Frequency tunable piezoelectric VLF antenna
AssigneeRockwell Collins, Inc.
InventorsGurkan Gok, Joseph Zacchio, Jeffrey Box, Kenneth Keese
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Abstract
Piezoelectric antennas may include a tuning mechanism. The tuning mechanism may adjust the operation frequency of the antennas and compensate the frequency drifts due to environmental effects on the piezoelectric materials and the other potential circuitry. The tuning mechanism may also modulate signal for communication purposes. A transmitter circuit may control the tuning mechanism. A transmitter circuit may control the tuning mechanism. The transmitter circuit may independently control multiple of the tuning mechanism, where the piezoelectric antennas are arranged in an array.
Claims16
A piezoelectric transmitter comprising:
- a piezoelectric antenna comprising:
- a piezoelectric element;
- a grounded toroid;
- an insulating support;
- wherein the insulating support is coupled to a midpoint of the piezoelectric element;
- a field-shaping toroid;
- and
- a tuning mechanism;
- wherein the tuning mechanism is mechanically coupled to the field-shaping toroid;
- and
- a transmitter circuit;
- wherein the transmitter circuit is configured to directly drive the piezoelectric element with a voltage;
- wherein the piezoelectric element is configured to capacitively couple to the grounded toroid and the field-shaping toroid;
- wherein the voltage from the transmitter circuit causes the piezoelectric element to vibrate with a longitudinal mode;
- wherein the piezoelectric element couples vibration into an electromagnetic field with a radio frequency;
- wherein the transmitter circuit is configured to cause the tuning mechanism to translate the field-shaping toroid relative to the piezoelectric element thereby tuning the radio frequency.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.