Mast Mountable Antenna Lightning Surge Path

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing antennas at elevated locations struggle to tolerate and direct lightning surge currents while maintaining communication performance, as they often fail to provide a robust conductive path for lightning surge currents and are affected by the mounting structure, leading to interference with the radiation pattern.

Innovation Solution

A mast mountable antenna design that incorporates a radiating conductor section, impedance transformer section, low inductance feed point, mounting mast section, and mast isolating stub section, which provides a direct and robust conductive path for lightning surge currents and suppresses radio frequency currents to the mounting structure, maintaining the radiation pattern and eliminating the need for external feed lines.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a robust conductive path is provided for lightning surge currents, then lightning surge tolerance is improved, but radio frequency current conduction to the mounting structure increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelightning surge toleranceVSAvoidradio frequency current conduction

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The antenna system is segmented into distinct functional sections: a radiating conductor section for RF operation, a mounting mast section for mechanical support and lightning conduction, and a mast isolating stub section for RF isolation. This segmentation allows the lightning surge path and RF radiation path to be separated, enabling robust lightning protection while preventing RF current conduction to the mounting structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The mast isolating stub section acts as an intermediary element between the radiating conductor section and the mounting mast section. This stub provides RF isolation through its impedance characteristics while allowing DC and low-frequency lightning surge currents to pass through to the mounting structure, thus mediating between the conflicting requirements of RF isolation and lightning conduction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If the antenna is isolated from the mounting structure at the operating frequency, then radiation pattern is improved, but lightning surge current conduction is degraded

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveradiation patternVSAvoidlightning surge current conduction

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Different sections of the antenna system have different electrical properties tailored to their specific functions. The mast isolating stub section has high RF impedance to isolate the radiating conductor from the mounting structure at operating frequencies, while the mounting mast section maintains low DC resistance for lightning surge conduction. This local differentiation of electrical properties resolves the contradiction between RF isolation and lightning conduction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of operation

If external feed lines are used, then antenna functionality is achieved, but susceptibility to lightning surge and RF interference increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveantenna functionalityVSAvoidlightning surge and RF interference

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The antenna design merges the feed line function with the antenna structure itself. The mounting mast section serves dual purposes: it provides mechanical support for the antenna and simultaneously acts as the feed line conductor. This integration eliminates separate external feed lines, reducing points of vulnerability to lightning surge and RF interference while maintaining full antenna functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 effectively directs lightning surge currents to the earth, suppresses radio frequency currents along the feed line and mounting structure, and maintains communication performance by providing a low impedance electrical path for lightning surge currents, thus enhancing the reliability and efficiency of communication systems.

Implementation Method 1

impedance transformer section

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectImpedance transformation: Electrical Impedance Tomography

Implementation Method 2

provides a direct and robust conductive path for lightning surge currents

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrical conduction: Conduction (electrical)

Implementation Method 3

radiating conductor section

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic radiation: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentUS10468743B2Mast mountable antenna

Publication Date: 2019.11.05 U S A AS REPRESENTED BY THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION DEPT OF JUSTICE

AI summary

A mast mountable antenna that is rugged, weather-tolerant, and unaffected by the antenna's mounting structure, while maintaining an electrical path for lightning surge currents. The mast mountable antenna generally includes a radiating conductor section, an impedance transformer section, a low inductance feed point, a mounting mast section, a mast isolating stub section, and an integral coaxial feed line.