On-board meteorological radar having a rotating antenna

• US 9,377,529 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: Lieven, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B
• Application Number:
  US14/252,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20140361924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 342/26.R, 342/26.B, 342 74- 75, 342/78, 342/81
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/882 for altimeters measuring height using barometric means G01C5/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/953 mounted on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/027 Constructional details of housings, e.g. form, type, material or ruggedness
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/281 Nose antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/17 the primary radiating source comprising two or more radiating elements H01Q19/15, H01Q25/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/19 comprising one main concave reflecting surface associated with an auxiliary reflecting surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/02 using mechanical movement of antenna or antenna system as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/04 for varying one co-ordinate of the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A meteorological radar installed on board an aircraft, including a mechanical support fixed to a bulkhead of a nose of the aircraft, wherein an antenna is mounted on the mechanical support to enable turning mobility around an axis of rotation. The antenna includes a pedestal, on which at least one blade, extending radially along the axis of rotation, is installed. A free side of the blade, along which a plurality of radiating elements is distributed, perceptibly has the shape of a portion of conic in a plane including the axis of rotation. Because the blade is mobile only in rotation along the axis of rotation, and the selection of the emission/reception direction is performed electronically, not mechanically, the space and length requirements of the meteorological radar are fixed, whether the meteorological radar is in operation or not, and are determined based on the eccentricity and parameter of the conic.

Claims

1. A meteorological radar, to be installed on board an aircraft, comprising:

an antenna including a pedestal, rotationally mounted relative to the mechanical support around an axis of rotation;

a mechanical support;

an electronic scanning system;

at least one blade fixed to the pedestal and extending radially along the axis of rotation; and

a plurality of radiating elements distributed along a free side of the blade not contiguous to the pedestal, the free side perceptibly having the shape of a portion of a conic with a focal axis merged with the axis of rotation in a plane including the axis of rotation, each radiating element being configured to radiate along a radiation axis included in the plane and being connected to the electronic scanning system.

2. The meteorological radar as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in utilization, the electronic scanning system is configured to transmit a radar wave only to a plurality of adjacent radiating elements fewer than all of the radiating elements.

3. The meteorological radar as claimed in claim 1, wherein each radiating element includes a parabolic reflector with a parabolic section in a plane orthogonal to the plane including the axis of rotation and fixed to the free side of the blade.

4. The meteorological radar as claimed in claim 3, wherein each radiating element includes a wire part situated at a center of the parabolic reflector and aligned along a focal axis of the parabolic reflector.

5. The meteorological radar as claimed in claim 3, wherein each radiating element furthermore includes a secondary reflector having a hyperbolic section in a plane orthogonal to the plane including the axis of rotation, the secondary reflector having a center coinciding with a center of the parabolic reflector of the radiating element.

6. The meteorological radar as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antenna includes at least two blades, wherein each blade is provided with a plurality of radiating elements and wherein the at least two blades have the axis of rotation as their common intersection.

7. The meteorological radar as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic scanning system is fitted in the pedestal.

8. An aircraft comprising:

a fuselage;

a radome fixed to the fuselage,

the radome defining a housing, and the fuselage including a bulkhead closing the housing; and

a meteorological radar installed in the housing and having

an antenna including a pedestal, rotationally mounted relative to the mechanical support around an axis of rotation;

a mechanical support;

an electronic scanning system;

at least one blade fixed to the pedestal and extending radially along the axis of rotation; and

a plurality of radiating elements being distributed along a free side of the blade not contiguous to the pedestal, the free side perceptibly having the shape of a portion of a conic with a focal axis merged with the axis of rotation in a plane including the axis of rotation, each radiating element being capable of radiating along an axis included in the plane and being connected to the electronic scanning system,

the mechanical support being fixed to the bulkhead, and the axis of rotation of the meteorological radar being perceptibly aligned with a longitudinal axis of the aircraft.