Patent Grant
7432872
This invention relates in general to antennas, and more particularly, to log periodic antennas.
MIL-STD-464A, entitled “Electromagnetic Environmental Effects Requirements for Systems,” 19 Dec. 2002, and ADS-37A-PRF, entitled “Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3) Performance and Verification Requirements,” 28 May 1996, set out stringent electric field requirements for the electromagnetic vulnerability testing of Army helicopters. The antenna generating the test field must generate a test field at levels between 200-264V/m in the 44-150 MHz frequency range, while remaining safe under the helicopter with the rotors turning. Below that frequency range, a whip antenna is used and above that range, standard horn antennas are used. To obtain the required fields, the typical setup includes high power RF amplifiers (10 kW) with heavy duty coaxial cables leading to a log periodic antenna. Typical engineering design for an antenna to efficiently and effectively operate in this frequency range would require a 6 feet long log periodic antenna with the longest elements being about 12 feet in length. When this antenna is turned vertically to create a vertically polarized field, and given a few inches of ground separation, the antenna height would approach 12+ feet. However, standard operating procedures mandate that anything under the rotating helicopter blades must be no more than 6 feet tall. Taking an antenna that is 12 feet tall and reducing the height in half, while still getting the antenna to resonate in the desired test frequency range presents a significant engineering challenge.
It is therefore an object of this invention to reduce the height of a log periodic antenna so that the antenna may safely be positioned under the rotating blades of a helicopter sitting on the ground and still resonate in the frequency range at which the antenna was originally designed to resonate.
This and other objects of the invention are achieved in one aspect by a reduced height vertically polarized log periodic antenna. The antenna comprises a pair of antenna booms, a first plurality of vertical antenna radiating elements connected to the booms, and a second plurality of vertical antenna radiating elements connected to the booms. In addition, the antenna includes a plurality of tuned horizontal antenna radiating elements, each tuned horizontal radiating element being connected to the top of one of the second plurality of vertical antenna radiating elements, and a plurality of tuned upwardly bent horizontal antenna radiating elements, each tuned upwardly bent horizontal antenna radiating element being connected to the bottom of one of the second plurality of vertical antenna radiating elements. The antenna is characterized by the fact that the second plurality of antenna radiating elements have been shortened from their original design length to fit vertically under the rotating blades of a helicopter, and the tuned horizontal radiating elements have been added to the shortened radiating elements to bring the shortened radiating elements back to their desired frequency response.
Another aspect of the invention involves a method of reducing the height of a vertically polarized log periodic antenna comprising the steps of providing the vertically polarized log periodic antenna, shortening any radiating elements of the antenna that are too long to fit vertically under the rotating blades of a helicopter, adding tuned upper and lower horizontal radiating elements to the shortened radiating elements to bring the shortened radiating elements back to their desired frequency response, and bending the tuned lower horizontal radiating elements upwards away from the ground to reduce the capacitive coupling to the ground.
Additional advantages and features will become apparent as the subject invention becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
In operation, the RF signal is fed from the rear of the antenna 11, through the booms 23, to the front of the antenna 11. The RF energy gets to the tuned upper horizontal antenna radiating elements 29 and the tuned lower bent horizontal antenna radiating elements 31 at the same time. It radiates from the resonating elements into free space and is directed at the helicopter 13 under test.
The normal length antenna radiating elements 25 are the normal length, as dictated in standard log periodic antenna design. These particular elements are short enough to fit vertically under a helicopter's main rotor (less than 6 feet tall).
The shortened length antenna radiating elements 27 (using standard log periodic antenna design) are too long to safely fit vertically under a helicopter's main rotor. Therefore, they have to be shortened to give an overall height of less than 6 feet. However, when the elements are shortened this way, the overall performance characteristics of the antenna are severely degraded. One cannot just make an antenna any size he wants to and expect any notable performance. In order to regain the desired performance, the tuned upper and lower horizontal elements 29 and 31 are added to the shortened elements to bring the elements back to their desired frequency resonance and thus ensure proper radiation from the antenna 11.
The tuned upper horizontal antenna radiating elements 29 are added (welded to maintain an electrical connection) to the shortened vertical elements 27 to regain the intended frequency resonance for each element. In basic terms, the extra horizontal length added allows extra room for the current on each element to flow, thus changing that particular element's resonance back to the original design. This works well, because the RF current closer to the tip of the element is much lower than the RF current flow near the boom. This phenomenon helps keep the integrity of the vertical polarization and shortens the element length at the same time.
The tuned lower horizontal antenna radiating elements 31 are added (welded to maintain an electrical connection) to the shortened vertical elements 27 to regain the intended frequency resonance for each element. However, since these lower elements are so close to the ground, RF coupling from the antenna to ground deteriorates the intended antenna performance. There is a capacitive coupling effect between the lower horizontal elements and the ground which changes the intended resonance of each particular shortened element. Therefore, each of the lower horizontal tuned elements is bent upwards (away from the ground), to reduce the capacitive coupling to ground. This returns each shortened element's resonance back to the desired resonance in the presence of the ground.
For a clearer understanding of the invention, a specific example of it is set forth below. The example is merely illustrative and is not to be understood as limiting the scope and underlying principles of this invention in any way.
A log periodic antenna (without any elements shortened) was designed using the values in Table 1 applied to the layout in
The antenna had a total of 12 elements and an overall length of 1.75 meters. There were two booms (to which the elements were mounted) with alternating elements as shown in
The resulting overall height of the antenna with ground clearance was right at 6 feet. It was noted that when the antenna was placed within a couple inches of the ground, capacitive coupling occurred between the bottom horizontal elements and the ground. This coupling also changed resonant frequency and affected the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) at the desired frequencies of the shortened elements. To fix this, the lower horizontal elements were bent up from the center at 25 degrees to reduce the capacitive coupling to ground, and regain the required frequency characteristics. The new operational frequency range was then determined to be 40-165 MHz. Table 3 displays the electric field generated by the reduced height antenna for a given input power of 10 kW or less, depending on the output of the radio frequency (RF) amplifier.
These levels can be compared to the Aviation Engineering Directorate specified test frequencies and required test levels (shown in Table 4) as stated in ADS-37A-PRF Table 1 Part A and MIL-STD-464A Table 1E.
It can be seen that the reduced height antenna can meet the MIL-STD-464A Table 1E requirements (264V/m) at 2 meters and the ADS-37A-PRF Table 1 Part A requirements (200V/m) at 3 meters. This is a vast improvement over the previous antenna that could only generate the ADS-37A-PRF levels at 1 meter.
The dimension lengths for each of the elements are listed in Table 2. The first two elements (with horizontal pieces) were made with 1 inch diameter tubing, and the elements numbered 3 to 12 were fabricated using ⅝ inch diameter tubing. The boom was made with 1⅝ inch diameter tubing, with a center conductor of boom 1 being ⅝ inches in diameter.
All elements and both booms were made with aluminum tubing. The spacers for the antenna booms were made of Teflon (virgin grade PTFE). The support structure was made of Fiberglass, which design is not included here because its shape does not influence performance other than keeping the antenna 2 inches off the ground.
Only one connector was needed to drive the reduced height antenna. This connector was located at the rear of the antenna as illustrated in
The feed point was located in the very front of the antenna as shown in
Teflon (virgin grade PTFE) dielectric separators were placed between the two booms at a separation of 1⅞ inches in the rear and ⅜ inches at the front. These separators were to keep the booms at a specific distance apart at all times. Additional Teflon “donut” spacers were placed inside boom 1 to keep the center conductor centered inside the boom.
It is obvious that many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as described.
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