CubeSat Rail Rod Waveguide Antenna Design

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional antennas on CubeSat platforms face deployment failure risks and add extra volume and weight due to packaging and deployment mechanisms, limiting their efficiency and reliability.

Innovation Solution

The use of hollow rail rods forming rectangular tubes as embedded antennas, which act as rectangular waveguides, allowing RF energy to radiate through slots, eliminating the need for packaging and deployment mechanisms and enabling efficient energy transmission and radiation in predefined directions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional monopole/dipole antennas are used on CubeSat, then antenna functionality is achieved, but deployment failure risk increases and volume/weight increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveantenna deployment reliabilityVSAvoidpackaging and deployment mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The antenna is merged with the CubeSat structural body itself. The hollow rail rods that form the CubeSat frame double as the antenna radiating elements, eliminating the need for separate antenna packaging and deployment mechanisms. This integration directly resolves the contradiction by removing the complex deployment system while maintaining antenna functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The rail rods serve dual functions: providing structural support for the CubeSat and acting as antenna elements for RF radiation. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated antenna components and their associated deployment mechanisms, thereby improving reliability while reducing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If printed antennas integrated with solar cells are used, then antenna functionality is achieved, but deployment failure risk increases due to packaging requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveantenna deployment reliabilityVSAvoidpackaging mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The antenna function is merged into the structural rail rods of the CubeSat. By making the rail rods hollow and incorporating slots, the structure itself becomes the radiating element, eliminating the need for separate printed antenna layers on solar cells and their associated packaging requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The antenna function is extracted from the solar cell integration approach and embedded directly into the structural rail rods. This extraction eliminates the need for complex packaging mechanisms required for printed antennas on solar cells.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Strength

If traditional antennas with packaging mechanisms are used, then antenna protection is achieved, but volume and weight of payload increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveantenna protectionVSAvoidpayload volume

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The antenna is merged with the CubeSat structural body, eliminating the need for separate protective packaging. The structural rail rods themselves provide both mechanical strength and antenna functionality, thereby protecting the antenna function without increasing payload volume.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Reliability

If traditional antennas with deployment mechanisms are used, then antenna functionality is achieved, but weight of payload increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveantenna functionalityVSAvoidpayload weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The antenna function is merged into the structural rail rods of the CubeSat. By making the rail rods hollow and incorporating slots, the structure itself becomes the radiating element, eliminating the need for separate antenna components and their associated deployment mechanisms, thereby reducing payload weight while maintaining antenna functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

This solution provides a lightweight, compact, and reliable antenna system that allows for efficient energy transmission and radiation in all directions, enhancing the reliability and efficiency of CubeSat missions without the need for additional packaging or deployment mechanisms.

Implementation Method 1

one or more hollow rail rods forming a rectangular tube. The one or hollower rail rods may include one or more slots, allowing energy to leak and radiate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectWaveguide: Waveguide

Implementation Method 2

The one or hollower rail rods may include one or more slots, allowing energy to leak and radiate in a predefined direction in space

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic radiation: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentUS10361472B2Antenna for cubeSat platforms

Publication Date: 2019.07.23 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR NAT AERONAUTICS & SPACE ADMINISTRATION

AI summary

A Cubesat uses both rail rods, walls, or both as an antenna. Either the rail rods and/or walls may form a rectangular waveguide, and may have one or more slots that allow energy to leak and radiate in a predefined direction in space.