Ridged Waveguide Vivaldi Antenna Array for Wideband Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current RF antenna designs for compact arrays face challenges in achieving high gain, large bandwidth, ease of manufacturability, and low cost, with existing methods being time-consuming, heavy, and complex, particularly in military applications such as aircraft and missile guidance.
Innovation Solution
The design employs an array of ridged waveguide Vivaldi radiator (RWVR) antenna elements fed through a corporate network of suspended air striplines (SAS), which transfers electromagnetic energy via a ridged waveguide coupler, allowing for wideband operation and reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional waveguide or waveguide horn designs are used, then the antenna structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the operational bandwidth is limited to a single fundamental mode or a pair of orthogonal fundamental modes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the waveguide structure by adding conductive ridges to the waveguide walls, which changes the electromagnetic field distribution and allows multiple modes to propagate simultaneously. This parameter change (adding ridges) enables the waveguide to operate over a broader bandwidth while maintaining a relatively simple manufacturing process, as the ridges can be integrated into the waveguide fabrication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite structure combining waveguide walls with conductive ridge elements. This composite approach allows the waveguide to support multiple propagation modes (TE10, TE20, TE01, etc.) simultaneously, thereby expanding the operational bandwidth while keeping the overall structure manufacturable using conventional techniques.
2Ease of manufacture
If mechanical fasteners, adhesives, or solders are used to fasten antenna elements to the feed structure, then the antenna can be assembled, but the process is time-consuming and results in a relatively heavy antenna structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the antenna elements directly with the feed structure through a monolithic or closely coupled design, eliminating the need for separate fastening operations. The antenna elements are positioned and secured within the waveguide structure in a way that combines multiple components into a unified assembly, thereby reducing assembly time and removing the weight penalty of mechanical fasteners, adhesives, or solders.
3Ease of manufacture
If mechanical fasteners, adhesives, or solders are used to fasten antenna elements, then the antenna can be assembled, but the structure becomes relatively heavy which is undesirable in a flight-worthy vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an integrated design where antenna elements are directly mounted within the waveguide structure without requiring separate fastening hardware. This merging of components eliminates the weight of mechanical fasteners, adhesives, and solders while maintaining secure assembly, making the antenna suitable for flight-worthy applications where weight is critical.
4Reliability
If a complicated manufacturing process like injection molding with metalizing is used, then excellent performance is achieved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves excellent antenna performance by optimizing the waveguide and ridged waveguide geometric parameters (dimensions, ridge positions, etc.) through analytical and numerical methods, rather than relying on complex manufacturing processes like injection molding with metalizing. This allows conventional, simpler manufacturing techniques to produce high-performance antennas, reducing both manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining reliability.
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 results in a compact, versatile, and simplified antenna with large directivity and reduced sensitivity to manufacturing tolerances, enabling wideband operation and lower production costs while maintaining high performance across various frequency bands.
Implementation Method 1
each antenna element is fed by a SAS, which transfers the electromagnetic energy to the Vivaldi radiator via the ridged waveguide coupler
Implementation Method 2
The Vivaldi radiator gradually matches the output impedance of the ridged waveguide coupler/SAS to the intrinsic impedance of the surrounding medium
Implementation Method 3
radiates the energy outwardly into free space
Data Source
AI summary
Presently disclosed is an antenna system having an array of ridged waveguide Vivaldi radiator (RWVR) antenna elements fed through a corporate network of suspended air striplines (SAS). The SAS transfers the electromagnetic energy to the radiating element via the ridged waveguide coupler. The Vivaldi radiator matches the output impedance of the ridged waveguide coupler/SAS to the impedance of the surrounding medium. Because the coupling method and the radiating elements are wideband mediums, this antenna array is capable of wideband operation. The physical dimensions of the resulting array are also not as sensitive to its electrical performance as other antenna designs since the bandwidth is quite large, reducing the occurrence of an out-of-specification antenna due to manufacturing tolerance build-up. This also reduces the complexity of the manufacturing process, which in turn lowers cost.