Triangular apertures with embedded trifilar arrays

• US 8,779,983 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Lam, Lawrence K., Waldbaum, Samuel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Karacsony, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, AMAL A
• Application Number:
  US12/751,161
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/844, 343/895, 342/374
• US Class Current: 343/700.MS
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/288 Satellite antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/205 providing an omnidirectional coverage turnstile aerials H01Q21/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/00 Antennas or antenna systems providing at least two radiating patterns arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching

Abstract

A first plurality of antenna elements is arranged in a lattice structure to form trifilar subarrays having a generally hexagonal perimeter. A second plurality of the trifilar subarrays is arranged into substantially equilateral triangular facets that may be combined into substantially planar elements to create geometric apertures of a conformal antenna structure. The geometric apertures may be combined to form conformal antennas approximating hemispherical, spherical or cylindrical structures.

Claims

1. An array antenna, comprising:

a plurality of independent substantially hexagonal shaped trifilar subarrays arranged into a substantially equilateral triangular facet, each side of the substantially equilateral triangular facet including an equal number of hexagonal shaped trifilar subarrays, wherein each trifilar subarray further comprises;

a plurality of antenna elements arranged in three non-linear arrays, wherein the plurality of antenna elements is aligned to a lattice structure with the antenna elements of each non-linear array arranged in adjacent lattice positions, and

wherein the three non-linear arrays are separated by vacant lattice positions.

2. The array antenna of claim 1, wherein the trifilar subarrays are sparse subarrays.

3. The array antenna of claim 1, wherein ten of the substantially hexagonal shaped trifilar subarrays are arranged to form a substantially equilateral triangular facet having four of the trifilar subarrays on each side.

4. The array antenna of claim 3, wherein five of the substantially equilateral triangular facets each having four of the trifilar subarrays on each side are further arranged to form a substantially pentagon shaped aperture.

5. The array antenna of claim 4, wherein the substantially pentagon shaped aperture forms at least a portion of a conformal antenna.

6. The array antenna of claim 5, wherein the conformal antenna is shaped as one of a sphere, a hemisphere, and a cylinder.

7. The array antenna of claim 1, wherein fifteen of the substantially hexagonal shaped trifilar subarrays are arranged to form a substantially equilateral triangular facet having five of the trifilar subarrays on each side.

8. The array antenna of claim 7, wherein six of the substantially equilateral triangular facets each having five of the trifilar subarrays on each side are further arranged to form a substantially hexagonal shaped aperture.

9. The array antenna of claim 8, wherein the substantially hexagonal shaped aperture forms at least a portion of a conformal antenna.

10. The array antenna of claim 9, wherein the conformal antenna is shaped as one of a sphere, a hemisphere, and a cylinder.

11. An array antenna, comprising:

a first plurality of independent geometric antenna apertures arranged to form a conformal antenna, at least one of the independent geometric antenna apertures formed from a plurality of substantially equilateral triangular facets formed from a plurality of independent trifilar subarrays, each of the trifilar subarrays comprising;

a plurality of antenna elements arranged in three non-linear arrays, wherein the plurality of antenna elements is aligned to a lattice structure with the antenna elements of each non-linear array arranged in adjacent lattice positions, and

wherein the three non-linear arrays are separated by vacant lattice positions;

each of the trifilar subarrays defining a generally hexagonal perimeter, wherein each side of each of the substantially equilateral triangular facets includes an equal number of the trifilar subarrays.

12. The array antenna of claim 11, wherein each side of the substantially equilateral triangular facets includes four of the trifilar subarrays.

13. The array antenna of claim 11, wherein each side of the substantially equilateral triangular facets includes five of the trifilar subarrays.

14. The array antenna of claim 11, wherein each side of the substantially equilateral triangular facets is a generally planar array.

15. The array antenna of claim 11, wherein at least one of the independent geometric antenna apertures is one of a pentagon, a half hexagon, a hexagon, and a trapezoid.

16. The array antenna of claim 15, wherein the conformal antenna is shaped as one of a sphere, a hemisphere, and a cylinder.

17. The array antenna of claim 16, wherein the trifilar subarrays are sparse subarrays.

18. An array antenna, comprising:

a first plurality of antenna elements arranged in a first group of three two-dimensional arrays;

a second plurality of antenna elements arranged in a second group of three two-dimensional arrays, wherein the first and second plurality of antenna elements are aligned to a lattice structure with the antenna elements of each two-dimensional array arranged in adjacent lattice positions to define a trifilar subarray having a substantially hexagonal perimeter, the trifilar subarray comprising;

a plurality of antenna elements arranged in three non-linear arrays, wherein the plurality of antenna elements is aligned to a lattice structure with the antenna elements of each non-linear array arranged in adjacent lattice positions, and wherein the three non-linear arrays are separated by vacant lattice positions; and

a plurality of independent trifilar subarrays arranged into a substantially equilateral triangular facet, each side of the substantially equilateral triangular facet including an equal number of the trifilar subarrays.

19. The array antenna of claim 18, wherein a plurality of substantially equilateral triangular facets is arranged to form independent geometric antenna apertures.

20. The array antenna of claim 19, wherein a plurality of independent geometric antenna apertures is combined to form a conformal antenna having one of a substantially hemispherical shape, a substantially spherical shape, and a substantially cylindrical shape.