Abstract
A high-gain millimeter-wave patch array antenna is presented for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). For the large-scale patch array antenna, microstrip lines and higher-mode surface wave radiations contribute enormously to the antenna loss, especially at the millimeter-wave band. Here, the element of a large patch array antenna is implemented with a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity-backed patch fed by the aperture-coupled feeding (ACF) structure. However, in this case, a large coupling aperture is used to create strongly bound waves, which maximizes the coupling level between the patch and the feedline. This approach helps to improve antenna gain, but at the same time leads to a significant level of back radiation due to the microstrip feedline and unwanted surface-wave radiation, especially for the large patch arrays. Using the SIW cavity-backed patch and stripline feedline of the ACF in the element design, therefore, provides a solution to this problem. Thus, a full-corporate feed 32 × 32 array antenna achieves realized gain of 30.71–32.8 dBi with radiation efficiency above 52% within the operational band of 25.43–26.91 GHz. The fabricated antenna also retains being lightweight, which is desirable for UAVs, because it has no metal plate at the backside to support the antenna.
Highlights
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drone technologies have seen a rapid growth of interest due to the breakthroughs in microprocessors and artificial intelligence (AI) [1,2]
Some unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) applications demand extremely high antenna gain above 25 dBi in order to have a reliable communication link with the ground control stations in higher frequency bands
Maximum coupling between the feedline and the patch is obtained in Figure 2a with larger coupling-aperture size, a smaller non-resonant aperture produces lower back radiation with a better impedance matching to result in less spurious radiation and better efficiency
Summary
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drone technologies have seen a rapid growth of interest due to the breakthroughs in microprocessors and artificial intelligence (AI) [1,2]. Some UAV applications demand extremely high antenna gain above 25 dBi in order to have a reliable communication link with the ground control stations in higher frequency bands This is because the path losses increase with the increase of operating frequency and distance. The element’s aperturecoupled feed (ACF) is modified by increasing the coupling slot size This approach increases the coupling levels between the patch and the feedline to improve radiation efficiency. At the same time, strong surface waves and back radiation due to the feedline occur, especially in the large-scale patch arrays in higher frequency bands. This phenomenon causes significant antenna losses to undermine the gain improvement. The external WR-28 waveguide-to-coax adapter is mounted directly at the antenna’s backside for measurement
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