Single E-probe Field Aperture Coupler for High-Power Antenna Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for testing high-powered horn antennas in satellite communications face challenges such as limited power handling and high costs due to the need for large vacuum chambers and directional couplers, which are expensive and thermally constrained, especially when testing newer spacecraft designs without internal test couplers.
Innovation Solution
A system using a single electric field probe in a surrogate waveguide with a power attenuation device and a mounting plate, positioned to reduce radiating aperture size, allowing for reduced flux density and increased power handling without the need for directional couplers, enabling testing in smaller vacuum chambers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a Field Aperture Load configuration with an absorber pad is used to test horn antennas, then the maximum allowable flux density at the absorber pad is limited by absorption and cooling rate, but moving the absorber pad farther from the horn antenna to reduce flux density requires the entire FAL to grow larger
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inserts a surrogate waveguide with reduced radiating aperture inside the horn antenna, creating a nested structure. This internal placement allows the waveguide to be positioned close to the horn aperture without requiring external space, thereby reducing the size of the overall FAL configuration while still achieving flux density reduction through the smaller aperture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the aperture size parameter by using a surrogate waveguide with a reduced radiating aperture compared to the original horn antenna. This parameter change spreads the radiated transmit flux over a broader area, reducing the maximum flux density at the absorber pad without requiring the absorber to be moved farther away
2Area of stationary object
If large vacuum chamber testing facilities are used to accommodate larger FAL configurations, then sufficient space is available for testing, but costs increase and schedule availability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
By nesting the surrogate waveguide inside the horn antenna, the patent reduces the external dimensions of the FAL configuration. This allows the entire test setup to fit within smaller, more readily available vacuum chambers, thereby reducing costs and improving schedule availability
3Power
If directional E-probe coupler components are used for testing spacecraft payload designs, then power handling is limited by thermal constraints, but these components are expensive and thermally constrained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the directional coupler components from the test setup and replaces them with a single E-probe positioned outside the surrogate waveguide. This extraction eliminates the expensive and thermally constrained directional coupler components while maintaining the ability to measure RF energy through the simpler E-probe configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a single E-probe to sample the RF energy radiating from the surrogate waveguide aperture, creating a simplified measurement system that copies the function of the removed directional coupler without its complexity or thermal constraints
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 reduces costs and increases power handling by 3 to 10 times, allowing for efficient testing of high-power payloads in smaller chambers with minimal reflective environments, while maintaining low ripple and high frequency capability.
Implementation Method 1
a single electric field probe in the surrogate waveguide
Implementation Method 2
the reduced radiating aperture spreads the radiated transmit flux over a broader area such that shorter distance to the absorber is tolerated without overheating
Implementation Method 3
A thin aluminum shroud surrounding the space between the absorber and the horn antenna can be added to create a Field Aperture Load (FAL) configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A temporary microwave horn antenna coupling device is configured for collecting or injecting quantifiable samples of RF energy. The device comprises single electric field probe mounted at the radiating aperture of a radiating payload. The electric field probe can be oriented at 45 degrees to the horizontal and vertical electric fields of a linearly polarized antenna, or oriented for a single linear polarization to the electric field in a circular polarized antenna. The electric field probe is connected to an attenuator and/or lossy cable for reduced reflections and gradient thermal dissipation.