Modeling and Design of Reconfigurable Point Actuated Aperture Antennas

可重构点驱动孔径天线的建模和设计

• 批准号: 0100246
• 负责人: Gregory Washington
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Ohio State University Research Foundation -DO NOT USE
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-07-01 至 2005-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0100246&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Modeling; Design; Reconfigurable; Point; Actuated

0100246WashingtonIn order to meet the communication and broadcasting needs of the 21st century, aperture antennas are generally required to have shaped surfaces so that their radiation patterns efficiently match the geographical regions where the signals are to be transmitted and received. These antennas are, in general, rigid and consist of parabolic, paraboloidal, cylindrical, spherical, or hyperboloidal shapes. In terms of the current state of the art, beam shaping with these rigid structures is possible with multiple off-center feed arrays or asymmetric shaping of the reflector surface (contour beam reflector antennas). Beam steering can be accomplished electrically by utilizing the feed array or mechanically by using specially designed gimbals that tilt the whole reflector. In the case of spaceborne contoured beam reflector antennas, a major limitation is the fact that a rigid shaped reflector is optimized for coverage of a specific geographical area. Once the antenna is deployed on orbit, radiation pattern modification cannot be accomplished. As satellites become more reliable and their expected service life increase, the probability that the satellite service area and/or operator will change also increases. Mechanically active antennas have been proposed as a solution to this problem, but at time there are no commercially viable units. The main rationale of this stems from the following issues:1. We have algorithms that can accurately predict reflector shapes based on user defined radiation patterns, but we have very few mechanisms that deal with real structures and even fewer for how to achieve these deflections for reflectors that will change their shape dynamically.2. There is very little fundamental research on how many actuators to use, actuator placement, and optimal actuator deflections for active aperture antennas.3. There is no fundamental mechanism for coupling the electromagnetics to the mechanics in a seamless fashion.The research proposed in this study seeks to effectively design, model and construct a mechanically reconfigurable antenna that addresses these issues. Since this type of antenna can be built at a fraction of the total cost of a traditional phased array antenna there is commercial significance as well. For example, a commercial manufacturer of phased array antennas claims that they can build phased array antennas at a cost of about $100.00 per element. The resolution needed for space based communications ranges from about 10,000 to 1,000,000 elements. This puts the total cost anywhere between ($1.0M-$100M). The system weight and complexity can also elevate this cost. A mechanically reconfigurable system can be built with off the shelf components today for less than $25,000. Presently there are roughly 600 satellites in commission throughout the world. By the year 2010, it is expected that up to 1000 new satellites will be launched, many with multiple antenna systems. Based on this fact it is easy to see the potential payoff. A fundamental approach to design and construction of these antennas will revolutionize the way these aperture antennas are built today!

为了满足21世纪世纪的通信和广播需要，孔径天线通常需要具有成形的表面，使得它们的辐射图有效地匹配要发送和接收信号的地理区域。 这些天线通常是刚性的，并且由抛物面、抛物面、圆柱形、球形或双曲面形状组成。 就现有技术而言，利用这些刚性结构的波束成形可以利用多个偏心馈电阵列或反射器表面的非对称成形（轮廓波束反射器天线）。 波束转向可以通过利用馈电阵列以电气方式实现，或者通过使用专门设计的使整个反射器倾斜的万向节以机械方式实现。 在星载仿形波束反射器天线的情况下，主要的限制是刚性形状的反射器针对特定地理区域的覆盖而被优化的事实。 一旦天线部署在轨道上，就无法完成辐射模式的修改。 随着卫星变得更加可靠并且其预期使用寿命增加，卫星服务区和/或运营商将改变的可能性也增加。 机械有源天线已被提出作为该问题的解决方案，但有时没有商业上可行的单元。 其主要理由源于以下问题：1。我们有算法可以根据用户定义的辐射模式准确预测反射器的形状，但我们有很少的机制，处理真实的结构，甚至更少的机制，如何实现这些偏转的反射器，将动态改变它们的形状。2.有很少的基础研究有多少致动器使用，致动器的位置，和最佳的致动器偏转有源孔径天线。目前还没有一个基本的机制，耦合的电磁力学在一个无缝的fashion.The研究提出了在这项研究中，旨在有效地设计，建模和构建一个机械可重构天线，解决这些问题。 由于这种类型的天线可以以传统相控阵天线的总成本的一小部分来构建，因此也具有商业意义。 例如，相控阵天线的商业制造商声称，他们可以以每个元件大约100美元的成本来构建相控阵天线。 天基通信所需的分辨率从大约10，000到1，000，000个元素不等。 这使得总成本介于（100万至1亿美元）之间。 系统的重量和复杂性也会增加成本。 一个机械可重构的系统可以用今天的现成组件构建，价格不到25，000美元。 目前，全世界大约有600颗卫星在运行。 到2010年，预计将发射多达1000颗新卫星，其中许多卫星具有多天线系统。 基于这一事实，很容易看到潜在的回报。 设计和建造这些天线的基本方法将彻底改变今天建造这些孔径天线的方式！