High-Efficiency Passive and Active Phased Arrays and Array Feeds For
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Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 2015-11-01 High-Efficiencyassiv P e and Active Phased Arrays and Array Feeds for Satellite Communications Zhenchao Yang Brigham Young University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Yang, Zhenchao, "High-Efficiencyassiv P e and Active Phased Arrays and Array Feeds for Satellite Communications" (2015). Theses and Dissertations. 5741. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5741 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. High-Efficiency Passive and Active Phased Arrays and Array Feeds for Satellite Communications Zhenchao Yang A dissertation submitted to the faculty of Brigham Young University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Karl F. Warnick, Chair Neal K. Bangerter Brian D. Jeffs Michael A. Jensen David G. Long Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Brigham Young University November 2015 Copyright © 2015 Zhenchao Yang All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT High-Efficiency Passive and Active Phased Arrays and Array Feeds for Satellite Communications Zhenchao Yang Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, BYU Doctor of Philosophy Satellite communication (Satcom) services are used worldwide for voice, data, and video links due to various appealing features. Parabolic reflector antennas are typically used to serve a cost effective scheme for commercial applications. However, mount degradation, roof sag, and orbital decay motivate the need for beam steering. Limited scan range beam steering opens a third option for electronic beam steering with lower cost than full aperture phased arrays and higher tracking speed and accuracy than mechanical-only steering. Multiple high efficiency passive patch array feeds were designed, fabricated, and measured, including a 2 × 2 MSA array, a stacked shorted annular patch antenna, and an SIW-fed hexago- nal array feed based on PTFE material, achieving performance comparable to a horn feed. For multiband dual polarization applications, passive MSA feed solutions are also provided. Multiple MSA array feeds with high isolation were designed for dual band dual polarization applications. More functionality can be realized with multi-layer PCB techniques for complex communication scenarios. Limited scan range electronic beam-steering with a parabolic reflector fed by an active array feed which only needs gain control was demonstrated experimentally, leading to a low cost and effective solution for active beam scanning. A cost-effective flat-panel phased array with limited scan range electronic beam-steering was proposed by tiling high efficiency 4 × 4 passive subarrays and performing beam scanning at the tile level. The sidelobe issue was also investigated to comply with the pattern mask requirement set by FCC. To enable better use of circularly polarized (CP) MSAs for electronically beam-formed an- tenna systems, the impact of mutual coupling on the performance of high-sensitivity dual-polarized receivers for satellite communications applications was analyzed. A new analysis method for in- trinsically dual-CP MSAs based on an equivalent circuit model and Jones matrices was proposed and validated to overcome the port isolation challenge. The model provides accurate estimates of impedances and S-parameters, as well as field parameters such as axial ratio. The feasible re- gion for XPI and impedance mismatch factor is found for dual CP antennas. The circuit model enables multiple useful applications. Effective decoupling and matching schemes were proposed and demonstrated, leading to a high isolation, good match, and wide AR bandwidth dual CP MSA for satellite communications. Keywords: Passive and Active Array Feed, Microstrip Array, Multiband, Dual Polarization, Cir- cular Polarization, Limited Scan Range Beam Steering, Satellite Communications ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Karl Warnick for advising, helping, and encouraging me all the way through my five-year doctorate program. I learn so much from him in both practical knowledge and metaphysical wisdom. Whenever I have difficulties in not only study but also life, he always offers generous help as much as he can. He encourages and supports me to explore open research questions and guides me to think problems critically and comprehensively. I am so grateful and proud I can be one of Dr. Warnick’s PhD students. I would like to thank all my committee members Dr. Neal Bangerter, Dr. Brian Jeffs, Dr. Michael Jensen, and Dr. David Long. Their feedback and comments on my research and dissertation excite me to reflect on what are the core contributions of my work from a big picture and how to achieve and deliver them. In addition, I appreciate Dr. Dah-Jye Lee advising me from study to life as an international student and sharing his wonderful experience with me. I would like to thank all group members of the SatCom project since 2010. I appreciate those valuable discussions, fruitful collaborations, and friendships, particularly with Kyle Brown- ing, Matt Morin, and Mahrukh Khan. Thank Greg Mockett for bringing those exciting SatCom projects and supporting the group. I am grateful I can make so many good friends during the five years study in CB 480. Fun discussions and mild arguments on various topics make the lab time colorful. Particularly, thank Junming Diao, Dr. Rashid Mehmood, and James Eck for discussing all kinds of antennas and propagation problems, and thank Richard Black and Jonathon Spencer for their generous help. Thank my parents for their consistent encouragement and support. Thank my wife for taking care of the family, especially those two little cute and naughty boys. I cannot imagine how I can survive through the program without the family’s support. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ....................................... vii LIST OF FIGURES ...................................... viii Chapter 1 Introduction ................................... 1 1.1 Limited Scan Range Electronic Beam Steering Systems and Passive Array Feeds . 2 1.2 Contributions . 3 Chapter 2 High Efficiency Passive Array Feeds ..................... 6 2.1 Figures of Merit for a Terrestrial Antenna in Satellite Communication Systems . 6 2.2 High Radiation Efficiency Microstrip Antenna . 8 2.2.1 Introduction . 8 2.2.2 Substrate Parameters . 9 2.2.3 Array Designs . 12 2.2.4 Simulation and Measurement . 12 2.2.5 Summary . 13 2.3 High Efficiency Ku Band Stacked Shorted Annular Patch Antenna Feed . 13 2.3.1 Introduction . 13 2.3.2 Antenna Design . 15 2.3.3 Simulation and Measurement Results . 16 2.3.4 Summary . 22 2.4 Radial SIW Fed Hexagonal Array Feed . 24 2.4.1 Introduction . 24 2.4.2 Design Concept and Configuration . 24 2.4.3 Simulated Result . 25 Chapter 3 Multiband Dual Polarized Passive Array Feeds ............... 28 3.1 Tx/Rx Planar Array Feed for Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) . 28 3.1.1 VSAT Array Feed Design . 29 iv 3.1.2 Simulation and Measurement Results . 31 3.1.3 Summary . 31 3.2 Dual Polarized Array Feed . 34 3.2.1 Dual Linearly Polarized Array Feed Integrated with RF Circuits . 34 3.2.2 Dual Circularly Polarized Array Feed . 34 3.3 Multiband Dual Polarization High Efficiency Array Feed for Ku/Reverse Band Satellite Communications . 35 3.3.1 Multiband Array Feed Design . 38 3.3.2 Simulation Results . 46 3.3.3 Summary . 46 Chapter 4 Electronically Steered Array Feed for Limited Scan Range Beam Steering 49 4.1 Introduction . 49 4.2 4×2 Electronically Steered Array Feed System . 50 4.3 4×4 Electronically Steered Array Feed System . 54 4.4 Summary . 55 Chapter 5 Limited Scan Range Steered Beam VSAT System by Tiling 4×4 Microstrip Subarray Tile .................................. 57 5.1 Planar 4×4 Array Tile Design for a Limited Scan Range Steered Beam VSAT System 57 5.1.1 Introduction . 57 5.1.2 Design Concept and Practical Considerations . 58 5.1.3 Summary . 61 5.2 Tile Array Simulation . 62 5.2.1 4×4 Tile Array . 62 5.2.2 Summary . 63 Chapter 6 Polarimetric and Coupling Analysis for a Dual Polarization Communi- cation System .................................. 67 6.1 Effect of Mutual Coupling on the Sensitivity of Dual Polarized Receivers . 68 6.1.1 Introduction . 68 6.1.2 Correlation Coefficient and S-parameters . 68 v 6.1.3 Effect of Mutual Coupling on Sensitivity . 70 6.1.4 Summary . 71 6.2 Analysis of Intrinsically Dual Circularly Polarized Microstrip Antennas Using an Equivalent Circuit Model and Jones Matrix Formulation . 72 6.2.1 Introduction . 72 6.2.2 Jones Matrix . 74 6.2.3 Equivalent Circuit Model . 76 6.2.4 Fundamental Performance Bounds for Intrinsically Dual CP MSAs . 82 6.2.5 Applications of the Circuit Model . 91 6.2.6 Summary . 100 Chapter 7 Conclusion and Future Work ......................... 101 7.1 Conclusion . 101 7.2 Future Work . 103 REFERENCES ......................................... 105 vi LIST OF TABLES 2.1 Impact of 1 dB efficiency change on SNR . 7 2.2 Simulated efficiency and measured SNR results of different antenna feeds at 12 GHz on an f/D = 0.74 dish . 22 2.3 Simulated efficiency and SNR results of different antenna feeds at 12 GHz on an f/D = 0.74 dish . 27 3.1 Simulated array feed efficiencies and system performance . 46 vii LIST OF FIGURES 2.1 Impact of radiation, aperture, and spillover efficiencies on SNR for a parabolic reflector based ground terminal with typical parameters and perfect matching be- tween the antenna and the receiver. Radiation efficiency is the biggest player. 8 2.2 The influence of substrate permittivity er on radiation efficiency and bandwidth. Higher er leads to lower radiation efficiency and narrower bandwidth even on 60 mil thick material at 12 GHz.