Multisegment Ring-Focus Reflector Antenna for Wide-Angle LEO Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing number of low-EIRP LEO satellites requires a large number of large reflector antennas on the ground, leading to inefficient land use and high backhaul costs due to the need for each antenna to cover a significant area for scanning low-elevation angles, resulting in underutilization and increased expenses for satellite operators.
Innovation Solution
A multisegment array-fed ring-focus reflector antenna system that uses a planar feed array and a contiguous surface of ring-focus parabolic reflectors to produce multiple beams at various elevation angles, reducing the need for multiple large antennas and minimizing land and backhaul requirements by allowing multiple reflector antennas to be consolidated into a single system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If large reflector antennas are used to communicate with low-EIRP LEO satellites, then communication capability is improved, but land area requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reflector antenna is divided into multiple segments arranged in a ring configuration, each segment independently fed by array elements. This segmentation allows the large aperture to be constructed from smaller modular units, reducing the land area required while maintaining the communication capability through coherent combining of signals from all segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a conventional single-dish reflector to a ring-shaped segmented array configuration. This dimensional change allows the antenna to achieve the required gain and beamforming capability through the distributed ring structure, significantly reducing the footprint and land area requirement compared to traditional large parabolic antennas.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple large reflector antennas are deployed to service growing LEO satellite constellations, then satellite coverage is improved, but backhaul costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented ring reflector antenna is designed with electronic beamforming capability that allows a single antenna to serve multiple LEO satellites simultaneously by electronically steering beams to different elevations and azimuths. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for multiple dedicated antennas, reducing backhaul infrastructure requirements and associated costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna employs electronic phase control and beamforming to dynamically redirect beams between different satellite targets without physical movement of the entire structure. This dynamic beam steering capability allows one antenna to adaptively serve multiple satellites in different positions, reducing the total number of antennas needed and minimizing backhaul expenses.
3Area of stationary object
If reflector antennas are placed far from data centers to reduce land use, then land area is reduced, but fiber backhaul requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented ring configuration enables the antenna to achieve high gain with a compact footprint that can be installed in proximity to data centers. The modular segmented structure allows for space-efficient deployment, eliminating the need for distant locations and reducing fiber backhaul complexity while maintaining communication performance.
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 multisegment array-fed ring-focus reflector antenna system significantly reduces land and backhaul costs, achieves efficient use of resources, and provides cost-effective, scalable solutions for wide-angle scanning, enabling efficient communication with multiple LEO satellites from a single ground terminal.
Implementation Method 1
a multisegment reflector to reflect multiple beams of the feed array into a number of elevation angles
Data Source
AI summary
A multisegment array-fed reflector antenna includes a feed array consisting of a number of subarrays and a multisegment reflector to reflect multiple beams of the feed array into a number of elevation angles. A support structure couples the multisegment reflector to the feed array. The multisegment reflector includes two or more ring-focus parabolic segments, and each ring-focus parabolic segment is a parabolic surface extending along a circle around the support structure.