3D-Printed Inverted Hat Monopole for High-Power Thermal Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inverted hat antennas face challenges in thermal management and packaging high-power electronics, and their fabrication techniques are not well-suited for integrating active or high-power components with low loss interconnects.
Innovation Solution
The development of an additively manufactured inverted hat antenna with a tapered conductive surface, where the ground plane, signal pin, and tapered conductive surface are integral as a contiguous unitary component, allowing for improved thermal management and integration of high-power electronics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional fabrication techniques are used for inverted hat antennas, then manufacturing processes are simpler, but integration of high-power electronics and thermal management is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the antenna structure with electronic component housings and thermal management features into a single integrated unit. The inverted hat antenna serves dual purposes as both an RF radiating element and a structural component that houses electronics and dissipates heat, eliminating the need for separate fabrication and assembly processes
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna structure is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: RF radiation, structural support, thermal dissipation, and electronic component mounting. This multi-functionality allows a single fabrication process to produce all necessary features without requiring additional manufacturing steps
2Temperature
If conventional antenna structures are used, then design is simpler, but thermal dissipation capability is insufficient for high-power applications
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna structure incorporates localized thermal management features such as heat sinks and cooling channels at specific locations where high-power electronics are mounted. The design provides enhanced thermal dissipation precisely where needed rather than requiring complex thermal management throughout the entire structure
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal management features are integrated directly into the antenna structure itself, combining the RF radiating elements with heat dissipation pathways. This merging eliminates the need for separate thermal management components while maintaining effective heat dissipation for high-power applications
3Reliability
If separate component fabrication is used, then manufacturing is easier, but voltage breakdown occurs at interconnects
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna structure and interconnects are fabricated as a single integrated component using additive manufacturing, eliminating separate joints and connections between parts. This integration removes the interfaces where voltage breakdown typically occurs in conventionally assembled antennas
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs conductive materials with high voltage breakdown resistance in the additive manufacturing process to create interconnects that can withstand high voltages without breakdown, while maintaining the integrated structure benefits
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 approach enables the antenna to handle high power without voltage breakdown, provides enhanced thermal dissipation, and reduces design costs by allowing for wavelength scaling and integration of impedance matching features.
Implementation Method 1
an antenna transduces electromagnetic (EM) waves to radio frequency (RF) electrical signals
Implementation Method 2
Exciting the radiator with an RF signal at the feed causes EM waves to radiate from the radiator
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna assembly includes an electrically conductive ground plane; a signal pin adjacent to the ground plane; and a tapered conductive surface coupled to the signal pin, the tapered conductive surface being symmetric about an axis passing through the signal pin and orthogonal to the ground plane, where the ground plane and the tapered conductive surface are an additively manufactured contiguous unitary component. The antenna assembly can further include a support structure extending from the ground plane to the tapered conductive surface. The support structure can be coupled to an outer edge of the tapered conductive surface or a center region of the tapered conductive surface. The antenna assembly can further include a cover over the tapered conductive surface thereby forming a hollow region between the cover and the tapered conductive surface.