Buoyant Cable Antenna with Irregular Reactive Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Buoyant cable antennas (BCAs) have limited electrical performance, requiring multiple antennas for broadband frequency coverage, and previous improvements only enhanced performance in a single radio spectrum band, such as HF, without addressing VHF band performance.
Innovation Solution
A linear buoyant antenna with a single conductive element featuring irregularly spaced reactive loads along its length, optimized for multiple frequency bands by using a multiobjective genetic algorithm to control current flow and gain performance, allowing for improved operation in both HF and VHF bands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If uniformly spaced reactive loads are used in a buoyant cable antenna, then the antenna can be manufactured with simple regular spacing, but the electrical performance is limited and multiple antennas are needed for broadband frequency coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by transitioning from uniformly spaced reactive loads to irregularly spaced reactive loads along the antenna conductor. This asymmetric spacing configuration enables the antenna to achieve broadband frequency coverage including both HF and VHF bands, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and frequency coverage versatility.
2Device complexity
If a single antenna is used for broadband coverage, then the system complexity is reduced, but the electrical performance in multiple bands cannot be optimized simultaneously with uniform loading
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different spacing characteristics in different sections of the antenna. The irregular spacing allows each section to be optimized for specific frequency bands (HF and VHF), enabling a single antenna to achieve reliable multi-band performance without requiring multiple separate antennas.
3Reliability
If reactive loads are optimized for the highest frequency band, then performance in that band is maximized, but performance in lower frequency bands deteriorates with uniform spacing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the antenna into multiple sections with different reactive load spacing characteristics. This allows the antenna to maintain optimized performance in the highest frequency band while simultaneously achieving improved performance in lower frequency bands through the segmented irregular spacing configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna includes a first antenna section that can be joined to an antenna feed. The first section has conductive elements in series with reactive loads. The reactive loads are positioned with a regular spacing. The reactive loads and spacing are optimized for operation of the first section at the highest frequency. Additional antenna sections having successively lower frequencies are joined in series to the first antenna section. Each additional section has conductive elements joined in series with reactive loads at a particular spacing. The additional sections spacing and reactive loads are provided to work in conjunction with the higher frequency antenna sections to optimize the antenna for an additional frequency. A method for making such an antenna is further provided.