Dual-beam dual-circularly-polarized wide-angle scanning phased-array antenna

Abstract

The invention discloses a dual-beam dual-circularly-polarized wide-angle scanning phased-array antenna, and belongs to the field of wireless communication. The antenna is composed of an antenna unit group. The antenna unit comprises a bottom metal floor, a fifth substrate, a 3dB bridge, a fourth substrate, an antenna metal floor, a third substrate, a second rectangular feeder line, a second substrate, a first rectangular feeder line, a first substrate and a radiation patch layer which are arranged from bottom to top; wherein the 3dB bridge is used for realizing signal transmission, and the two rectangular feeder lines have the same size and are orthogonally arranged; the radiation patch layer comprises four square metal patches and two feed discs; the square metal patches are separated through the L-shaped gaps and are connected with the antenna metal floor through the short circuit columns respectively, and the feed disc is connected with the rectangular feed line through the metal probe and connected to the output end of the 3dB bridge. The antenna unit adopts an equivalent magnetoelectric dipole form, the wide-angle scanning characteristic of the phased-array antenna is achieved, communication with two satellites can be achieved at the same time, and the overall communication efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of wireless communication, and particularly relates to an implementation form of a dual-beam dual-circular polarization wide-angle scanning phased array antenna applied to the field of satellite communication. Background Art

[0002] For satellite communication, it is required that the antenna has beam scanning capabilities to achieve satellite tracking. Currently, reflector antennas with high gain, low manufacturing cost, and mechanical scanning, as well as phased array antennas with fast electrical scanning, high scanning accuracy, and low profile, are widely used.

[0003] The reflector antenna consists of a feed, a reflector, a servo system, etc. Beam scanning is achieved through the mechanical rotation of the servo system, which can achieve large-angle scanning. However, it can only connect to one satellite beam at a time. If multiple satellites need to be tracked, multiple antennas must be built, and the satellite switching speed is also very slow. Moreover, due to the heavy weight and large size of the mechanical servo structure, the application scenarios of the antenna are limited.

[0004] The phased array antenna consists of an antenna array, T / R modules, a control module, a power supply, etc. Beam scanning is achieved by changing the feeding phase of the antenna elements by changing the value of the phase shifter in the T / R module, which can achieve fast electrical scanning and has the advantages of high tracking accuracy and light weight. However, since most current satellite communication phased array antennas adopt the form of microstrip antennas, affected by the form of the antenna elements, they are mostly limited to ±60° scanning, and a few can achieve ±70° scanning with deteriorated scanning performance. And traditional satellite communication phased array antennas are single-beam, and can only communicate with one satellite at a time, resulting in limited communication capacity and efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention proposes a dual-beam dual-circular polarization wide-angle scanning phased array antenna applied to the field of satellite communication. The antenna element of the present invention adopts the form of an equivalent magnetoelectric dipole. By utilizing the broadband wide-beam characteristics of the magnetoelectric dipole element, the wide-angle scanning characteristics of the phased array antenna are realized, and ±70° scanning can be achieved. Moreover, the axial ratio at 70° scanning is less than 3 dB, and the gain drops by 5.8 dB. The antenna feeding adopts a 3 dB hybrid, and a dual-beam chip is connected at the back end, enabling the phased array antenna to generate two left-handed circular polarization beams or two right-handed circular polarization beams or one left-handed circular polarization and one right-handed circular polarization beam at the same time, realizing communication with two satellites simultaneously, reducing satellite switching and reconnection time, and improving the overall communication efficiency.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0007] A dual-beam dual-circular polarization wide-angle scanning phased array antenna is composed of a two-dimensional periodic arrangement of a plurality of antenna elements;

[0008] The antenna unit includes a bottom metal floor, a fifth dielectric substrate, a third feeder layer, a fourth dielectric substrate, an antenna metal floor, a third dielectric substrate, a second feeding layer, a second dielectric substrate, a first feeding layer, a first dielectric substrate, and a radiation patch layer, which are stacked in sequence from bottom to top.

[0009] Among them, the bottom metal floor, the fifth dielectric substrate, the fourth dielectric substrate, the antenna metal floor, the third dielectric substrate, the second dielectric substrate, and the first dielectric substrate are square structures with the same side length.

[0010] The third feeder layer uses a 3dB bridge to achieve signal transmission; the 3dB bridge includes two input terminals and two output terminals.

[0011] There are two circular slots on the antenna metal floor for metal probes to pass through.

[0012] The second feeding layer includes a second rectangular feeder.

[0013] The first feeding layer includes a first rectangular feeder; the first rectangular feeder has the same size as the second rectangular feeder and is orthogonally arranged.

[0014] The radiation patch layer includes four square metal patches with the same size and evenly distributed, and two feeding disks.

[0015] An L-shaped slot is provided on one side of the square metal patch close to the center of the antenna unit, dividing the square radiation unit into a square patch and an L-shaped patch. The square patch is connected to the antenna metal floor through a first shorting post, and the L-shaped patch is connected to the antenna metal floor through a second shorting post.

[0016] The feeding disks are arranged in the gap between two square metal patches; one of the feeding disks is connected to the first rectangular feeder through a metal probe, passes through the circular slot and is connected to the output terminal of the 3dB bridge, and the other feeding disk is connected to the second rectangular feeder through a metal probe, passes through the circular slot and is connected to the other output terminal of the 3dB bridge.

[0017] When a signal is fed into one of the input terminals of the 3dB bridge, the phased array antenna radiates a left-handed circularly polarized beam or a right-handed polarized beam; when a signal is fed into the other input terminal, the phased array antenna radiates a right-handed circularly polarized beam or a left-handed polarized beam.

[0018] Further, a metal shielding hole array is provided outside the 3dB bridge to suppress the propagation of the energy of the bridge stripline in the dielectric substrate.

[0019] Further, both the first shorting post and the second shorting post are located on the diagonal line, and the radius of the second shorting post is greater than the radius of the first shorting post.

[0020] Furthermore, partial metal shorting posts are provided at the four corners of the antenna element, and the partial metal shorting posts of adjacent 4 antenna elements together form a circular metal shorting post; the metal shorting post penetrates upward from the antenna metal floor to the radiation patch layer.

[0021] Furthermore, the phased array antenna is arrayed by means of rotary feeding.

[0022] Furthermore, the second dielectric substrate and the fourth dielectric substrate are prepregs.

[0023] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0024] Most traditional satellite communication antenna elements adopt microstrip patch antennas which are simple in structure and easy to process, but have limited scanning angles. The present invention proposes a dual-beam dual-circular polarization wide-angle scanning phased array antenna applied to the field of satellite communication. Different from traditional planar phased arrays, the present invention is modified on the traditional magnetoelectric dipole structure processed by mechanical machining for low frequencies, and designs an antenna element structure of broadband wide-beam dual-circular polarization equivalent magnetoelectric dipole.

[0025] In this antenna element structure, first, the "T" type feeding structure of the traditional magnetoelectric dipole is improved to a "cross" shape, reducing the back drilling process caused by the staggered holes of the "T" type feeding structure and reducing the processing difficulty. Secondly, slits are made and shorting posts are loaded on the square metal patch, destroying the resonance between units and increasing the antenna bandwidth. In addition, the antenna is fed by a 3 dB bridge, and a shielding hole array is designed around the bridge to suppress the propagation of the energy of the bridge stripline in the medium. The two feeding ports of the bridge can switch between left and right circular polarizations, enabling the antenna to be compatible with both geostationary satellite and low-earth orbit satellite communications. Description of the Drawings

[0026] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the antenna element in the embodiment;

[0027] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the disassembly of the antenna element in the embodiment;

[0028] Figure 3 It is a top-down perspective view of the antenna element from the antenna metal floor to the radiation patch layer in the embodiment;

[0029] Figure 4 It is a top-down perspective view of the antenna element from the bottom metal floor to the antenna metal floor in the embodiment;

[0030] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the 2×16 phased array antenna in the embodiment;

[0031] Figure 6For the left - hand circular polarization scanning pattern of the 2 * 16 phased array antenna in the embodiment;

[0032] Figure 7 For the left - hand circular polarization axial ratio pattern of the 2 * 16 phased array antenna in the embodiment;

[0033] Figure 8 For the right - hand circular polarization scanning pattern of the 2 * 16 phased array antenna in the embodiment;

[0034] Figure 9 For the right - hand circular polarization axial ratio pattern of the 2 * 16 phased array antenna in the embodiment.

[0035] Explanation of the reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Bottom metal floor, 2. Fifth dielectric substrate, 3. 3dB hybrid coupler, 4. Fourth dielectric substrate, 5. Antenna metal floor, 6. Third dielectric substrate, 7. Second rectangular feeder, 8. Second dielectric substrate, 9. First rectangular feeder, 10. First dielectric substrate, 11. Radiation patch layer, 12. Circular slot, 13. Square patch, 14. L - shaped patch, 15. Feeding disc, 16. First short - circuit post, 17. Second short - circuit post, 18. Metal shielding hole array, 19. Metal short - circuit post, 20. First input terminal, 21. Second input terminal. Detailed implementation manners

[0036] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present invention clearer, the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be clear that the specific embodiments presented below are only illustrative descriptions of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

[0037] In this embodiment, first, a dual - beam dual - circular - polarization antenna element as shown in Figures 1-4 is designed, which includes a bottom metal floor, a fifth dielectric substrate, a third feeder layer, a fourth dielectric substrate, an antenna metal floor, a third dielectric substrate, a second feeding layer, a second dielectric substrate, a first feeding layer, a first dielectric substrate, and a radiation patch layer stacked in sequence from bottom to top.

[0038] Among them, the bottom metal floor, the fifth dielectric substrate, the fourth dielectric substrate, the antenna metal floor, the third dielectric substrate, the second dielectric substrate, and the first dielectric substrate are all square structures with a side length of 7 mm. The second dielectric substrate and the fourth dielectric substrate are prepregs; the first dielectric substrate, the third dielectric substrate, and the fifth dielectric substrate are TSM - 3.

[0039] The third feeder layer uses a 3dB hybrid coupler to realize signal transmission; the 3dB hybrid coupler includes two input terminals and two output terminals; a metal shielding hole array is arranged outside the 3dB hybrid coupler to suppress the propagation of the energy of the bridge stripline in the dielectric substrate.

[0040] There are two circular slots on the antenna metal floor for the metal probes to pass through.

[0041] The second feeding layer includes a second rectangular feeder with a length of 4 mm and a width of 0.4 mm.

[0042] The first feeding layer includes a first rectangular feeder with the same size as the second rectangular feeder and orthogonally arranged.

[0043] The radiation patch layer includes four square metal patches with the same size and evenly distributed, and two feeding discs.

[0044] An L-shaped slot is arranged on one side of the square metal patch close to the center of the antenna unit, dividing the square radiation unit into a square patch and an L-shaped patch. The width of the L-shaped slot is 0.15 mm, the side length of the square patch is 1.9 mm, and the width of the L-shaped patch is 0.5 mm; the square patch is connected to the antenna metal floor through a first shorting post with a radius of 0.3 mm, and the L-shaped patch is connected to the antenna metal floor through a second shorting post with a radius of 0.6 mm. Both the first shorting post and the second shorting post are located on the diagonal.

[0045] The feeding discs are arranged in the gap between two square metal patches, with a radius of 0.5 mm and a distance of 1 mm from the center of the antenna; one of the feeding discs is connected to the first rectangular feeder through a metal probe, passes through the circular slot and is connected to the first output end of the 3 dB bridge, and the other feeding disc is connected to the second rectangular feeder through a metal probe, passes through the circular slot and is connected to the second output end of the 3 dB bridge.

[0046] Partial metal shorting posts are also arranged at the four corners of the antenna unit. The partial metal shorting posts of adjacent 4 antenna units together form a circular metal shorting post with a radius of 0.3 mm; the metal shorting posts penetrate from the antenna metal floor upward to the radiation patch layer.

[0047] When a signal is fed into the first input end of the 3 dB bridge, the phased array antenna radiates a right-handed polarized beam; when a signal is fed into the second input end, the phased array antenna radiates a left-handed polarized beam. The two input ports of the 3 dB bridge are respectively connected to two channels of the dual-beam chip, and two left-handed circularly polarized beams or two right-handed polarized beams or one left-handed circularly polarized beam and one right-handed polarized beam can be generated simultaneously, that is, the phased array antenna can be applied to communicate with two low-earth orbit satellites simultaneously or communicate with two geostationary orbit satellites simultaneously or communicate with one geostationary orbit satellite and one low-earth orbit satellite simultaneously.

[0048] In this embodiment, the antenna elements are combined into a 2×2 sub-array, and rotational feeding is adopted to further improve the axial ratio. The 2×2 sub-array is a periodic structure with scalability and can be expanded into the required array scale according to actual needs. Here, in order to observe the scanning performance of the antenna elements, a 2×16 antenna scale is simulated, and the simulation model is as Figure 5 shown.

[0049] Figure 6 is the left-hand circular polarization scanning pattern of the 2×16 phased array antenna; Figure 7 is the left-hand circular polarization scanning axial ratio diagram of the 2×16 phased array antenna; Figure 8 is the right-hand circular polarization scanning pattern of the 2×16 phased array antenna;

[0050] Figure 9 is the right-hand circular polarization scanning axial ratio diagram of the 2×16 phased array antenna. It can be seen that the phased array antenna can achieve ±70° scanning. Compared with the normal gain, the gain decreases by less than 4 dB when scanning at 60°, and the gain decreases by less than 6 dB when scanning at 70°. During the whole scanning process, the axial ratio is less than 3 dB.

Claims

1. A dual-beam dual-circularly polarized wide-angle scanning phased array antenna, which is composed of a two-dimensional periodic arrangement of a plurality of antenna elements; It is characterized in that The antenna element includes a bottom metal floor, a fifth dielectric substrate, a third feeder layer, a fourth dielectric substrate, an antenna metal floor, a third dielectric substrate, a second feeding layer, a second dielectric substrate, a first feeding layer, a first dielectric substrate, and a radiation patch layer, which are stacked in sequence from bottom to top; Among them, the bottom metal floor, the fifth dielectric substrate, the fourth dielectric substrate, the antenna metal floor, the third dielectric substrate, the second dielectric substrate, and the first dielectric substrate are square structures with the same side length; The third feeder layer uses a 3dB bridge to realize signal transmission; the 3dB bridge includes two input terminals and two output terminals; There are two circular slots on the antenna metal floor for metal probes to pass through; The second feeding layer includes a second rectangular feeder; The first feeding layer includes a first rectangular feeder; the first rectangular feeder has the same size as the second rectangular feeder and is orthogonally arranged; The radiation patch layer includes four square metal patches with the same size and evenly distributed, and two feeding disks; An L-shaped slot is arranged on one side of the square metal patch close to the center of the antenna element, dividing the square radiation unit into a square patch and an L-shaped patch, and the square patch is connected to the antenna metal floor through a first shorting post, and the L-shaped patch is connected to the antenna metal floor through a second shorting post; The feeding disk is arranged in the gap between two square metal patches; one feeding disk is connected to the first rectangular feeder through a metal probe, passes through the circular slot and is connected to the output terminal of the 3dB bridge, and the other feeding disk is connected to the second rectangular feeder through a metal probe, passes through the circular slot and is connected to the other output terminal of the 3dB bridge. When a signal is fed into one of the input terminals of the 3dB bridge, the phased array antenna radiates a left-handed circularly polarized beam or a right-handed polarized beam; when a signal is fed into the other input terminal, the phased array antenna radiates a right-handed circularly polarized beam or a left-handed polarized beam.

2. The dual-beam dual-circularly polarized wide-angle scanning phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein A metal shielding hole array is arranged outside the 3dB bridge to suppress the propagation of the energy of the bridge stripline in the dielectric substrate.

3. The dual-beam dual-circular polarization wide-angle scanning phased array antenna according to claim 2, wherein, Both the first shorting post and the second shorting post are located on the diagonal line, and the radius of the second shorting post is greater than the radius of the first shorting post.

4. The dual-beam dual-circularly polarized wide-angle scanning phased array antenna according to claim 3, wherein, Partial metal shorting posts are arranged at the four corners of the antenna element, and the partial metal shorting posts of adjacent 4 antenna elements together form a circular metal shorting post; the metal shorting post penetrates from the antenna metal floor upward to the radiation patch layer.

5. The dual-beam dual-circularly polarized wide-angle scanning phased array antenna according to claim 4, wherein The phased array antenna is arrayed by a rotating feeding method.

6. The dual-beam dual-circularly polarized wide-angle scanning phased array antenna according to claim 5, wherein The second dielectric substrate and the fourth dielectric substrate are semi-cured sheets.

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