Geodesic Antenna Nested Cones for Phase Ripple Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Geodesic antennas experience ripple in phase due to energy wrapping around cones, causing destructive interference with beam patterns, which affects beam steering and generates higher-side lobes.
Innovation Solution
The use of nested cones with driven elements and directors, where the directors are coupled to the outer cones to direct primary rays and reduce secondary rays, forming a geodesic parallel plate waveguide that minimizes ripple by enhancing beam gain and reducing side lobes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If geodesic antennas use nested cones structure, then beam gain is enhanced and beam patterns are formed in all azimuth degrees, but ripple in phase occurs due to energy wrapping around cones causing destructive interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the harmful secondary rays that wrap around the cones by positioning directors to intercept and redirect these rays before they can complete the wrap-around path and cause destructive interference. The directors selectively take out the problematic energy paths while preserving the useful primary rays.
Solution Approach 2:
The directors serve as intermediary elements between the driven elements and the surrounding space. They mediate the electromagnetic energy by intercepting secondary rays and redirecting them, preventing the direct harmful interaction between wrapped energy and the main beam pattern.
2Adaptability or versatility
If geodesic antennas operate with wrapped energy around cones, then omnidirectional beam patterns are achieved, but higher-side lobes are generated affecting beam steering accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potentially harmful wrapped-around energy into a beneficial configuration by using directors to redirect these rays constructively. The secondary rays that would normally cause side lobes are instead directed to reinforce the main beam or be harmlessly dissipated, transforming a harmful effect into a useful one.
3Reliability
If directors are added to direct primary rays and reduce secondary rays, then ripple is reduced and phase response improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The directors are nested within the existing geodesic antenna structure, integrating smoothly with the nested cones architecture. The directors are positioned within the conical structure rather than adding external components, maintaining the compact nested design while achieving ripple reduction.
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 configuration results in a sharper beam with reduced side lobes and improved phase response, leading to more predictable beam steering and reduced ambiguity in phase calculations.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one driving element is coupled to the outer cone and is configured to produce at least one primary ray
Implementation Method 2
The at least one director is coupled to the outer cone and is configured to direct the at least one primary ray
Implementation Method 3
forming a geodesic parallel plate waveguide that minimizes ripple by enhancing beam gain and reducing side lobes
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for mitigating element pattern ripple includes an inner cone, an outer cone, at least one driven element, and at least one director. The outer cone is coupled to the inner cone. The at least one driving element is coupled to the outer cone and is configured to produce at least one primary ray. The at least one director is coupled to the outer cone and is configured to direct the at least one primary ray. The inner cone and the outer cone may be concentric. The at least one driven element may include multiple driven elements. The at least one director may include multiple directors. A number of directors may be equal to a number of driven elements.