Antenna with shared feeds and method of producing an antenna with shared feeds for generating multiple beams
AssigneeThales
InventorGérard Raguenet
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The antenna with shared feeds for generating multiple beams includes a plurality of identical individual feeds spaced apart by a constant pitch, wherein the individual feeds are associated in identical subnetworks around a central individual feed, each subnetwork being intended to synthesize a beam, the individual feeds of each subnetwork being phase-coupled together by electromagnetic coupling, and two successive subnetworks include at least one individual feed in common and are offset by a distance corresponding to a predetermined number of pitches greater than or equal to one, being applicable in particular to the field of satellite telecommunications.
Claims13
An antenna with shared feeds for simultaneously generating multiple beams, comprising:
- a plurality of individual feeds arranged in a mesh and spaced apart by a constant pitch, wherein
- the individual feeds are associated in a plurality of subnetworks each consisting of a central individual feed included in the plurality of individual feeds and a plurality of peripheral individual feeds included in the plurality of individual feeds surrounding the central individual feed, each subnetwork being intended to synthesize a beam;
- the individual feeds of each subnetwork are phase-coupled together by electromagnetic coupling, so as to be excited together in phase;
- and
- each two adjacent subnetworks include at least one peripheral individual feed in common and are offset by a distance corresponding to a predetermined number of pitches greater than or equal to one.
A method of producing an antenna with shared feeds for simultaneously generating multiple beams, the antenna comprising a plurality of individual feeds arranged in a mesh and spaced apart by a constant pitch, said method comprising:
- choosing a diameter D for a parabolic reflector;
- choosing a type of individual feed;
- dimensioning and producing a subnetwork of several individual feeds around a central feed, the subnetwork for synthesizing a beam having a predetermined angular aperture, the feeds of the subnetwork being phase-coupled together with electromagnetic coupling;
- choosing a number of offset pitches between two successive subnetworks, the number of pitches being greater than or equal to one and such that the two successive subnetworks include at least one individual feed in common;
- determining a focal distance F for the parabolic reflector;
- and
- calculating the angular aperture of the beams corresponding to the choices made in the preceding steps and comparing theoretical performance of the antenna to desired performance, wherein
- the individual feeds are associated in a plurality of subnetworks, each consisting of a central individual feed included in the plurality of individual feeds and a plurality of peripheral individual feeds included in the plurality of individual feeds surrounding the central individual feed, each subnetwork being intended to synthesize a beam;
- the individual feeds of each subnetwork are phase-coupled together by electromagnetic coupling, so as to be excited together in phase;
- and
- each two adjacent subnetworks include at least one peripheral individual feed in common and are offset by a distance corresponding to a predetermined number of pitches greater than or equal to one.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.