Structural wideband multifunctional apertures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9287632-B2
Application number	US-201213691309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2012
Priority date	Nov 30, 2012
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

A structural wideband multifunctional aperture and methods are presented. A ground plane grounds radio frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) electrical fields. A structural egg crate circuit board comprises a grid of circuit board planes coupled to the ground plane and perpendicular to the ground plane around open boxes. A signal feed-line is coupled to the structural egg crate circuit board and couple-able to a signal transmission line. A driven feed layer parallel to the ground plane is coupled to the signal feed-line and to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:
a ground plane operable to ground radio frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) electrical fields;
a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes coupled to the ground plane and configured substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes, and operable to support a structural load;
a signal feed-line coupled to the structural egg crate circuit board and operable to couple to a signal transmission line, and configured perpendicular to the ground plane; and
a driven feed layer configured substantially parallel to the ground plane and coupled to the signal feed-line and to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane
wherein the driven feed layer is configured in a unit cell for an electronically steerable array.

2. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 1 , further comprising:
a grounded shorting-line coupled to the structural egg crate circuit board and the ground plane; and
a grounded feed layer configured parallel to the ground plane and coupled to the grounded shorting-line and to the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane.

3. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 2 , wherein the driven feed layer and the grounded feed layer comprise a trapezoidal configuration.

4. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 2 , further comprising:
a driven antenna element configured to electromagnetically couple to the driven feed layer; and
a grounded antenna element configured to electromagnetically couple to the grounded feed layer.

5. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 4 , wherein the driven antenna element and the grounded antenna element comprise a bow-tie configuration.

6. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 4 , further comprising a dielectric cover covering the driven antenna element and the grounded antenna element, wherein the dielectric cover comprises one of: a single layer comprising low electromagnetic loss material, a plurality of layers comprising differing low electromagnetic loss materials.

7. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 1 , wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprises an aircraft skin, and is configured to bear loads on the aircraft skin.

8. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 1 , wherein the structural egg crate circuit board comprises a low dielectric quartz fabric.

9. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 1 , wherein the open boxes are filled with a low dielectric material.

10. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 1 , wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured as a dual-polarized dipole antenna structure.

11. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 10 , wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured with a matching bandwidth ratio of at least 5:1 of high frequency to low frequency.

12. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 1 , wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured with a matching bandwidth ratio of at least 5:1 of high frequency to low frequency.

13. A method for forming a structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:
coupling a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes to a ground plane;
configuring the structural egg crate circuit board substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes, and to support a structural load;
coupling a signal feed-line to the structural egg crate circuit board, the signal feed-line operable to couple to a signal transmission line, and configured perpendicular to the ground plane, wherein the driven feed layer is configured in a unit cell for an electronically steerable array;
configuring a driven feed layer substantially parallel to the ground plane; and
coupling the driven feed layer to the signal feed-line and to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
coupling a grounded shorting-line to the structural egg crate circuit board and the ground plane;
configuring a grounded feed layer parallel to the ground plane; and
coupling the grounded feed layer to the grounded shorting-line and to the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising configuring the driven feed layer and the grounded feed layer in a trapezoidal configuration.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
configuring a driven antenna element to electromagnetically couple to the driven feed layer; and
configuring a grounded antenna element to electromagnetically couple to the grounded feed layer.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising configuring the driven antenna element and the grounded antenna to comprise a bow-tie configuration.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising filling the open boxes with a low dielectric material.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising configuring an aircraft skin comprising the structural wideband multifunctional aperture.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising configuring the ground plane to ground radio frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) electrical fields.

21. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 13 , wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured as a dual-polarized dipole antenna structure.

22. The structural wideband multifunctional aperture of claim 13 , wherein the structural wideband multifunctional aperture is configured with a matching bandwidth ratio of at least 5:1 of high frequency to low frequency.

23. A method for operating a structural wideband multifunctional aperture comprising:
electromagnetically coupling a signal feed-line to a signal transmission line, the signal feed-line configured perpendicular to the ground plane and coupled to a structural egg crate circuit board comprising a grid of circuit board planes coupled to a ground plane and configured substantially perpendicular to the ground plane around a plurality of open boxes and operable to support a structural load; and
electromagnetically coupling a driven feed layer to the signal feed-line, the driven feed layer configured substantially parallel to the ground plane and coupled to the signal feed-line and coupled to a side of the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane,
wherein the driven feed layer is configured in a unit cell for an electronically steerable array.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:
grounding a grounded shorting-line coupled to the structural egg crate circuit board to the ground plane operable to ground radio frequency (RF) and direct current (DC) electrical fields; and
grounding a grounded feed layer with the grounded shorting-line, the grounded feed layer configured parallel to the ground plane and coupled to the grounded shorting-line and to the structural egg crate circuit board opposite to the ground plane.

25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising:
electromagnetically coupling a driven antenna element to the driven feed layer; and
electromagnetically coupling

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Manry Jr Charles W
• Urcia Manny S
• Banks David L

Classifications

• H01Q21/26

  Turnstile or like antennas comprising arrangements of three or more elongated elements disposed radially and symmetrically in a horizontal plane about a common centre · CPC title

• H01Q9/28

  Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines (waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00) · CPC title

• H01Q1/286 Primary

  substantially flush mounted with the skin of the craft · CPC title

• H01Q21/0075

  Stripline fed arrays (H01Q21/065 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01Q25/001

  Crossed polarisation dual antennas (orthomode horns H01Q13/0258; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; orthomode transducers H01P1/161) · CPC title