Conditions for the absence of “blinding” in microstrip antenna arrays

Аuthors

Yastrebtsova O. I.

Moscow Technical University of Communications And Informatics, 8a, Aviamotornaya Str., Moscow, 111024, Russia

e-mail: yastrebtsova@rambler.ru

Abstract

The paper considers one of the problems occurring in microstrip antenna arrays, namely the effect of “blindning” when the array radiation vanishes at certain scanning angles. The topicality of this problem is associated with wide implementation of antenna arrays in various Earth exploration satellite systems including synthetic aperture radars.

Fr om the published sources we know that this is due to the interaction of surface waves supported by the structure of the antenna array, in this case a dielectric layer, with dominant Floquet mode. Determining angles whereby the risk of “blinding” occurs is possible by applying the plane of phase constants, wh ere both Floquet modes and surface waves, excited in dielectric substrate of the microstrip antennae array, are depicted. The intersection of the circles corresponding to the surface waves with the circle of the radiating Floquet mode at a given scanning angle will mean the possibility of “blinding”.

This method was applied to the two dipole microstrip antenna arrays: in the first case the dielectric of the substrate was selected in such a way that only one surface wave of electric type was excited. In the second case, three surface waves were excited − two of electric type and one of magnetic.

Possible “blinding” angles were determined by performing plotting on the plane of phase constants. They were verified hereafter by modeling of an infinite antenna array, which allowed obtaining radiation element diagram. All the “blinding” angles found analytically appeared on the radiation patterns. The angle, not appeared while simulation, took place only in the second case, which corresponds to the theory, since the appearance of blind angles can depend, for example, on the method of the radiator excitation. The method applicability for the considered problem was confirmed thereby.

The conditions ensuring the absence of blinding angles at a given range of scanning angles were formulated hereafter. The restrictions are imposed herewith on both the distances between the radiating elements and parameters of the dielectric substrate. A famly of curves representing the dependence of maximum distance between radiating elements from maximum scanning angle of microstrip antenna array was plotted. It allowed determine structural parameters of antenna array by the maximum value of the scanning angle.

Keywords:

microstrip antenna arrays, surface waves, scanning, Floquet modes, radiation pattern

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