Ultra-Wideband Patch Antenna Array With an Inclined Proximity Coupled Feed for Small Unmanned Aircraft RADAR Applications

Abhishek K. Awasthi; Christopher D. Simpson; Shriniwas Kolpuke; Tuan D. Luong; Jie-Bang Yan; Drew Taylor; S. Prasad Gogineni

doi:10.1109/OJAP.2021.3128015

IEEE Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation (Jan 2021)

Ultra-Wideband Patch Antenna Array With an Inclined Proximity Coupled Feed for Small Unmanned Aircraft RADAR Applications

Abhishek K. Awasthi,
Christopher D. Simpson,
Shriniwas Kolpuke,
Tuan D. Luong,
Jie-Bang Yan,
Drew Taylor,
S. Prasad Gogineni

Affiliations

Abhishek K. Awasthi: ORCiD; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
Christopher D. Simpson: Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
Shriniwas Kolpuke: ORCiD; Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
Tuan D. Luong: Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
Jie-Bang Yan: ORCiD; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
Drew Taylor: ORCiD; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
S. Prasad Gogineni: ORCiD; Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/OJAP.2021.3128015
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 2
pp. 1079 – 1086

Abstract

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This paper the design of a lightweight and compact patch antenna array with an inclined proximity coupled feed. The antenna array is designed for operation on a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) with an ultra-wideband (UWB) radar for remote sensing of soil moisture and snow. To achieve UWB impedance matching, the design utilizes an inclined wide feed and inter-element coupling. A 3-D printed base (polylactic acid) is used to support the feed structure. The antenna array operates over a 2.5 GHz – 4.5 GHz frequency (57.2% bandwidth) range, and its weight is 112 grams. A prototype $2\times4$ element array is fabricated and tested. The antenna array has an 88.2% average radiation efficiency and a 13.2 dBi average realized gain over the desired frequency band with broadside and stable radiation pattern.

Published in IEEE Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation

ISSN: 2637-6431 (Online)
Publisher: IEEE
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Technology: Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering: Telecommunication
Website: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=8566058

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