Multipolarized vector sensor array antenna system for radio astronomy applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10826199-B2
Application number	US-201916274675-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2019
Priority date	Oct 19, 2015
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to an electromagnetic field vector sensing receive antenna array system for installation and deployment on a structure. A multipolarized array of collocated antenna elements is used to provide calibrated amplitude and phase radiation patterns with monopole, dipole, and loop modes generated from crossed loops connected to a beamformer. The invention has applications for installation and deployment on a tower, balloon, satellite for radio frequency sensing and location of low-frequency galactic emissions. The novel receive antenna array system comprises a multipolarized vector sensor antenna array. The disclosed direction-finding vector sensor can be installed and deployed on a structure and can detect and locate radio frequency emissions from galactic sources. The key system components of the receive antenna array system consist of deployable antennas, receivers, signal processing computer, and communications link.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A receiving array antenna system comprising:
an electrically conductive housing;
a receiving antenna array disposed on the housing; and
a telescopic hub mechanism, the hub mechanism comprising an upper spooler and a lower spooler, disposed about a common axis, each spooler wound with four electrically conducting wires, wherein the ends of each electrically conducting wire on the upper spooler is electrically connected to the end of a respective electrically conducting wire on the lower spool with a conducting member to form four half loops;
wherein the receiving antenna array is stowed within the housing during a first time period and deployed outside of the housing during a second time period.

2. The receiving array antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the antennas are constructed from a metallic electrical conducting wire, a tubular material or a strip material.

3. The receiving array antenna system of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing member, which when the hub mechanism is deployed, pushes the upper spooler away from the lower spooler.

4. The receiving array antenna system of claim 1 , wherein an additional electrically conductive wire is physically attached to each conducting member, such that when deployed, the additional electrically conductive wire forms a horizontal loop antenna in the shape of a square, where each conducting member forms a corner of the square.

5. The receiving array antenna system of claim 4 , further comprising a feeder spooler wound with four feed wires, each feed wire in electrical communication with one side of the horizontal loop antenna.

6. A receiving array antenna system, comprising:
an electrically conductive housing;
a receiving antenna array disposed on the housing; and
a telescopic hub mechanism, the hub mechanism comprising four upper spoolers and four lower spoolers, arranged such that each upper spooler and a respective lower spool are disposed about a common axis, each spooler wound with an electrically conducting wire, wherein the ends of each electrically conducting wire on an upper spooler electrically connected to the end of a respective electrically conducting wire on a respective lower spool with a conducting member to form four half loops;
wherein the receiving antenna array is stowed within the housing during a first time period and deployed outside of the housing during a second time period.

7. The receiving array antenna system of claim 6 , wherein, when deployed, the spoolers are disposed at distal ends of the half loops.

8. The receiving array antenna system of claim 7 , wherein proximate ends of the electrically conducting wires are attached to a central hub.

9. The receiving array antenna system of claim 6 , wherein an additional electrically conductive wire is physically attached to each conducting member, such that when deployed, the additional electrically conductive wire forms a horizontal loop antenna in the shape of a square, where each conducting member forms a corner of the square.

10. The receiving array antenna system of claim 9 , further comprising four feeder spoolers, each wound with a feed wire, wherein each feed wire is in electrical communication with one side of the horizontal loop antenna.

11. The receiving array antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the receiving antenna array comprises multipolarized antennas.

12. The receiving array antenna system of claim 11 , wherein the receiving antenna array of multipolarized antennas comprises:
two crossed loop antennas, orthogonal to one another, such that a first crossed loop antenna extends in a x-z plane, and a second crossed loop antenna extends in a y-z plane;
horizontal loop antenna surrounding the two crossed loop antennas and disposed in the x-y plane; and
a monopole antenna extending in a z direction.

13. The receiving array antenna system of claim 12 , wherein each crossed loop antenna comprises: a first half loop, connected to one side of the housing at two terminals; and a second half loop, connected to an opposite side of the housing at two terminals.

14. The receiving array antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the housing is disposed on a tower, balloon, or satellite.

15. The receiving array antenna system of claim 6 , wherein the receiving antenna array comprises multipolarized antennas.

16. The receiving array antenna system of claim 15 , wherein the receiving antenna array of multipolarized antennas comprises:
two crossed loop antennas, orthogonal to one another, such that a first crossed loop antenna extends in a x-z plane, and a second crossed loop antenna extends in a y-z plane;
horizontal loop antenna surrounding the two crossed loop antennas and disposed in the x-y plane; and
a monopole antenna extending in a z direction.

17. The receiving array antenna system of claim 16 , wherein each crossed loop antenna comprises: a first half loop, connected to one side of the housing at two terminals; and a second half loop, connected to an opposite side of the housing at two terminals.

18. The receiving array antenna system of claim 6 , wherein the housing is disposed on a tower, balloon, or satellite.

19. The receiving array antenna system of claim 6 , wherein the antennas are constructed from a metallic electrical conducting wire, a tubular material or a strip material.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Fenn Alan J
• Robey Frank C
• Hurst Peter T
• Silver Mark J
• D'Arco Joseph M

Classifications

• H01Q5/48 Primary

  Combinations of two or more dipole type antennas · CPC title

• G01S3/143

  by vectorial combination of signals derived from differently oriented antennae · CPC title

• G01S3/18

  derived directly from separate directional antennas · CPC title

• H01Q25/04 Primary

  Multimode antennas {(corrugated horns H01Q13/0208)} · CPC title

• H04B7/0617

  for beam forming · CPC title