an empty state, the antenna radiates an equal flux beam; when the first liquid-containing cavity 31 and the second liquid-containing cavity 32 are both filled with liquid medium, the antenna radiates a high-gain pencil beam. It can be seen from the figure that when the antenna radiates three beams in the range of 13 GHz to 18 GHz, the S11 parameter is lower than -13.8 dB.

[0059] 2. Test the E-plane radiation pattern of the beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna provided in the embodiment when radiating three beams. The test results are as follows: Fig.10 shown.

[0060] When the first liquid-containing cavity 31 and the second liquid-containing cavity 32 are in the above three states, the antenna radiates a flat-top beam, an equal-flux beam and a high-gain pencil beam respectively. It can be seen from the figure that the maximum gain under the flat-top beam is 10.85dB, and the 1dB beam width is 42 degrees. The maximum gain under the equal-flux beam is 9.7dB, and the equal-flux beam coverage is achieved within a range of 40 degrees. The maximum gain under the pencil beam is 17.7dB, and the half-power beam width is 20 degrees.

[0061] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely examples for the purpose of clear explanation, and are not intended to limit the implementation methods. For those skilled in the art, other different forms of changes or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is not necessary and impossible to list all the implementation methods here. The obvious changes or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims

1. A beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna, characterized in that: include: dielectric substrate; A feed source connected to the dielectric substrate; A plano-convex medium container is connected to the medium substrate through a connecting member, so that the medium container is spaced apart from the feed source, a first liquid containing cavity and a second liquid containing cavity separated from each other are arranged inside the medium container, the first liquid containing cavity is arranged around the outside of the second liquid containing cavity, and the first liquid containing cavity and the second liquid containing cavity respectively have a first empty state or a second state containing liquid medium; The medium container comprises a bottom wall and a side wall connected to the bottom wall at a side away from the feed source, the bottom wall is connected to an annular medium wall, the end of the annular medium wall away from the feed source is connected to a dielectric plate, and the edge of the dielectric plate abuts against the side wall; the outer wall surface of the annular medium wall and the dielectric plate, the bottom wall and the side wall are enclosed to form the first liquid containing cavity; the dielectric plate and the inner wall surface of the annular medium wall, the side wall and the bottom wall are enclosed to form the second liquid containing cavity; the second liquid containing cavity comprises a first sub-liquid containing cavity and a second sub-liquid containing cavity arranged on both sides of the dielectric plate, the dielectric plate is provided with at least one connecting through hole, and the first sub-liquid containing cavity is connected with the second sub-liquid containing cavity through the connecting through hole; The connecting member includes a first hollow connecting member connected to the first liquid containing cavity and a second hollow connecting member connected to the second liquid containing cavity; the first hollow connecting member includes a first medium pipeline and a second medium pipeline that pass through the bottom wall and are connected to the first liquid containing cavity, and the first medium pipeline and the second medium pipeline are arranged at intervals; the second hollow connecting member includes a third medium pipeline and a fourth medium pipeline that pass through the bottom wall and are connected to the second liquid containing cavity, and the third medium pipeline and the fourth medium pipeline are arranged at intervals.

2. The beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feed source includes a first metal waveguide, a metal connecting waveguide and a second metal waveguide which are connected in sequence. The first metal waveguide is connected to the dielectric substrate, and the second metal waveguide is arranged between the first metal waveguide and the dielectric container.

3. The beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna according to claim 2, characterized in that: One end of the second metal waveguide away from the first metal waveguide is in an open structure, and a first choke slot and a second choke slot separated from each other are arranged in the second metal waveguide.

4. The beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna according to claim 3, characterized in that: The bottom wall is a flat plate structure, the side wall is a curved surface structure, the curvature of the side wall is 80 degrees to 90 degrees, and a grid-shaped groove is arranged on a side of the bottom wall close to the feed source; the annular dielectric wall is arranged perpendicular to the bottom wall, and the dielectric plate is arranged parallel to the bottom wall.

5. The beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna according to claim 4, characterized in that: The bottom wall is a circular plate structure with a diameter of 3λ0-4λ0, the height of the dielectric container is 1.2λ0-1.5λ0, the diameter of the annular dielectric wall is 1.5λ0-2λ0, and the height is 0.25λ0-0.35λ0; the dielectric plate is a circular plate, and the dielectric plate is provided with 4 connecting through holes at intervals, the diameter of the dielectric plate is 2.2-2.5λ0, the thickness is 0.02λ0-0.03λ0, the length of the connecting through hole is 0.7λ0-0.9λ0, and the width of the connecting through hole is 0.15λ0-0.2λ0, wherein λ0 is the wavelength at the center frequency of the antenna.

6. The beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna according to claim 5, characterized in that: The inner diameters of the first medium pipeline, the second medium pipeline, the third medium pipeline and the fourth medium pipeline are 0.1λ0-0.15λ0, and the lengths are 1.5λ0-2λ0, and the lengths of the third medium pipeline and the fourth medium pipeline are greater than the lengths of the first medium pipeline and the second medium pipeline.

7. The beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna according to claim 6, characterized in that: The cross-sectional shape of the second metal waveguide is a double-layer circular ring, comprising an inner wall and an outer wall arranged at intervals, a metal retaining wall being arranged between the inner wall and the outer wall, the first choke slot being formed between the inner wall and the metal retaining wall, and the second choke slot being formed between the outer wall and the metal retaining wall; The outer diameter of the second metal waveguide is 0.8λ0-1.2λ0, and the width and depth of the first choke slot and the second choke slot are both 0.2λ0-0.3λ0; the height of the metal connecting waveguide is 0.3λ0-0.4λ0; wherein λ0 is the wavelength at the center frequency of the antenna.

8. The beam reconfigurable liquid dielectric antenna according to claim 7, characterized in that: The dielectric substrate is a circular dielectric plate, the diameter of the dielectric substrate is 3λ0-4λ0, and the thickness of the dielectric substrate is 0.1λ0-0.15λ0; the dielectric substrate and the dielectric container are manufactured by 3D printing.

Images