Dual polarized aperture coupled radiating element for AESA systems

• US 9,825,372 B1
• Filed: 08/20/2014
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Buckley, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Levi, Dameon E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dawkins, Collin
• Application Number:
  US14/463,766
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 343810, 343796, 343754
• 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 1/40 Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0075 Stripline fed arrays H01Q21/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/062 using dipole aerials; H01Q21/067, H01Q21/068 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/385 Two or more parasitic elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/40 Element having extended radiating surface

Abstract

An antenna with an FR-4 dielectric material layer includes at least one metallization layer having metallic dipoles organized into two clusters. Each of the two clusters includes metallic dipoles generally elongated along a common axis to produce signals of specific polarization. Each of the two clusters is oriented orthogonal to the other to produce two separate, orthogonally polarized signals. Each of the two clusters is associated with a dedicated stripline feed, positioned and oriented to maximize gain of the radiating element. Power from each stripline planar feed couples to the metallic dipoles through a dedicated aperture in the stripline ground plane.

Claims

1. An electronically scanned array radiating element comprising:

an aperture feed layer;

a ground plane layer;

at least one metallization layer comprising;

a first cluster of metallic dipoles, generally elongated along a first axis, configured to produce a signal having a first polarization; and

a second cluster of metallic dipoles, generally elongated along a second axis substantially orthogonal to the first axis, configured to produce a signal having a second polarization substantially orthogonal to the first polarization; and

a first stripline fed aperture and a second stripline fed aperture offset from the first stripline fed aperture by 90°

, the first stripline fed aperture associated with the first cluster of metallic dipoles and the second stripline fed aperture associated with the second cluster of metallic dipoles, the first stripline fed aperture and the second stripline fed aperture implemented in the ground plane layer, the first stripline fed aperture corresponding to a first stripline, the second stripline fed aperture corresponding to a second stripline, wherein the first stripline fed aperture and the second stripline fed aperture are configured to receive electronic signals from the aperture feed layer,

wherein the first cluster and second cluster are segregated within the at least one metallization layer.

2. The radiating element of claim 1, wherein the radiating element is configured to operate in the Ku and X band.

3. The radiating element of claim 1, wherein the radiating element is configured to operate in a frequency range of 10.7 to 14.5 GHz with scan angle θ

of 30° and

over all φ

scan angles, 0≦

φ

≦

360 degrees.

4. The radiating element of claim 1, wherein the at least one metallization layer comprises a dielectric constant of between 3.3 and 3.7.

5. The radiating element of claim 1, further comprising an upper metallization layer including a plurality of metallic dipoles organized with substantial bilateral symmetry along both the first axis and the second axis.

6. The radiating element of claim 1, further compromising a lower metallization layer, wherein the lower metallization layer comprises a plurality of metallic squares organized to tune the radiating element in a particular frequency range.

7. An AESA system comprising:

an electronically scanned array radiating element comprising;

an aperture feed layer;

a ground plane layer;

at least one dielectric layer comprising;

a first cluster of metallic dipoles, generally elongated along a first axis, configured to produce a signal having a first polarization; and

a second cluster of metallic dipoles, generally elongated along a second axis substantially orthogonal to the first axis, configured to produce a signal having a second polarization substantially orthogonal to the first polarization; and

a first stripline fed aperture and a second stripline fed aperture offset from the first stripline fed aperture by 90°

, the first stripline fed aperture associated with the first cluster of metallic dipoles and the second stripline fed aperture associated with the second cluster of metallic dipoles, the first stripline fed aperture and the second stripline fed aperture implemented in the ground plane layer, the first stripline fed aperture corresponding to a first stripline, the second stripline fed aperture corresponding to a second stripline, wherein the first stripline fed aperture and the second stripline fed aperture are configured to receive electronic signals from the aperture feed layer,

wherein the first cluster and second cluster are segregated within the at least one dielectric layer.

8. The AESA system of claim 7, wherein the electronically scanned array radiating element further comprises a radome layer.

9. The AESA system of claim 8, wherein the radome layer comprises a layer of FR-4.

10. The AESA system of claim 7, wherein the electronically scanned array radiating element is configured to operate in the Ku and X band.

11. The AESA system of claim 7, wherein the electronically scanned array radiating element is configured to operate in a frequency range of 10.7 to 14.5 GHz with scan angle θ

of 30° and

over all φ

scan angles, 0≦

φ

≦

360 degrees.

12. The AESA system of claim 7, wherein the at least one dielectric layer comprises a dielectric constant of between 3.3 and 3.7.

13. The AESA system of claim 12, further comprising an upper metallization layer including a plurality of metallic dipoles organized with substantial bilateral symmetry along both the first axis and the second axis.

14. The AESA system of claim 13, further comprising a lower metallization layer including a plurality of metallic squares organized to tune the radiating element to a particular frequency range.

15. An antenna comprising:

a plurality of radiating elements, each radiating element comprising;

an aperture feed layer;

a ground plane layer;

at least one metallization layer comprising;

a first cluster of metallic dipoles, generally elongated along a first axis, configured to produce a signal having a first polarization; and

a second cluster of metallic dipoles, generally elongated along a second axis substantially orthogonal to the first axis, configured to produce a signal having a second polarization substantially orthogonal to the first polarization; and

a first stripline fed aperture and a second stripline fed aperture offset from the first stripline fed aperture by 90°

, the first stripline fed aperture associated with the first cluster of metallic dipoles and the second stripline fed aperture associated with the second cluster of metallic dipoles, the first stripline fed aperture and the second stripline fed aperture implemented in the ground plane layer, the first stripline fed aperture corresponding to a first stripline, the second stripline fed aperture corresponding to a second stripline, wherein the first stripline fed aperture and the second stripline fed aperture are configured to receive electronic signals from the aperture feed layer,

wherein the first cluster and second cluster are segregated within the at least one metallization layer.