Variable Pitch Antenna Sources for Satellite Beam Synthesis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current satellite antenna designs face challenges in maintaining performance, directivity, and figure of merit G/T while minimizing complexity and cost, particularly in reducing the number of sources required for generating fine beams, which is crucial for telecom and high-speed applications.
Innovation Solution
The antenna system employs a variable sampling pitch for its sources, optimizing directivity based on the depointing angle and maintaining a constant G/T ratio, with subsets of sources having different sampling steps to reduce the overall number of sources needed, thereby simplifying the design and reducing system complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the number of sources is reduced to lower complexity and cost, then device complexity and cost decrease, but maintaining performance in terms of field of view, directivity and figure of merit G/T becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The focal network is divided into multiple subsets of sources, where each subset is responsible for illuminating specific regions of the reflector. This segmentation allows the total number of sources to be reduced while maintaining coverage of the entire field of view, as each subset can be optimized independently for its designated region.
Solution Approach 2:
Different subsets of sources are assigned different sampling pitches according to their specific functional requirements. Sources in different regions of the focal network use different spacing configurations, allowing optimization of directivity and G/T ratio for each local region while reducing the overall number of sources needed compared to a uniform high-density arrangement.
2Ease of manufacture
If constant sampling pitch is used for all sources, then design simplicity is maintained, but directivity optimization for different depointing angles is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The sampling pitch is made variable rather than constant, allowing the spacing between sources to be dynamically adjusted according to the depointing angle requirements. This enables the antenna to optimize directivity for different beam steering angles while maintaining a systematic design approach through the use of multiple defined subsets.
Solution Approach 2:
The sampling pitch parameter is changed across different subsets of sources, with each subset using a specific pitch value optimized for its operational range. This parameter variation allows the system to achieve superior directivity performance across different depointing angles compared to a single constant pitch design.
3Ease of manufacture
If the number of sources is reduced, then development cost decreases, but maintaining directivity of 44 dBi and G/T ratio of 17 dB/K becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly distributing sources across the entire focal network, the invention uses partial action by activating only specific subsets of sources for specific beam directions. This reduces the effective number of sources needed at any given time while maintaining the required directivity and G/T ratio through optimized source activation patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
By varying the sampling pitch parameter across different source subsets, the system achieves optimized directivity and G/T ratio performance with fewer total sources. Each subset's pitch is tuned to maximize performance for its specific operational range, reducing the overall source count needed to meet the 44 dBi directivity and 17 dB/K G/T requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
The system has a set of light beam sources forming a focal array (RF), where the sources are spaced at a sampling pitch. Each source presents a misalignment angle lower than or equal to 7 degrees. An antenna presents directivity, gain and noise equivalent temperature. The sampling pitch is variable, and configured in a manner to optimize directivity of the antenna depending on the misalignment angle of the sources and to maintain constant gain ratio on the noise equivalent temperature. Crowns are arranged on both sides of a part of the sources. An independent claim is also included for a method for dimensioning an antenna system.