ANTENAS

Prof. Marco Terada

Lista de Tópicos de Projeto

1. Antennas (General):
1.1. PIM (Passive Intermodulation): Survey/investigation of occurrence in
antennas and ways to minimize it. Possibly write a computer code to assess the
level of PIM in a MIM (Metal-Insulator-Metal) junction.
1.2. Covert Antennas: low-profile antennas that can be installed in targets in less
than 60 seconds and present reduced SLL and XPOL.
1.3. Development of contour and 3D plotting package for antenna patterns.
Inclusion of algorithms to assess interferences among multiple beams.
1.4. Perfect Matching Layers (PMLs) for numerical methods (“bounded”
problems) applied to the analysis and synthesis of antennas.
1.5. FEM (Finite Element Method) techniques for antennas.
1.6. FDTD (Finite Difference Time Domain) techniques for antennas.
1.7. Corrugated horn antennas: a survey of different types and their design.
1.8. Design of a corrugated horn as a feed for a given reflector.
1.9. Investigation on the XPOL behavior of corrugated and rectangular horns and
ways to minimize its level.
1.10. The antenna as a scatterer: A challenging subject in antenna theory is the
study of how an antenna re-radiates when illuminated by a plane wave.
1.11. Lens antennas: Dielectric, metallic, and artificial dielectric lenses.
1.12. Examine ridged/dielectric loaded antennas.
1.13. Design a coincident phase center C and Ku feed antenna.
1.14. Build and test a horn antenna made of a light composite material (e.g.,
graphite, magnesium, Al Be Met – risky for poisoning, etc…).
1.15. Super-conducting antennas: Survey of basic concepts and assessment of
feeding techniques and related problems.
1.16. Check the simple formulas for gain, directivity and aperture efficiency factors
available in the literature against real measured data. Propose adjustments or new
formulas and factors.
1.17. Wideband reduced-size antennas.
1.18. Complex source point method.
1.19. Satellite footprint antenna pattern code development.
1.20. Diffraction effects in complex antenna farms for satellites.
1.21. Investigate theory of near-field region of antennas.
1.22. Investigate the possibility of using Laplace and/or Z-transforms to analyze the
transitory response of antennas (as Fourier transforms are employed for the
steady-state).
1.23. Radar Cross Section (RCS): Evaluate and compare scattering from a
conducting sphere using GO, PO, GTD and Mie scattering (exact formulation).
Plot RCS vs. radius for all.
2. Reflector Antennas:
2.1. Offset reflector antenna analysis and design.
2.2. Dual reflector antennas analysis and design.
2.3. Reflector distortion and aberration effects (off-focus, manufacturing and
gravity effects in large reflectors, etc…).
2.4. Edge currents on reflectors.
2.5. Crosspolarization in reflectors.
2.6. Use of computer codes and comparison of results (GRASP, PRAC, etc…).
2.7. Reflector with array feed for US coverage from geo-synchronous orbit at C-
and/or Ku-band.
2.8. Spherical wave expansion methods for feeds.
2.9. Shaping of reflector antennas: Numerical methods (gradient, neural nets,
genetic algorithms, etc…), inclusion of atmospheric effects and rain fading,
comparison of different interpolation techniques to describe surfaces, etc…
2.10. Investigation of new canonical surfaces and possible unique features.
2.11. Report on how GTD or UTD and/or PTD are used in reflector pattern
calculations, specially for the far-out sidelobe region.
2.12. Reduction of reflector antenna interferences in digital modulation techniques
(e.g., QAM) using neural networks and other DSP techniques.

3. Measurements:
3.1. Development and validation of techniques to measure PIM.
3.2. Correlation between spacing in antenna contour measurements with minimum
sampling rate (Nyquist, etc…). Proposal of minimum angular spacings in
antennas measurements.
3.3. Time-gating to minimize interferences and reflections in antenna range
measurements (using hardware and/or software techniques: neural networks,
etc…).
3.4. Performance assessment of NMSU and PSL anechoic chambers and far-field
ranges. A “complete” error breakdown assessment when measuring SLL and
XPOL at –20 dB and -30 dB. Suggestion of possible ways for improving and
maintaining accuracy.
3.5. Design and usage of near-field ranges (planar, cylindrical and spherical). PSL
has an old near-field system that might be recoverable.
3.6. Design and usage of compact ranges (single and dual reflector systems).
3.7. Indoor propagation measurements (path losses, fading, etc…).
3.8. Investigate far-field criteria for low gain antennas: range distance and other
effects (behavior of fields, etc…). PSL large far-field ranges may be used to
perform a similar investigation with high-gain antennas.
3.9. Analysis and measurement of the radiation from an open-ended waveguide.
3.10. A survey of antenna measurement techniques (techniques used to measure
gain, SLL, XPOL, etc…). Consideration of how to measure large antenna
systems and/or antenna systems presenting low SLL and XPOL (e.g., levels
below –35 dB).
 3.11. Survey of methods/equipment to assess and measure RE/RS (radiation
emissions and radiation susceptibility) in wireless communication systems.
3.12. Usage of field meters in EMC problems, including human safety issues.
Development of simple experiments in EMC (cell phones, computer monitors,
cables and connectors, etc…).

4. Arrays and Smart Antennas:

4.1. Mutual coupling and array performance.
4.2. Development of a computer code with to analyze generic arrays (3D), with or
without mutual coupling effects.
4.3. Study of smart antennas. Manufacturing and testing of a simple smart antenna
array for RX only. Connection to a computer and employment of signal
processing techniques for controlling the direction of the beam(s).
4.4. Data processing arrays: Interesting effects can be created when the output of
array elements are not just added but are processed (multiplication is one
example).
4.5. Study of diversity techniques (time-space, frequency, polarization and angle).
4.6. Feeding techniques for array antennas including the Butler matrix.
4.7. Design of random arrays: development or use of computer codes for thinning
methods. Comparison of gain, SLL, etc… to the theoretical results for the “full-
size”, complete array (assessment of the impact of the thinning process).
4.8. Case studies in phased arrays (overall architectures, phase shifters, etc…).
4.9. Study of the quantization of phase and amplitude on phased array
performance (digital phase shifters).
4.10. Investigate the array architecture which produces circular polarization from
linearly polarized elements. See Huang’s Sept. 1986 APS paper. Can try to
reproduce his Figs. 27 and 28, also looking into the possibility of using non-
planar arrays.
4.11. Gain of an array from element directivity and array factor directivity.
4.12. A variable power divider to feed an array.
4.13. Design of a mobile antenna array.
4.14. Design of slotted waveguide arrays.
4.15. Design of microstrip patch arrays, including conformal geometries. Could use
a microwave CAD package to assist (Ensemble, etc…).
4.16. Conformal dipole and/or wire arrays.
4.17. Wideband arrays with variable element sizes. Investigate amplitude taper for
low SLL. Possibly investigation of fractal arrays.

5. Wire Antennas and Method of Moments (MoM):

5.1. Optimization and shaping of wire antennas (dipoles, loops, helices, etc…).
Expand existing codes or develop new ones to analyze shaped wire antennas.
5.2. Comparison of results and usage of different wire antenna codes (Mininec,
NEC, Gradmax, Wire, etc…).
 5.3. Inclusion of real ground properties in a MoM code: See Popovic’s general
image theory, which uses three images to satisfy the boundary conditions.
Investigate other methodologies, as well.
5.4. Analyze interesting/new arrays with MoM and compare to classical results
when available (e.g., yagis and log-periodics of loops, etc…).
5.5. Examine the currents induced on a circular cylinder of large radius for TE and
TM excitation as a function of size. Look for resonances in the TM case.
5.6. Investigate magnetic field integral equation methods (MFIE). Could evaluate
scattering from a large circular cylinder.
5.7. Investigate source modeling of wire antennas. Include gap and frill sources.
Study the results as a function of the number of segments and compare to
theoretical, numerical and/or measured results when available.
5.8. Investigation on how to implement MoM to analyze surfaces.
5.9. Analysis of reflector antennas with MoM (wire and/or surface
implementations). Comparison with PO, PTD, etc., specially for far-out
sidelobes.

6. Antenna Synthesis Techniques:

6.1. Investigation of the usage of neural networks, fuzzy logic and genetic
algorithms to design antennas.
6.2. Synthesis of shaped beam patterns, which might be an application for 6.1
above.
6.3. Optimum line source method. Implementation of line sources.
6.4. Survey of simple, closed form, antenna design techniques available in the
literature for one specific kind of antenna (e.g., wire, reflector, horn, array, patch,
etc…). Compare the results to theoretical, numerical and/or measured results
when available.
6.5. Development of a computer code to design different types of antennas.
6.6. Usage of multiprocessing capabilities with antenna analysis and synthesis
algorithms (Jacobi-Bessel method, neural nets, genetic algorithms, etc…).