Foldable ADE Antenna Layout for CubeSat 60 GHz Links
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing antennas for telecommunications in the 60 GHz band are costly and bulky, making them unsuitable for CubeSat applications and space missions, and they suffer from performance issues due to ray reflections.
Innovation Solution
A compact ADE antenna with a main reflector formed by a rotated parabolic section and a sub-reflector, featuring a clearance angle of 16.3°, and a foldable design with hinged semi-reflectors, manufactured using CNC and 3D printing, allowing for high gain and efficient circular polarization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional antennas for 60 GHz band are used, then telecommunications performance is achieved, but the antenna size and cost become excessive for CubeSat applications
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna is divided into two functional sections: a main reflector and a sub-reflector. This segmentation allows the antenna to achieve the required 60 GHz band performance while reducing the overall volume to fit within CubeSat constraints (less than 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm). The sub-reflector specifically addresses performance issues by correcting ray reflections that would otherwise degrade signal quality in the compact configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The sub-reflector is positioned within the focal region of the main reflector, creating a nested configuration where the smaller sub-reflector operates inside the larger main reflector's aperture. This nesting enables both reflectors to work together in a compact arrangement that maintains high gain and circular polarization performance while minimizing the overall antenna volume for space deployment.
2Reliability
If conventional antennas for 60 GHz band are used, then telecommunications performance is achieved, but production and launch costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the antenna into main and sub-reflectors, the design enables optimized manufacturing processes for each component. The main reflector can be produced using cost-effective methods while the smaller sub-reflector requires less material and manufacturing complexity, collectively reducing production costs compared to conventional full-size antennas while maintaining 60 GHz band performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The compact ADE antenna design with its reduced material requirements and simplified structure represents a cost-effective solution that can be manufactured at lower cost and launched more economically. The design accepts certain performance trade-offs that are resolved through the sub-reflector, allowing for more economical construction compared to conventional antennas of equivalent performance.
3Volume of moving object
If antenna dimensions are reduced for CubeSat, then launch cost is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Segmenting the antenna into main and sub-reflectors allows different precision requirements to be applied to different components. The sub-reflector, being smaller and positioned at a specific clearance angle (10°-20° from the parabola axis), can be manufactured with high precision using modern techniques, while the main reflector has more tolerant requirements. This segmentation makes the overall compact design manufacturable with current technology.
Solution Approach 2:
The design specifies a clearance angle parameter for the sub-reflector (10°-20° from the parabola axis, preferably 16°-17°, even more preferably 16.3°) that optimizes the balance between manufacturing precision requirements and antenna performance. This parameter optimization enables the compact configuration to achieve high gain and circular polarization while remaining manufacturable.
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 antenna achieves high gain and efficient circular polarization, fitting within CubeSat dimensions while maintaining performance, reducing production and launch costs, and enabling simultaneous transmission and reception.
Implementation Method 1
the main reflector is obtained by the geometric rotation about a rotation axis of a portion of a branch of a parabola
Implementation Method 2
A clearance angle, which is defined between the axis of the parabola and a segment which joins an edge of the sub-reflector and the focus of the parabola
Data Source
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
An antenna of the ADE type, operating at frequencies between approximately 59 GHz and 71 GHz, comprises a main reflector (12, 112), a feeder (16, 116) and a sub-reflector (14, 114), which is kept at a predetermined distance from the feeder by a sub-reflector support (18, 118) and has such dimensions that the total spatial requirement thereof is less than 10x10x10 cm.