Radar Antenna Unequal Element Spacing Main Lobe Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Radar antennas with unequal interval arrangements face challenges in maintaining optimal aperture length, leading to either narrowed detectable range or decreased angular resolution due to widening of the main lobe, which affects recognition ability.
Innovation Solution
The radar antenna unit employs a receiving antenna configuration with varying intervals between elements, where at least one interval differs, and the sum of specific intervals is constrained to prevent the main lobe from widening, ensuring the average interval is between 0.8 λ0 and 1.2 λ0, thereby maintaining optimal aperture length and angular resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If unequal interval arrangement is used for receiving antenna elements, then angular resolution is improved, but main lobe widens causing decreased recognition ability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by carefully controlling the interval parameters between antenna elements. Specifically, it sets the average interval PAVG to 0.8λ0-1.2λ0 and constrains the sum of end intervals PL+PR to be 0.5λ0-2.0λ0, while allowing intermediate intervals to vary. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction by maintaining recognition ability through controlled average interval while achieving angular resolution improvement through varied intermediate intervals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of antenna element intervals into three distinct regions: end intervals (PL and PR) that are constrained to maintain recognition ability, intermediate intervals that provide angular resolution improvement, and the overall average interval that ensures optimal aperture length. This localized differentiation of interval characteristics resolves the contradiction between angular resolution and recognition ability.
2Measurement precision
If aperture length is increased to improve angular resolution, then detectable range is narrowed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction through parameter optimization by setting the average interval PAVG to 0.8λ0-1.2λ0, which corresponds to an optimal aperture length. This parameter setting achieves angular resolution improvement without excessively increasing the aperture length, thereby maintaining an appropriate detectable range.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies asymmetry by using unequal interval arrangements where intermediate intervals differ from each other and from end intervals. This asymmetric distribution of antenna elements achieves angular resolution improvement equivalent to larger apertures while maintaining a compact overall size, thus preserving detectable range.
3Length of stationary object
If average interval is set to 0.8 λ0 to 1.2 λ0 to maintain optimal aperture length, then device complexity increases due to precise interval control requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by defining a permissive range for the average interval (0.8λ0-1.2λ0) rather than requiring a single precise value. This range-based parameter specification maintains optimal aperture length while reducing manufacturing and assembly complexity, as small variations within the range do not significantly affect performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A radar antenna of the disclosure is a radar antenna unit including a receiving antenna configured to receive a reflected wave of a radar wave. The receiving antenna includes a plurality of receiving antenna elements arranged at an interval so as to form a row along a first direction. The plurality of receiving antenna elements include a first end antenna element positioned at a first end of the row, a second end antenna element positioned at a second end of the row, and a plurality of intermediate antenna elements positioned between the first end antenna element and the second end antenna element. Of a plurality of the intervals between the plurality of receiving antenna elements, at least one interval differs from other interval. The plurality of receiving antenna elements are disposed such that PL+PR≤PAVG×2 holds. PAVG is from 0.8 λ0 to 1.2 λ0. PL is a first end interval.