Stereoscopic Helical Antenna Array With Flexible Support
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional planar helical antenna arrays experience a significant reduction in gain when scanning to large angles, and increasing the number of array elements leads to a narrowing of the array beam, making it difficult to achieve wide-angle coverage while maintaining antenna performance and reducing the complexity of the feeding network.
Innovation Solution
A fixed multi-beam helical antenna stereoscopic array with a folding and unfolding function, utilizing a stereoscopic frustum structure and flexible support device, which allows for beam pointing deflection without phase-shifting networks, reduces mutual coupling, and incorporates a beam isolation plate with weight-reducing holes to minimize size and weight, while the flexible support wires and pitch fine-adjustment device control the pitch and rigidity of the helical antenna units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the number of array elements is increased to maintain gain at large scanning angles, then the gain is improved, but the array beam narrows and the feeding network complexity increases geometrically
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a planar antenna array to a stereoscopic three-dimensional array structure. By arranging antenna elements in multiple layers at different heights and positions in 3D space, the system achieves wide-angle beam coverage without requiring a geometric increase in the number of feeding networks. The stereoscopic configuration allows beams to be steered across large angles while maintaining gain through spatial distribution rather than simply increasing element count in a plane.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna array is divided into multiple independent antenna units distributed throughout the stereoscopic structure. Each unit can be independently fed and controlled, allowing the system to achieve wide-angle coverage through coordinated operation of segmented elements rather than requiring a monolithic feeding network that would grow geometrically with coverage requirements.
2Power
If the number of array elements is increased to maintain gain at large scanning angles, then the gain is improved, but the array beam narrows
Solution Approach 1:
By utilizing three-dimensional spatial arrangement of antenna elements in multiple layers, the system maintains broad beam width at large scanning angles. The vertical and horizontal distribution of elements in stereoscopic space allows the beam to spread across wide angles without narrowing, as the 3D geometry provides additional degrees of freedom for beam shaping that are unavailable in planar configurations.
3Quantity of substance
If a stereoscopic structure is used to operate without scanning angle, then the number of array elements can be reduced, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a stereoscopic structure with antenna elements arranged in multiple vertical and horizontal layers. This three-dimensional configuration allows the system to achieve wide-angle coverage with fewer elements compared to planar arrays, as the vertical dimension provides additional spatial diversity. The reduced element count compensates for the increased structural complexity.
4Volume of moving object
If flexible support wires are used to enable folding and unfolding, then the size envelope is reduced, but the support structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible support wires that enable the antenna structure to transition between folded and unfolded states. The support system is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing the antenna to be compacted for storage or transport and deployed for operation. The flexibility of the support wires provides the necessary mechanical degrees of freedom for folding while maintaining structural integrity during deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes flexible support wires as thin, compliant mechanical elements to support the antenna structure during folding and unfolding operations. These flexible components allow the rigid antenna elements to be reconfigured into compact arrangements without requiring complex rigid mechanical joints or actuators, thereby reducing overall structural complexity while enabling size reduction.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention provides a fixed multi-beam helical antenna stereoscopic array, comprising helical antenna units and a frustum structure which comprises a top surface and a plurality of side surfaces, the upper ends of the side surfaces are connected with the edge of the top surface, the side edges of the adjacent side surfaces are connected, and the top surface and side surfaces are provided with helical antenna units respectively, wherein, the top surface of the frustum structure is in the shape of a regular polygon, and the side surfaces are in the shape of isosceles trapezoids. Each helical antenna unit is isolated by a beam isolation plate, and the helical antenna of the helical antenna unit is mounted on the dielectric plates. The helical antenna has a folding and unfolding function, and the effective control over the pitch and rigidity of the helical antenna is achieved by flexible support wires and a pitch fine-adjustment device. The invention realizes antenna beam pointing deflection by the stereoscopic frustum structure, so as to realize a beam coverage in the airspace in a wider field of view, without using the phase-shifting feeding network; mutual-coupling among the antenna units is reduced and the frustum structure is downsized by the beam isolation plate, and the antenna stereoscopic array is better from the electrical performance, cost and weight.