• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.712-720
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• 2003

In this paper, a multi-layered metallic disk array structure(MDAS) excited by cross-dipole elements was proposed for efficiently shaping of flat-topped element patterns(FTEP) with circular polarization. The MDAS excited by cross-dipole elements has advantages to decrease in volume and weight of an overall array antenna and so, it is appropriate for the FTEP applications of a ralativlely low frequency band. In order to verify the effectness of this structure, the MDAS breadboard operated at X-band(7.9 ∼ 8.4 GHz) was fabricated, and its design parameters were experimentally optimized on the basis of the previous design experience. The experimental results were shown that the MDAS could shape good FTEPs of ${\pm}$20$^{\circ}$beam width at least within a 6.1 % frequency band.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.985-995
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• 2003

In this paper, a study on optimization of three dimensional multi-layered metallic disk array structure(MDAS) excited by circular waveguides was performed to shape efficient flat-topped element patterns(FTEP) of ${\pm}$20$^{\circ}$ beam width. Each radiating element of the MDAS is composed of input, transition and radiation circular waveguides and finite metal disks stacked on radiation circular waveguide. It has an array structure of a hexagonal lattice appropriate for the conical beam scanning. The analytic algorithm for the MDAS was proposed and the code was also programmed using it. Optimal design parameters of the MDAS were determined through the optimal simulation process to obtain ${\pm}$20$^{\circ}$ FTEP. Also, bandwidth characteristics for FTEP and reflection coefficients of the MDAS were investigated and, as the results, it was shown that the MDAS could shape good FTEPs of ${\pm}$20$^{\circ}$ beam width in main planes at least within a 5.6 % frequency band.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.667-678
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• 2002

In this paper, a new radiating structure with a multi-layered two-dimensional metallic disk array was proposed for shaping the flat-topped element pattern. It is an infinite periodic planar array structure with metallic disks finitely stacked above the radiating circular waveguide apertures. The theoretical analysis was in detail performed using rigid full-wave analysis, and was based on modal representations for the fields in the partial regions of the array structure and for the currents on the metallic disks. The final system of linear algebraic equations was derived using the orthogonal property of vector wave functions, mode-matching method, boundary conditions and Galerkin's method, and also their unknown modal coefficients needed for calculation of the array characteristics were determined by Gauss elimination method. The application of the algorithm was demonstrated in an array design for shaping the flat-topped element patterns of $\pm$20$^{\circ}$ beam width in Ka-band. The optimal design parameters normalized by a wavelength for general applications are presented, which are obtained through optimization process on the basis of simulation and design experience. A Ka-band experimental breadboard with symmetric nineteen elements was fabricated to compare simulation results with experimental results. The metallic disks array structure stacked above the radiating circular waveguide apertures was realized using ion-beam deposition method on thin polymer films. It was shown that the calculated and measured element patterns of the breadboard were in very close agreement within the beam scanning range. The result analysis for side lobe and grating lobe was done, and also a blindness phenomenon was discussed, which may cause by multi-layered metallic disk structure at the broadside. Input VSWR of the breadboard was less than 1.14, and its gains measured at 29.0 GHz. 29.5 GHz and 30 GHz were 10.2 dB, 10.0 dB and 10.7 dB, respectively. The experimental and simulation results showed that the proposed multi-layered metallic disk array structure could shape the efficient flat-topped element pattern.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.18 no.3 s.118
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• pp.323-333
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• 2007

In this paper, a new MDAS-DR antenna structure designed to efficiently shape a flat-topped radiation pattern is proposed. The antenna structure is composed of a stacked micro-strip patch exciter and a multi-layered disk array structure(MDAS) surrounded by a dielectric ring. The MDAS, which was supplied by a stacked microstrip patch exciter with radiating power, can form a flat-topped radiation pattern in a far field by a mutual interaction with the surrounding dielectric ring. Therefore, the design parameters of the dielectric ring and the MDAS structure are important design parameters for shaping a flat-topped radiation pattern. The proposed antenna used twelve multi-layered disk array elements and a Teflon material with a dielectric constant of 2.05. An antenna operated at 10 GHz$(9.6\sim10.4\;GHz)$ was designed in order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed antenna structure. The commercial simulator of CST Microwave $Studio^{TM}$, which was adapted to a 3-D antenna structure analysis, was used for the simulation. The antenna breadboard was also fabricated and its electrical performance was measured in an anechoic antenna chamber. The measured results of the antenna breadboard with a flat-topped radiation pattern were found to be in good agreement with the simulated one. The MDAS-DR antenna gain measured at 10 GHz was 11.18 dBi, and the MDAS-DR antenna was capable of shaping a good flat-topped radiation pattern with a beam-width of about $40^{\circ}$, at least within a fractional bandwidth of 8.0 %.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.18 no.1 s.116
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• pp.62-75
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• 2007

This paper describes a shaped-beam antenna for increasing the antenna gain of a radiating element. The proposed antenna structure is composed of an exciting element and a multi-layered disk array structure(MDAS). The stack micro-strip patch elements were used as the exciter for effectively radiating the electromagnetic power to the MDAS over the broadband, and finite metallic disk array elements - which give the role of a director for shaping the antenna beam with the high gain - were finitely and periodically layered onto it. The efficient power coupling between the exciter and the MDAS should be carried out in such a way that the proposed antenna has a high gain characteristic. The design parameters of the exciter and the MDAS should be optimized together to meet the required specifications to meet the required specifications. In this study, a shaped-beam antenna with high gain was optimally designed under the operating conditions with a linear polarization and the frequency band of $9.6{\sim}10.4\;GHz$. Two methods constructed using thin dielectric film and dielectric foam materials respectively were also proposed in order to implement the MBAS of the antenna. In particular, through the computer simulation process, the electrical performance variations of the antenna with the MDAS realized by the thin dielectric film materials were shown according to the number of disk array elements in the stack layer. Two kinds of antenna breadboard with the MDAS realized with the thin dielectric film and dielectric foam materials were fabricated, but experimentation was conducted only on the antenna breadboard(Type 1) with the MDAS realized with the thin dielectric film materials according to the number of disk array elements in the stack layer in order to compare it with the electrical performance variations obtained during the simulation. The measured antenna gain performance was found to be in good agreement with the simulated one, and showed the periodicity of the antenna gain variations according to the stack layer number of the disk array elements. The electrical performance of the Type 1 antenna was measured at the center frequency of 10 GHz. As the disk away elements became the ten stacks, a maximum antenna gain of 15.65 dBi was obtained, and the measured return loss was not less than 11.4 dB within the operating band. Therefore, a 5 dB gain improvement of the Type 1 antenna can be obtained by the MDAS that is excited by the stack microstrip patch elements. As the disk array elements became the twelve stacks, the antenna gain of the Type 1 was measured to be 1.35 dB more than the antenna gain of the Type 2 by the outer dielectric ring effect, and the 3 dB beam widths measured from the two antenna breadboards were about $28^{\circ}$ and $36^{\circ}$ respectively.