Waveguide hybrid couplers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11658379-B2
Application number	US-202017037260-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2020
Priority date	Oct 18, 2019
Publication date	May 23, 2023
Grant date	May 23, 2023

Abstract

A TE20 launch guidance waveguide hybrid coupler includes a waveguide body, a cavity, a plurality of ports, and a bend along the H-plane. The waveguide body includes a hybrid center portion which is disposed between and is in direct communication with the plurality of ports. The bend along the H-Plane is defined within the hybrid center portion, assists in the launching of the TE20 mode, and results in typically half the axial ratio and mass when compared to traditional hybrid approaches.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A waveguide hybrid coupler, comprising:
a waveguide body having a hybrid center portion and defining an H-Plane;
a cavity defined within the waveguide body;
a plurality of ports defined within the waveguide body, wherein the hybrid center portion is disposed between the plurality of ports and each of the ports of the plurality of ports are in communication with the cavity;
a bend along the H-Plane defined within the hybrid center portion, wherein the bend is configured to generate a TE20 mode; and
a septum defined within the waveguide body, wherein the septum is recessed from the hybrid center portion, wherein the septum comprises a chamfered edge.

2. The waveguide hybrid coupler of claim 1 , wherein the bend includes a plurality of transformer steps extending away from the hybrid center portion.

3. The waveguide hybrid coupler of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ports comprises an input port, a first output port, and a second output port.

4. The waveguide hybrid coupler of claim 3 , wherein power from the input port is equally split between the first output port and the second output port.

5. The waveguide hybrid coupler of claim 3 , wherein a signal of the second output port is phase shifted by 90 degrees relative to a signal of the first output port.

6. A waveguide hybrid coupler, comprising:
a waveguide body having a hybrid center portion;
a cavity defined within the waveguide body;
a plurality of ports defined within the waveguide body, wherein the hybrid center portion is disposed between the plurality of ports and each of the ports of the plurality of ports are in communication with the cavity; and
a septum defined within the waveguide body, wherein the septum comprises a chamfered edge and is recessed from the hybrid center portion and the septum is configured to generate a TE20 mode.

7. The waveguide hybrid coupler of claim 6 , wherein the waveguide body defines an H-plane and the waveguide hybrid coupler further comprising a bend along the H-Plane defined within the hybrid center portion.

8. The waveguide hybrid coupler of claim 7 , wherein the bend includes a plurality of transformer steps extending away from the hybrid center portion.

9. The waveguide hybrid coupler of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of ports comprises an input port, a first output port, and a second output port.

10. The waveguide hybrid coupler of claim 9 , wherein power from the input port is equally split between the first output port and the second output port.

11. The waveguide hybrid coupler of claim 9 , wherein a signal of the second output port is phase shifted by 90 degrees relative to a signal of the first output port.

12. A method to split power from a source, the method comprising:
receiving an input signal within a waveguide hybrid coupler, wherein the waveguide hybrid coupler comprises an H-plane bend;
launching a TE20 mode at the H-plane bend from the input signal;
directing the input signal equally between a first output port and a second output port of the waveguide hybrid coupler; and
directing the TE20 mode toward a hybrid center of the waveguide hybrid coupler via a septum, the septum comprising a chamfered edge.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising directing the TE20 mode toward the hybrid center of the waveguide hybrid coupler via a transformer step.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising equally splitting a Ka band between the first output port and the second output port of the waveguide hybrid coupler.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising equally splitting a low GPS band between the first output port and the second output port of the waveguide hybrid coupler.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising equally splitting a high GPS band between the first output port and the second output port of the waveguide hybrid coupler.

Assignees

• Lockheed Corp
• Lockheed Martin Corpora Tion

Inventors

• Wrigley Jason Stewart
• Winebrand Mark

Classifications

• H01Q21/0037

  linear waveguide fed arrays · CPC title

• H01Q19/10

  using reflecting surfaces · CPC title

• H01P5/182 Primary

  the waveguides being arranged in parallel · CPC title

• H01P1/161

  sustaining two independent orthogonal modes, e.g. orthomode transducer {(combining or separating polarisations and frequencies H01P1/2131)} · CPC title

• H01P1/027 Primary

  in the H-plane · CPC title