Folded Horn Antenna Axial Length Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional high aperture efficiency radiating elements for phased array antennas have limited bandwidth, and high-efficiency multimode horns are excessively long, making them unsuitable for compact applications.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a horn antenna with folded axial corrugations, which reduces axial length while maintaining high aperture efficiency and wide bandwidth, utilizing a design with axially spaced annular wall sections and cylindrical sections that extend perpendicularly from the inner edges, and incorporating grooves with axial and radial portions to achieve a compact, low-profile structure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional high aperture efficiency radiating elements are used, then aperture efficiency is improved, but bandwidth is limited to only a few percent

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaperture efficiencyVSAvoidbandwidth

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The horn is divided into multiple sections with different corrugation patterns along its length. Each section has specific corrugations designed to optimize performance at different frequencies, allowing the single horn to efficiently radiate across a wide bandwidth while maintaining high aperture efficiency at all frequencies

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the horn have locally optimized corrugation structures. The corrugations are not uniform but vary along the horn length, with each local region tailored to contribute to overall wideband performance while maintaining high efficiency in its specific frequency range

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If high efficiency multimode horns are used, then aperture efficiency is improved, but axial length becomes excessively long

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaperture efficiencyVSAvoidaxial length

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The horn employs corrugations that extend in the radial dimension rather than requiring excessive axial length. By utilizing the radial dimension for the corrugation structures, the design achieves high aperture efficiency without proportionally increasing the axial length, creating a more compact overall structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The corrugation parameters (depth, spacing, width) are optimized to achieve high aperture efficiency with a shorter axial length. By carefully controlling these geometric parameters, the horn maintains multimode operation and high efficiency while reducing the axial dimension compared to conventional designs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS10256531B1Folded horn for high power antenna element

Publication Date: 2019.04.09 LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP

AI summary

A horn having folded axial corrugations is provided. The horn includes folded axial corrugations for a compact, low-profile, high-efficiency, and high power handling performance. The folded axial corrugations may include a plurality of grooves that are symmetric about a central axis, each groove including an axial portion that extends in a direction parallel to the central axis and a radial portion that extends from an end of the axial portion in a direction perpendicular to the central axis.