HELICALLY CORRUGATED HORN ANTENNA AND HELICALLY CORRUGATED WAVEGUIDE SYSTEM

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a horn antenna or waveguide system comprising a corrugated horn or waveguide, wherein the corrugation takes the form of a helical spiral along the inner surface of the horn or waveguide. The present disclosure further relates to radar antenna.

Claims

1. A horn antenna comprising a corrugated horn, wherein the corrugation takes the form of a helical spiral along the inner surface of the horn.

2. The horn antenna according to claim 1, wherein the corrugation of the horn has a spiral form running along a main axis of the horn.

3. The horn antenna according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the horn comprises the helical corrugation.

4. The horn antenna according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the horn circumferentially surrounds the main axis at each section of the horn.

5. The horn antenna according to claim 1, wherein the horn has a varying substantially rectangular cross section at each longitudinal section along the main axis.

6. The horn antenna to claim 1, wherein the cross section varies in size due to the helical corrugation.

7. The horn antenna according to claim 1, wherein the corrugation is adapted to provide at least one resonance frequency, in particular two different resonance frequencies.

8. The horn antenna according to claim 1, wherein the cross section varies by varying the depth of the corrugation along the main axis such that resonances at a plurality of frequencies are provided.

9. A waveguide system comprising a corrugated waveguide, wherein the corrugation takes the form of a helical spiral along the inner surface of the waveguide, the corrugation having a predetermined thread, the depths of the thread being modulated corresponding to a predetermined function along the main axis.

10. The waveguide system according to claim 9, wherein the corrugation changes its cross section along the way around the waveguide.

11. The waveguide system according to claim 9, wherein several types of corrugation with different cross sectional properties are wound around the wave guide, in particular with the same thread gain where the corrugation type interchanges.

12. The waveguide system according to claim 9, wherein the corrugation consists of several subcorrugations that run in direction of the corrugation.

13. The waveguide system according to claim 9, wherein the corrugation consists of several subcorrugations that run helically around at least a part of the corrugation such that the corrugation itself is corrugated.

14. The waveguide system according to claim 9, wherein the waveguide forms an antenna, in particular a horn antenna.

15. A radar antenna, comprising an array of a plurality of the horn antenna of claim 1.

16. A radar antenna, comprising an array of a plurality of the waveguide system according to claim 9.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] FIGS. 1A and 1B show schematic diagrams of fields in a rectangular waveguide as background of the present disclosure;

[0038] FIG. 2 shows schematic diagrams of fields in a half rectangular waveguide as background of the present disclosure;

[0039] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a Prior Art corrugated waveguide;

[0040] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a helical waveguide for a single frequency according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a Prior Art corrugated waveguide for double frequencies;

[0042] FIG. 6 shows a schematic representation of a helical waveguide for double frequencies according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0043] FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of a helical waveguide with modulated depth according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0044] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

[0045] FIGS. 1A and A show schematic diagrams of fields in a rectangular waveguide as background of the present disclosure. The left diagram (FIG. 1A) shows the electric field in a rectangular waveguide (base mode). The right diagram (FIG. 1B) shows the magnetic field in a rectangular waveguide (base mode).

[0046] FIG. 2 shows schematic diagrams of fields in a half rectangular waveguide as background of the present disclosure. In particular it is shown the model for a resonant corrugation. It is noted that the fields in a direction normal to the shown figure are zero independent of polarization.

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a Prior Art corrugated waveguide. In the waveguide corrugations form resonant rings around the waveguide. The main signal propagates perpendicular to the corrugations.

[0048] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a helical waveguide 1 for a single frequency according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The corrugations 2 are modelled as parallel strips of perfect electric (PEC) walls on the circumferentially inner sider of the waveguide and perfect magnetic conduction (PMC) walls on the circumferentially outer sider of the waveguide.

[0049] In other words, the waveguide inner wall may comprise a PEC ridge and a PMC groove which are spirally running around the waveguide.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 4, the circular corrugations of FIG. 3 are transformed to spiral corrugations 2. So finally only one corrugation is created which is almost infinitely long and therefore a suitable propagation medium for radial waves. Adding some losses in the corrugation waveguide reduces spurious reflection lobes created by whispering gallery modes.

[0051] In a rectangular (or circular) waveguide the situation is similar: As soon as the corrugations are closed, only those fulfilling a length is multiple of wavelength will radiate, the others will not be present at all. This greatly the bandwidth of the structure.

[0052] Hence, a helical corrugation is created that is seen almost infinitely long that is winding through the waveguide. So any wave vector travelling in the large waveguide will be able to excite a whispering gallery mode in the corrugation guide and the surface will be polarization independent at an angle almost perpendicular to the direction of propagation.

[0053] The present disclosure may also be used for providing sets of corrugations acting at several individual frequencies.

[0054] For example, FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a Prior Art corrugated waveguide for double frequencies. FIG. 6 shows a schematic representation of a helical waveguide for double frequencies according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 6, the circular corrugations of FIG. 5 are transformed to spiral corrugations 2a, 2b with different thread depth configured for the respective frequencies.

[0055] The present disclosure may also be used for multi-frequency corrugations

[0056] FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of a helical waveguide with modulated depth according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the waveguide may also comprise corrugations where the depth is modulated along the corrugation length coordinates providing resonances at a multitude of frequencies and fulfilling the quarter wavelength criterion for a broad range of frequencies. This provides a large bandwidth waveguide.

[0057] It is noted that a horn antenna (not shown) may be obtained by successively increasing the width of the waveguide according to the disclosure. Hence, the waveguide's wall comprising the corrugations may be successively increased, in order to form a horn antenna.

[0058] Throughout the disclosure, including the claims, the term comprising a should be understood as being synonymous with comprising at least one unless otherwise stated. In addition, any range set forth in the description, including the claims should be understood as including its end value(s) unless otherwise stated. Specific values for described elements should be understood to be within accepted manufacturing or industry tolerances known to one of skill in the art, and any use of the terms substantially and/or approximately and/or generally should be understood to mean falling within such accepted tolerances.

[0059] Furthermore the terms like upper, upmost, lower or lowest and suchlike are to be understood as functional terms which define the relation of the single elements to each other but not their absolute position.

[0060] Where any standards of national, international, or other standards body are referenced (e.g., ISO, etc.), such references are intended to refer to the standard as defined by the national or international standards body as of the priority date of the present specification. Any subsequent substantive changes to such standards are not intended to modify the scope and/or definitions of the present disclosure and/or claims.

[0061] Although the present disclosure herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present disclosure.

[0062] It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims.