Conformal Slotted Waveguide Array With Elliptical Slots for High-Power Gain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional high power microwave antennas are bulky and unsuitable for compact, conformal designs, making it difficult to package them into small volumes and curved surfaces, which limits their efficiency and directive radiation capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A slotted waveguide array antenna design featuring a base, brackets, spars, and waveguides with elliptical slots, allowing for conformal radiation on curved apertures, and a radome for dielectric loading, enabling efficient high power microwave emission with low dispersion and high gain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional reflectors and horns are used for HPM antennas, then radiation efficiency is achieved, but the system becomes deep and heavy, unsuitable for small volumes
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna is segmented into multiple thin waveguide panels arranged in a staggered array, each panel contributing to the overall radiation function. This segmentation allows the system to achieve the required aperture area without the depth of conventional horn structures, as each thin panel radiates effectively while the collective array provides the necessary gain and efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a three-dimensional deep horn structure to a two-dimensional planar array of thin waveguides. By arranging waveguides in a staggered pattern across multiple dimensions (x, y, z coordinates), the system achieves volumetric efficiency while maintaining radiation performance through spatial distribution rather than depth.
2Reliability
If conventional HPM antennas are designed for high power radiation, then directive radiation is achieved, but the system becomes bulky and cannot conform to curved surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The waveguide panels are designed with curved surfaces that can conform to spherical or other non-planar geometries. Each waveguide panel is shaped to match the desired aperture curvature, allowing the entire antenna array to conform to curved surfaces while maintaining the staggered arrangement necessary for effective radiation. This curvature adaptation enables conformal mounting without sacrificing directive radiation capability.
3Manufacturing precision
If waveguides are arranged in stagger array with elliptical slots, then aperture efficiency reaches 65%, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The high-precision aperture is achieved through segmentation into standardized waveguide panels, each with identical elliptical slot patterns. This modular approach allows precision to be achieved in repeated, manageable units rather than as a single complex structure, facilitating manufacturing through replication and assembly of standardized components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design achieves a 65% aperture efficiency, comparable to flat non-conformal arrays, while occupying a much smaller space, and can handle peak power levels of ≥1 GW with low dispersion and high gain, effectively radiating linearly polarized high power microwaves in the microwave spectrum.
Implementation Method 1
a slotted waveguide array (SWA) antenna emitting electromagnetic radiation
Implementation Method 2
a radome for dielectric loading, enabling efficient high power microwave emission
Data Source
AI summary
A slotted waveguide array (SWA) antenna is provided for emitting electromagnetic radiation. The antenna includes a base, a pair of brackets, a pair of spars, a plurality of waveguides, and a radome. The base provides longitudinal and lateral support for the antenna on a platform. The brackets are disposed at longitudinally opposite ends on the base. The spars connect the brackets and are disposed at laterally opposite ends of the base. The waveguides are disposed in stagger array. Each waveguide has a pair of broad walls and a pair of side walls that share longitudinal edges. The broad wall is wider than the side wall. The broad wall includes elliptical slots penetrating each waveguide. The stagger array arranges first and second waveguides share respective first and second longitudinal edges. The radome covers the waveguides and connects to the pair of spars.