Multi-Channel Radar Antenna Phase Coding for Angular Resolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radar systems for rotary wing aircraft face challenges in providing panoramic proximity vision under reduced visibility conditions, requiring a system with a large coverage angle and short refresh time, while also being compatible with existing surveillance and weather radar architectures to avoid additional payload constraints.
Innovation Solution
A multi-channel 2D electronic scanning antenna system with phase-modulated elementary antennas, allowing for adaptive control of active radiating elements based on the aircraft's speed, and utilizing Doppler Division Multiple Access (DDMA) modulation to achieve efficient coverage and Doppler frequency distribution, enabling precise environmental mapping and collision detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a large number of static sensors are used to achieve fine angular resolution, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna system is divided into multiple independent sectors (transmission sector and reception sectors), each with its own radiating elements. This segmentation allows the radar to achieve fine angular resolution by electronically steering beams within each sector without requiring a large number of physical sensors across the entire coverage area.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses electronic scanning to dynamically steer radar beams across different angular positions. Instead of using a fixed array of sensors covering all directions simultaneously, the system dynamically directs energy sequentially across sectors, achieving fine angular resolution through temporal multiplexing rather than spatial multiplicity of sensors.
2Area of stationary object
If electronic scanning is used to achieve wide angular coverage, then coverage area is improved, but refresh time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The total coverage area is divided into multiple sectors that can be scanned in parallel or with optimized sequencing. By segmenting the coverage area into transmission and reception sectors, the system can maintain wide overall coverage while reducing the time required to refresh each individual sector's data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic scanning patterns with optimized recurrence frequencies for different sectors. The radar employs burst signals with predetermined recurrence frequencies that are tailored to each sector's requirements, allowing faster refresh rates for critical sectors while maintaining comprehensive coverage across all areas.
3Measurement precision
If the number of active radiating elements is increased to improve angular resolution, then measurement precision is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically activates only the necessary number of radiating elements based on current operational requirements, such as aircraft speed and detection needs. This dynamic activation allows the radar to achieve required angular resolution only when necessary, rather than continuously operating all elements, thereby reducing overall energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The radar system changes operational parameters including the number of active radiating elements based on flight conditions. During high-speed flight or critical detection phases, more elements are activated for finer resolution; during normal cruise, fewer elements are active, optimizing the balance between measurement precision and energy consumption.
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 system provides enhanced angular resolution and Doppler speed measurement capabilities, ensuring early detection of potential collisions and adapting to varying aircraft speeds, while sharing hardware resources with existing radar systems to reduce mass, consumption, and cost.
Implementation Method 1
The subject of the invention is a proximity radar system for rotary-wing aircraft based on a two-dimensional multi-channel electronic scanning antenna for transmission and/or reception, with elementary antennas which can be phase-modulated
Implementation Method 2
measuring the Doppler velocity allows for a better mapping of the environment and better identification and anticipation of potential hazards
Implementation Method 3
each sector comprising several phase-coded radiating elements. Each phase-coded radiating element is configured to apply a predefined phase coding law to the active radiating elements of a sector
Data Source
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AI summary
An imaging radar system (100,500) comprising an antenna system (ANT) having a plurality of sectors (TX, RX1, RX2, RX3, RX4), each composed of a plurality of activatable radiating elements, the radar system comprising at least one transmit channel and at least one receive channel capable of controlling each sector, each transmit channel being configured to control a sector (TX) by means of a burst of signals having a predetermined recurrence frequency and whose initial phase at each recurrence follows a predefined phase-coding law, each receive channel being configured to apply said phase-coding law to the active radiating elements (ET1_RX1, ET2_RX1) of a sector (RX1), the phase-coding laws applied to the different active radiating elements (ET1_TX, ET2_TX, ET1_RX1, ET2_RX1) of an assembly composed of a sector controlled by a channel transmission and a sector controlled by a reception channel, being orthogonal to each other.