Planar Radiating Element With Orthogonal Transceiver Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current transmission/reception devices for radar and electronic warfare applications are limited by the maximum power capabilities of MMIC technologies, restricting their ability to operate effectively with high powers required for these applications.
Innovation Solution
The use of two transmission/reception modules coupled to the same planar radiating element, operating in quadrature, allows for the recombination of elementary waves to achieve twice the power in transmission and efficient power distribution in reception, eliminating the need for intermediate components that degrade power efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If MMIC technology is used for transmission/reception modules, then device integration and compactness are improved, but maximum power capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides a single high-power transmission/reception function into two separate modules operating in parallel. Each module handles half the total power requirement, allowing the use of integrated MMIC technology while achieving higher overall power output through the combination of multiple lower-power modules.
2Power
If two transmission/reception modules are used to achieve high power, then power capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two transmission/reception modules to work together on a single radiating element. By merging their outputs through appropriate feeding networks and phase control, the system achieves doubled power output while maintaining a unified antenna interface, effectively hiding the complexity of dual modules behind a single radiating element.
3Power
If intermediate components are added for power combination, then power capability is improved, but power efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces carefully designed feeding networks and phase control mechanisms as intermediary elements between the two modules and the radiating element. These intermediaries are optimized to minimize losses while enabling the constructive combination of power from both modules, achieving high output power with reduced energy waste compared to conventional combining methods.
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 enables the transmission of twice the nominal power of each module, improving power efficiency and robustness against external interference, while allowing for polarized wave generation and reduced losses, thereby enhancing the antenna's range and reducing heating.
Implementation Method 1
the recombination in space of the pair of elementary waves emitted by the radiating element, each elementary wave being excited independently of one another by each of the transmission/reception modules, leads to a wave total whose power is twice as high
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (10) which combines first and second transceiver modules (14, 16) with a transceiver means (12) including a substantially planar radiating element (22) and including a central point (C). Each transceiver module is a transceiver module coupled with the transceiver means so as to energise a pair of energisation points (P1, P2; P3, P4) of the radiating element, the energisation points of one pair being arranged symmetrically relative to the central point of the radiating element. The first and second transceiver modules respectively energise a first pair of energisation points arranged in a first direction (D1) of the radiating element and a second pair of energisation points arranged in a second direction (D2) of the radiating element, the first and second directions being mutually orthogonal.