Conformal High Frequency Antenna

• US 20110095951A1
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Tornberg, Neal E., Valle, Michael J., Lavin, Ronald O., McCarthy, Dennis K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,514,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/705
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/28 Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/286 substantially flush mounted with the skin of the craft
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/08 Radiating ends of two-conductor microwave transmission lines, e.g. of coaxial lines, of microstrip lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/357 using a single feed point
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

Antennas, integrated driveshaft covers, and methods are disclosed. A particular antenna includes a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer has a first curved surface and a second curved surface opposite the first curved surface. A conductive body has a curved outer surface, where the first curved surface of the dielectric layer is positioned against the curved outer surface. A high frequency (HF) antenna layer is positioned over positioned over the second curved surface of the dielectric layer, where the HF antenna layer is curved to conform to the second curved surface of the dielectric layer. A pair of contacts may be configured to receive an electrical connection for the HF antenna layer. When an HF signal is applied to the pair of contacts, the conductive body interacts with the HF antenna layer to radiate energy.

Claims

1. An antenna comprising:

a dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer has a first curved surface and a second curved surface opposite the first curved surface;

a conductive body having a curved outer surface, wherein the first curved surface of the dielectric layer is positioned over the curved outer surface of the conductive body;

a high frequency (HF) antenna layer positioned over the second surface of the dielectric layer, wherein the HF antenna layer is curved to conform to the second curved surface of the dielectric layer; and

a pair of contacts configured to receive an electrical connection for the HF antenna layer,

wherein, during use to radiate energy, the conductive body interacts with the HF antenna layer to radiate the energy.

2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the first curved surface, the second curved surface, and the curved outer surface of the conductive body have partially cylindrical cross-sections.

3. The antenna of claim 1, wherein dimensions of the HF antenna layer, dimensions of the conductive body and dimensions of the dielectric layer are selected to enable vertical polarization of the energy in a first frequency band and horizontal polarization of the energy in a second frequency band.

4. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer comprises one of a thermoplastic syntactic foam and a polymer foam.

5. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer has a thickness between the first curved surface and the second curved surface of approximately one half to two inches.

6. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the HF antenna layer includes a slotted patch antenna, and wherein a length of an inner slot of the slotted patch antenna extends a majority of a length of the HF antenna layer.

7. The antenna of claim 6, wherein the pair of contacts is positioned at opposing edges of the inner slot approximately at a center of the length of the inner slot.

8. The antenna of claim 6, wherein the inner slot is one of rectangular and bowtie-shaped.

9. The antenna of claim 1, further comprising a high power electrical connector, wherein the high power electrical connector includes a current balancing structure configured to couple the pair of contacts to an HF transceiver.

10. The antenna of claim 9, wherein the current balancing structure includes a microstrip balun.

11. An integrated driveshaft cover antenna, comprising:

a driveshaft cover including a conductive layer, the driveshaft cover configured to be hingeably secured and electrically coupled to a helicopter tail boom section to cover a driveshaft access opening, wherein the driveshaft cover has a generally curved cross-section;

a dielectric layer including a first surface shaped to conform to a curved outer surface of the driveshaft cover and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the dielectric layer covers a majority of an area of the curved outer surface of the driveshaft cover, and wherein the first surface is secured to the curved outer surface of the driveshaft cover; and

a slotted patch high frequency (HF) antenna layer having an inner slot, wherein the slotted patch HF antenna layer extends a majority of a length of the dielectric layer, and wherein the slotted patch HF antenna layer is secured to the second surface of the dielectric layer.

12. The integrated driveshaft cover antenna of claim 11, further comprising a pair of antenna leads, wherein a first end of each of the antenna leads is received at an opposing inner edge of the inner slot, and wherein a second end of each of the antenna leads is configured to be coupled to an HF transceiver.

13. The integrated driveshaft cover antenna of claim 12, wherein each of the antenna leads extends through a first thickness of the driveshaft cover and through a second thickness of the dielectric layer to the opposing inner edge of the inner slot.

14. The integrated driveshaft cover antenna of claim 12, wherein the antenna leads include a balun and a high power electrical connector to couple the antenna leads to the BF transceiver.

15. The integrated driveshaft cover antenna of claim 11, wherein a shape and dimensions of the inner slot are selected to enable the slotted patch HF antenna layer to emit HF radiation that is vertically-polarized and to emit HF radiation that is horizontally-polarized.

16. The integrated driveshaft cover antenna of claim 15, wherein the HF radiation spans at least a portion of an HF band between 1.8 megahertz and 30 megahertz.

17. The integrated driveshaft cover antenna of claim 11, further comprising a protective outer layer covering at least the slotted patch HF antenna layer.

18. The integrated driveshaft cover antenna of claim 17, wherein the protective outer layer includes a low dielectric loss quartz fiber composite material.

19. The integrated driveshaft cover antenna of claim 11, further comprising a lightning strike appliqué

covering exposed outer surfaces of the slotted patch HF antenna, the dielectric layer, and the driveshaft cover.

20. A method, comprising:

providing a layer of a dielectric layer having a first face and a second face opposite the first face and having a generally uniform thickness between the first face and the second face;

position the first face over at least a portion of a curved outer surface of a conductive body, wherein the first face is curved along a first dimension to match a first curvature of the curved outer surface;

position a curved conductive antenna layer over the second face, wherein the curved conductive antenna layer has a first antenna face and a second antenna face that are curved along the first dimension such that the first antenna face matches a second curvature of the second face of the dielectric layer, wherein the curved antenna layer includes an interior slot between the opposing antenna faces, and wherein the interior slot has a slot length that extends perpendicularly to the first curvature; and

coupling transceiver leads to opposing edges of the interior slot at a midpoint of the slot length.