Phased array antenna

• US 10,750,641 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2016
• Issued: 08/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Egami, Soma, Matsuoka, Hiroaki, Saito, Yukari
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi, Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Matey, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US15/768,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20180310436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0029 Heat sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 1/40 the means being only inside the tubular element
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/08 by varying the cross-section of the flow channels
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/14 by endowing the walls of conduits with zones of different degrees of conduction of heat
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/048 in the form of ribs integral with the element or local variations in thickness of the element, e.g. grooves, microchannels
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/06 the means being attachable to the element
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/12 Elements constructed in the shape of a hollow panel, e.g. with channels F28D1/02, F28D1/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/373 Cooling facilitated by selection of materials for the device or materials for thermal expansion adaptation, e.g. carbon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3736 Metallic materials H01L23/3732, H01L23/3733, H01L23/3735, H01L23/3737, H01L23/3738 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/427 Cooling by change of state, e.g. use of heat pipes by liquefied gas H01L23/445
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/02 Arrangements for de-icing; Arrangements for drying-out ; Arrangements for cooling; Arrangements for preventing corrosion
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0025 Modular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0087 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing antenna arrays manufacturing waveguides H01P11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20 Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20509 Multiple-component heat spreaders; Multi-component heat-conducting support plates; Multi-component non-closed heat-conducting structures

Abstract

A phased array antenna in which a plurality of blocks each having a plurality of transmitter modules are arrayed, includes: a front plate that includes a plurality of flow paths of a refrigerant therein; and an element feeding layer that includes a plurality of antenna elements respectively connected to the transmitter modules and that is placed in close contact with one surface of the front plate. Each of the blocks includes a heat spreader that is placed in close contact with the other surface of the front plate. The transmitter modules are mounted on the heat spreader. Heat generated in the transmitter modules is transferred to the refrigerant via the heat spreader and the front plate.

Claims

1. A phased array antenna in which a plurality of blocks each having a plurality of transmitter modules are arrayed, the phased array antenna comprising:

a front plate comprising a single plate having a front surface and a rear surface including a plurality of flow paths of a refrigerant therein; and

an element feeding layer including antenna elements connected to the transmitter modules, respectively, and being placed in close contact with the front surface of the front plate, wherein each of the blocks includes a heat spreader that is placed in close contact with the rear surface of the front plate which is on the other side of the front surface relative to the front plate, the transmitter modules are mounted on the heat spreader, and heat generated in the transmitter modules is transferred to the refrigerant via the heat spreader and the front plate, wherein the heat spreader includes a high thermal-conductivity member that is placed to extend from a portion in which the transmitter modules are mounted to an end surface on a side of the front plate, and the high thermal-conductivity member is formed from a material with higher thermal conductivity than other portions of the heat spreader.

2. The phased array antenna according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power-supply wire to supply power to the blocks; and

a frame placed in close contact with the rear surface of the front plate to separate the blocks from each other, the power-supply wire being placed in close contact with the frame, wherein

heat generated in the power-supply wire is transferred to the refrigerant via the frame and the front plate.

3. The phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein

the flow paths are folded back in the front plate, and

an inlet port and an outlet port of each of the flow paths are placed adjacent to each other.

4. The phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein each of the flow paths has a narrower width at a more downstream position.

5. The phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein the front plate includes a cooling fin in portions of the flow paths in which the blocks are placed in close contact with the front plate.

9. The phased array antenna according to claim 1, wherein the heat spreader has a heat pipe structure.

6. A phased array antenna in which a plurality of blocks each having a plurality of transmitter modules are arrayed, the phased array antenna comprising:

a front plate including a plurality of flow paths of a refrigerant therein, and

an element feeding layer including antenna elements connected to the transmitter modules, respectively, and being placed in close contact with one surface of the front plate, wherein

each of the blocks includes a heat spreader that is placed in close contact with another surface of the front plate which is on the other side of the one surface relative to the front plate,

the transmitter modules are mounted on the heat spreader, and

heat generated in the transmitter modules is transferred to the refrigerant via the heat spreader and the front plate, wherein

the heat spreader includes a high thermal-conductivity member that is placed to extend from a portion in which the transmitter modules are mounted to an end surface on a side of the front plate, and

the high thermal-conductivity member is formed from a material with higher thermal conductivity than other portions of the heat spreader.

7. The phased array antenna according to claim 6, wherein

the high thermal-conductivity member has a stacked structure of a plurality of sheet-like members, each of which has higher thermal conductivity in a plane direction than in a direction normal to the plane, and

the portion in which the transmitter modules are mounted and the end surface on a side of the front plate are connected to each other in the plane direction of the sheet-like members.

8. The phased array antenna according to claim 6, wherein

the high thermal-conductivity member has a stacked structure of a plurality of sheet-like members, each of which has higher thermal conductivity in a plane direction than in a direction normal to the plane, and

the stacked structure includes

a first stacked structure in which the plane direction of the sheet-like members extends in a direction perpendicular to a direction that connects, to each other, the portion in which the transmitter modules are mounted and the end surface on a side of the front plate, the first stacked structure including the portion in which the transmitter modules are mounted, and

a second stacked structure in which the plane direction extends in a direction parallel to the direction that connects the portion in which the transmitter modules are mounted and an end of the front plate, the second stacked structure including the end surface on the side of the front plate.