volume | PIER Journals

Abstract

This research paper introduces a novel dual-band single-polarized (DBSP) series-fed center-fed open stub (SFCFOS) Binomial Antenna Array synthesis technique to improve side lobe levels (SLL) and better isolation for the use in Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radars (AIR-SARs). The antenna utilizes a shared-aperture array (SAA) architecture, operating in both X and Ku-bands with center frequencies of 9.3 and 13.265 GHz with a frequency ratio of 1:1.426. The SAA consists of a 7-element linear array of square microstrip patches for the X/Ku-band. The inter-element spacing between patches is set at 0.7λ to meet the ±25˚ scan range requirements. The X-band (9.3 GHz) frequency is ideal for soil moisture estimation in agricultural areas, while the Ku-band (13.265 GHz) is suitable for applications in snow-covered regions, cold areas, and disaster monitoring. To validate the antenna design, a prototype is fabricated and tested for S-parameters, radiation characteristics, and gain measurements. The size of the shared-aperture antenna is 200 mm × 50 mm × 0.787 mm. The measured results of the prototype align well with the simulated ones, exhibiting excellent radiation performance and high isolation. The bandwidth of 1.07% (X-band) and 1.5% (Ku-Band) and return loss of 25 dB/-15.7 dB at 9.3/13.265 GHz are achieved. The measured isolation is -45 dB which provides a large signal separation at X/Ku-bands. The antenna design shows a side-lobe level (SLL) of -39.5 dB at E-Plane (φ=0˚) and -17.9 dB for H-plane (φ=90˚) for the X-band and -35 dB at φ=0˚-19 dB for H-plane (φ=90˚) for the Ku-band. Additionally, it achieves high gain values of 12.8 dBi for the X-band and 13.2 dBi for the Ku-band. This research presents the first reported shared-aperture X/Ku-band single polarized planar array with binomial amplitude distribution synthesis technique, which holds significant value for AIR-SAR applications. All the measured results were in line with simulated ones and matched reasonably well.

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Mrs. Praveena Kati

Dr. Venkata Kishore Kothapudi