Airship airborne lightweight occultation array antenna

Abstract

The utility model provides a lightweight occultation array antenna suitable for airship airborne. The lightweight occultation array antenna comprises a cover plate, a foam supporting layer, a dielectric substrate, a feed network plate and a bottom shell. The cover plate, the foam supporting layer, the dielectric substrate, the feed network plate and the bottom shell are sequentially fixed from top to bottom through a plurality of screws; a plurality of upper-layer radiation copper sheets are arranged between the cover plate and the foam supporting layer; a plurality of lower-layer radiation patches are arranged between the foam supporting layer and the dielectric substrate; a feed probe is arranged between the dielectric substrate and the feed network plate; the upper-layer radiation copper sheet is used for receiving a low-frequency signal; the lower-layer radiation patch is formed through chemical etching and is used for receiving high-frequency signals; the middle part of the bottom shell is provided with a groove which is used for protecting the feed network and shielding external signals. The utility model overcomes the problems of complex structure, heavy weight, high cost and the like of the existing antenna, and is suitable for working in high-altitude, low-temperature and other environments on the airship.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the field of antennas, and in particular relates to a lightweight occultation array antenna suitable for airship airborne applications. Background Technique

[0002] Airborne GNSS radio occultation atmospheric sounding uses GNSS radio occultation technology. The GNSS receiver on the airship receives GNSS satellite signals that are being occulted by the atmosphere. When the GNSS satellite signals pass through the Earth's atmosphere, they are affected by atmospheric refraction, and the propagation path is bent, resulting in a delay in the phase of the signals received by the receiver. By measuring these delay amounts, information such as the ionospheric electron density profile and the temperature, pressure, density, and water vapor profiles of the neutral atmosphere can be inverted. Occultation sounding can provide a large amount of globally distributed atmospheric parameter data, and its observation database will enable us to study the global distribution of temperature and water vapor. The rich data provided can make up for the lack of data in the polar regions and the oceans, effectively improve numerical weather prediction models, and accelerate the development of various physical models of weather forecasting, thus greatly promoting the research of space weather science.

[0003] As an essential part of the occultation detection system, the performance of the antenna directly affects the performance of the entire system. In order to make full use of diversified space resources, reduce carrier phase observation errors, and ensure the accuracy of carrier phase measurement, the antenna should be designed as a high-precision measurement antenna with characteristics such as multi-band use, wide beam coverage, and high phase center stability. Usually, the existing occultation antennas have disadvantages such as large volume, large weight, complex structure, and high cost. Content of the Utility Model

[0004] In view of this, the utility model aims to propose a lightweight occultation array antenna suitable for airship airborne applications, which is suitable for airborne applications, overcomes the problems of complex structure, heavy weight, and high cost of the existing antennas, and is suitable for working in environments such as high altitude and low temperature on the airship.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the technical solution of the utility model is realized as follows:

[0006] A lightweight occultation array antenna suitable for airship airborne applications includes a cover plate, a foam support layer, a dielectric substrate, a feed network board, and a bottom case;

[0007] The cover plate, the foam support layer, the dielectric substrate, the feed network board, and the bottom case are sequentially fixed from top to bottom by a plurality of screws to form an integral structure;

[0008] A plurality of upper radiation copper sheets are provided between the cover plate and the foam support layer; a plurality of lower radiation patches are provided between the foam support layer and the dielectric substrate; feed probes are provided between the dielectric substrate and the feed network board;

[0009] The upper-layer radiation copper sheet is used to receive low-frequency signals;

[0010] The lower-layer radiation patch, formed by chemical etching, is used to receive high-frequency signals;

[0011] A groove is provided in the middle of the bottom shell for protecting the feeding network and shielding external signals.

[0012] Furthermore, the cover plate is made of polymethacrylimide foam material with a thickness of 2 - 2.5 mm.

[0013] Furthermore, the upper-layer radiation copper sheet is cut from a copper sheet with a thickness of 0.03 mm, has a diameter of 100 - 105 mm, and the number is 4. It is pasted on the foam support layer through double-sided tape.

[0014] Furthermore, 4 positioning grooves with a depth of 0.03 mm are provided on the foam support layer for placing the upper-layer radiation copper sheet to play a positioning role and at the same time reduce the gap between the cover plate and the foam support layer.

[0015] Furthermore, the foam support layer is made of polymethacrylimide foam material with a thickness of 12 - 14 mm.

[0016] Furthermore, the lower-layer radiation patch has a diameter of 85 - 90 mm and the number is 4.

[0017] Furthermore, the dielectric substrate is made of F4BM with a thickness of 10 - 11 mm.

[0018] Furthermore, the feeding probe, made of copper, has a diameter-to-length ratio of 1:21 and is connected to the lower-layer radiation patch and the feeding network through welding.

[0019] Furthermore, the feeding network board has a thickness of 0.5 - 0.6 mm, and a one-to-four power divider network is etched on the surface of the feeding network board.

[0020] Furthermore, the bottom shell is made of aluminum alloy, the depth of the groove is 5 - 5.5 mm; several mating screw holes for cooperating with screws are provided at the edge of the groove;

[0021] Several mounting screw holes are provided at the edges on both sides of the bottom shell for connecting and fixing with the airship hull.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the lightweight occultation array antenna for airship on-board described in the present utility model has the following advantages:

[0023] The utility model relates to a lightweight occultation array antenna applicable to airship airborne. PMI foam material with a dielectric constant similar to that of air is used as a support. Compared with other support materials, this material has the characteristics of high strength, high temperature resistance and low dielectric constant, reducing the weight and lowering the loss. The antenna has a simple structure, and is fixed with screws between layers, with good reliability. At the same time, the antenna covers frequency points such as GPS L1, L2 and Beidou B1, B2, etc., has a wide bandwidth, and has a higher gain compared with other antennas of the same type. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] The drawings constituting a part of the present utility model are used to provide a further understanding of the present utility model. The schematic embodiments of the present utility model and their descriptions are used to explain the present utility model and do not constitute an improper limitation to the present utility model. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 is a side view schematic diagram of an occultation array antenna for airship airborne according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0026] Figure 2 is an exploded schematic diagram of an occultation array antenna for airship airborne according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0027] Figure 3 is a top view of an occultation array antenna for airship airborne according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0028] Figure 4 is a simulation standing wave schematic diagram of an occultation array antenna for airship airborne according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0029] Figure 5 is an L1 frequency point simulation gain schematic diagram of an occultation array antenna for airship airborne according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0030] Figure 6 is a B1 frequency point simulation gain schematic diagram of an occultation array antenna for airship airborne according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0031] Figure 7 is an L2 frequency point simulation gain schematic diagram of an occultation array antenna for airship airborne according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0032] Figure 8 is a B2 frequency point simulation gain schematic diagram of an occultation array antenna for airship airborne according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0033] Description of the Reference Numerals:

[0034] 1, cover plate; 2, upper layer radiation copper sheet; 3, foam support layer; 4, screw; 5, dielectric substrate; 6, feed network board; 7, lower layer radiation patch; 8, bottom shell; 9, feed probe. Specific embodiments

[0035] It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments in the present utility model and the features in the embodiments may be combined with each other.

[0036] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first", "second", etc. may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more.

[0037] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "mounted", "connected", "coupled" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific situations.

[0038] The present utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings and in combination with embodiments.

[0039] A lightweight occultation array antenna suitable for airship airborne, as Figures 1-3 shown, includes a cover plate 1, a foam support layer 3, a dielectric substrate 5, a feed network board 6 and a bottom shell 8;

[0040] The cover plate 1, the foam support layer 3, the dielectric substrate 5, the feed network board 6 and the bottom shell 8 are sequentially fixed from top to bottom by a plurality of screws 4 to form an integral structure;

[0041] A plurality of upper radiation copper sheets 2 are provided between the cover plate 1 and the foam support layer 3; a plurality of lower radiation patches 7 are provided between the foam support layer 3 and the dielectric substrate 5; a feed probe 9 is provided between the dielectric substrate 5 and the feed network board 6;

[0042] The upper radiation copper sheet 2 is used to receive low-frequency signals;

[0043] The lower-layer radiation patch 7 is formed by chemical etching and is used to receive high-frequency signals;

[0044] A groove is provided in the middle of the bottom case 8 for protecting the feeding network and shielding external signals.

[0045] Preferably, the cover plate 1 is made of polymethacrylimide foam material with a thickness of 2 mm, a dielectric constant of 1.07, which is very close to the dielectric constant of air 1.003, and plays a role in protecting the upper-layer radiation copper sheet 2.

[0046] Preferably, the upper-layer radiation copper sheet 2 is cut from a copper sheet with a thickness of 0.03 mm, a diameter of 104 mm, and a quantity of 4. It is responsible for receiving low-frequency signals and is adhered to the foam support layer 3 with 3M double-sided tape.

[0047] Preferably, the foam support layer 3 is provided with 4 positioning grooves with a depth of 0.03 mm for placing the upper-layer radiation copper sheet 2, which plays a positioning role and at the same time reduces the gap between the cover plate 1 and the foam support layer 3.

[0048] Preferably, the foam support layer 3 is made of polymethacrylimide foam material with a thickness of 12 mm. Compared with using an air cavity structure, the design of the support structure is reduced, and it is a solid structure, which will not accumulate rainwater and is less affected by wind force, thus affecting the antenna performance. At the same time, compared with other metal support structures, it has a small weight.

[0049] Preferably, the diameter of the lower-layer radiation patch is 86 mm and the quantity is 4, which is responsible for receiving high-frequency signals.

[0050] Preferably, the dielectric substrate 5 is made of F4BM with a thickness of 10 - 11 mm.

[0051] Preferably, the feeding probe 9 is made of copper, with a diameter of 0.5 mm and a length of 10.5 mm, and is connected to the lower-layer radiation patch and the feeding network by welding.

[0052] Preferably, the feeding network board 6 has a thickness of 0.5 - 0.6 mm. A one-to-four power divider network is etched on the surface of the feeding network board 6, and the signal is transmitted to the receiver through radio frequency cable connection.

[0053] Preferably, the material of the bottom case 8 is aluminum alloy, the depth of the groove is 5 - 5.5 mm; 12 mating screw holes for cooperating with the screw 4 are provided at the edge of the groove;

[0054] A number of mounting screw holes are provided at the two side edges of the bottom case 8 for connecting and fixing with the airship hull.

[0055] The lengths and widths of the cover plate 1, the foam support layer 3, the dielectric substrate 5, the feed network board 6, and the bottom case 8 are all the same; the ratio of the length to the width is 4:1.

[0056] The cover plate 1 and the foam support layer 3 are made of PMI material, and the upper radiation copper sheet 2 is made of copper sheet with a thickness of 0.03 mm. The dielectric substrate 5 and the feed network board 6 are made of Wangling F4BM material, and the bottom case 8 is an aluminum alloy structural part processed by CNC; due to the use of PMI foam material with a dielectric constant similar to that of air as the support, compared with other support materials, this material has the characteristics of high strength, high temperature resistance, and low dielectric constant, reducing the weight and lowering the loss. The antenna has a simple structure, and the layers are fixed by screws 4, with good reliability. At the same time, the antenna covers frequency points such as GPS L1, L2, and Beidou B1, B2, etc., has a wide bandwidth, and has a higher gain compared with other antennas of the same type, as Figures 4-8 shown.

[0057] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lightweight occultation array antenna suitable for airships, characterized in that: It comprises a cover plate (1), a foam support layer (3), a dielectric substrate (5), a feed network plate (6) and a bottom shell (8); The cover plate (1), the foam support layer (3), the dielectric substrate (5), the feed network plate (6) and the bottom shell (8) are fixed in sequence from top to bottom by a plurality of screws (4) to form an integral structure; A plurality of upper-layer radiation copper sheets (2) are provided between the cover plate (1) and the foam support layer (3); a plurality of lower-layer radiation patches (7) are provided between the foam support layer (3) and the dielectric substrate (5); and a feed probe (9) is provided between the dielectric substrate (5) and the feed network board (6); The upper radiation copper sheet (2) is used to receive low-frequency signals; The lower radiation patch (7) is formed by chemical etching and is used to receive high-frequency signals; The middle part of the bottom shell (8) is provided with a groove for protecting the feeding network and shielding external signals.

2. The lightweight occultation array antenna suitable for airship according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cover plate (1) is made of polymethacrylimide foam material and has a thickness of 2-2.5 mm.

3. The lightweight occultation array antenna suitable for airship according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper radiation copper sheet (2) is cut from a copper sheet with a thickness of 0.03 mm, has a diameter of 100-105 mm, and is 4 in number and is adhered to the foam support layer (3) by double-sided adhesive.

4. The lightweight occultation array antenna suitable for airship according to claim 2, characterized in that: The foam support layer (3) is provided with four positioning grooves with a depth of 0.03 mm for placing the upper radiation copper sheet (2).

5. The lightweight occultation array antenna suitable for airship according to claim 2, characterized in that: The foam support layer (3) is made of polymethacrylimide foam material and has a thickness of 12-14 mm.

6. The lightweight occultation array antenna suitable for airship according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower radiation patch (7) has a diameter of 85-90 mm and is 4 in number.

7. The lightweight occultation array antenna suitable for airship according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dielectric substrate (5) is made of F4BM and has a thickness of 10-11 mm.

8. The lightweight occultation array antenna suitable for airship according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding probe (9) is made of copper, has a diameter-to-length ratio of 1:21, and is connected to the lower radiation patch (7) and the feeding network by welding.

9. The lightweight occultation array antenna suitable for airship according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feed network board (6) has a thickness of 0.5-0.6 mm, and a one-to-four power divider network is etched on the surface of the feed network board (6).

10. The lightweight occultation array antenna suitable for airship according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom shell (8) is made of aluminum alloy, and the depth of the groove is 5-5.5 mm; a plurality of screw holes for matching with the screws (4) are provided at the edge of the groove; The two side edges of the bottom shell (8) are provided with a plurality of mounting screw holes for connecting and fixing with the airship casing.

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