Development of an out-of-Focus Irradiator Based on a Phased Antenna Array for a Space Communications' Parabolic Reflector Antenna

Mirror antenna systems are widely used in satellite and space communication systems and radio astronomy. Development of these areas requires new efficient antenna systems' design. Possible technical solution for creating an effective mirror antenna is a “hybrid” scheme, when an adaptive phased antenna array is used as an irradiator. This paper is devoted to the development of an out-of-focus irradiator based on a phased antenna array for a space communications' parabolic reflector antenna. The aim of the work is to develop an optimal design of the irradiator with the choice of the structural element of the antenna array and experimental studies of the selected structural element.

The wavefront recovery method was used as a tool for selecting the irradiator configuration. The idea of this method use is to reproduce the electromagnetic field of an incident plane wave with an irradiator in order to uniformly illuminate the aperture of the antenna mirror.

In order to select the structural element of the irradiator several antennas were considered: a patch antenna, a flat spiral antenna, a conical spiral antenna. The requirements for the phased antenna array element were defined. The irradiator based on the above mentioned was simulated and the irradiator geometry was optimized according to the maximum gain criterion.

The maximum gain was achieved for the irradiator based on conical spiral antennas and amounted to 30.8 dB, which for the considered mirror aperture of 2.4 m is close to traditional focal schemes. The results obtained make it possible to create an adaptive antenna system able to compensate for the deviations of the mirror's shape from the theoretical profile, as well as phase distortions in the atmosphere by changing the lattice weights coefficients.

1. Galimov G.K. Аntenny radioteleskopov, sistem kosmicheskoj svyazi i RLS [Radiotelescope antenna, space communication systems and radar]. Galimov, Moscow, Advansed Solyushnz Publ., 2013, 392 p.

2. W.A. van Cappellen, L. Bakker. APERTIF: Phased array feeds for the wester-bork synthesis radio telescope // 2010 IEEE International Symposium on Phased Array Systems and Technology, Waltham, MA, 2010, pp. 640– 647. DOI: 10.1109/ARRAY.2010.5613297

3. Ivashina M.V., Iupikov O.A., Maaskant R., W.A. van Cappellen, Bakker L., Oosterloo T. Off-axis beam performance of Focal Plane Arrays for the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope – Initial results of a prototype system // 2009 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium, Charleston, SC, 2009, pp. 1–4. DOI: 10.1109/APS.2009.5171751

4. Gimmelman V.G., Fedorov I.I., Shchesniak S.S. [Adaptation system for space telescope surface boards] Sibirskij gosudarstvennyj universitet nauki i tekhnologij. Reshetnevskie chteniya. [Reshetnev Siberian State University of Science and Technology], 2016, no. 20, pp. 98– 100 (in Russian).

5. Еrmolaeva Е.V., Zverev V.A., Filatov A.A. Аdaptivnaya optika [Adaptive optics]. St. Petersburg: NIU ITMO Publ., 2012, 297 p.

6. Robert A. Monzingo, Thomas W. Miller Introduction to Adaptive Arrays. SciTech Publishing, 2004, 543 p.

7. Allen Ben, Ghavamiu M. Adaptive Array Systems: Fundamentals and Applications. London, John Wiley & Sons Publ., 2005, 290 p.

8. Pistolkors A.A., Litvinov O.S. Vvedenie v teoriyu adaptivnykh antenn [Introduction to the adaptive arrays theory], Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1991, 200 p.

9. Letunov A.A., Belousov O.A., Kolmykov R.Yu., Kolmykova A.S., Kurnosov R.Yu. [Synthesis of Hybrid Reflector Antenna for Terrestrial Satellite Communication System]. Voprosy sovremennoj nauki i praktiki. Universitet im. V.I. Vernadskogo [Tambov State Technical University], 2015, no. 4(58), pp. 107–113 (in Russian). DOI: 10.17277/voprosy.2015.04.pp.107-113

10. Tyapkin V.N., Dmitriev D.D., Pershin A.S. [The Adaptive Algorithm Multibeam Antenna, Built on the Hybrid-Reflector]. Sibirskij federal'nyj universitet [Antenna. Journal of Siberian Federal University. Engineering & Technologies], 2013, no. 6(7), pp. 835–844 (in Russian).

11. Ponomarev O.P., Smirnov N.N., Klishin S.M. [Hibrid antennas based on circular refl for the multifunction radars]. Nauchno-tekhnicheskie vedomosti SPbGPU. Informatika. Telekommunikatsii. Upravlenie [Journal of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University/Scientifi and technical statements. Series “Computer science. telecommunications. controlˮ], 2010, no. 2(97), pp. 23–30 (in Russian).

12. Zelchan A.D., Zolotova A.V., Leshkevich S.V., Saechnikov V.A. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the use of a phased array as an irradiator of a mirror antenna designed to receive signals from a student satellite. VII Belarusian Space Congress. Minsk-2017, vol. 2, pp. 118– 121 (in Russian).

13. Dmitriev V.G. Nelinejnaya optika i obrashhenie volnovogo fronta [Nonlinear optics and wavefront reversal]. Moscow, Fizmatlit Publ., 2003, 256 p.

14. Khashimov A.B. [Regularization techniques for reconstruction of antenna radiated field by near field measurements]. Vestnik YUUrGU. Seriya “Komp'yuternye tekhnologii, upravlenie, radioehlektronika” [Bulletin of the South Ural State University Series “Computer Technologies, Automatic Control, Radio Electronics”], 2014, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 70–80 (in Russian).