Unit 7

Antennas for Special Applications

Microstrip Patch Antenna
• A patch is a low profile, low - gain, narrow – bandwidth antenna.
• Salient features of Microstrip antennas
• In its most basic form, a microstrip patch antenna consists of a
radiating patch on one side of a dielectric substrate which has a
ground plane on the other side
• A patch antenna is a narrow band, wide-beam antenna fabricated by
etching the antenna element pattern in metal trace bonded to an
insulating dielectric substrate
• The microstrip antenna was first proposed by G A Deschamps in 1953
cont
• They are often used where thickness and conformability to the
surface of mount are key requirements.
• Microstrip antennas may have square, rectangular, circular, triangular
or elliptical shape
• The size of a microstrip antenna is inversely proportional to its
frequency.
• The microstrip antenna is constructed on a thin dielectric sheet using
PCB board and etching techniques.
Rectangular Microstrip Antennas
Basic Structure
• The patch, dielectric and the ground plane are shown in the figure.
• The dimension L is universally taken to mean the long dimension,
which causes resonance at its half-wavelength frequency.
• The radiating edges are at the ends of the L-dimension of the
rectangle, which sets up the single polarization.
• Radiation that occur at the ends of the W-dimension is far less and is
referred to as the cross-polarization.
Field distribution
• Due to half wave nature of the fields under the L-edges of opposite
polarity, when the field lines curve out and finally propagate out into
the direction normal to the substrate they are now in the same
direction
• In the far field perpendicular to the substrate, the radiation from the
two sides adds up because the fields are inphase
• In directions of off-boresight, the intensity drops as the fields of the
two edges go further and further and out of phase
• At two angles the fields exactly cancel
Geometry of Microstrip Antenna
Geometry of MSA
• The rectangle shape is the simplest and most widely used
configuration for the fabrication of microstrip antennas.
• The microstrip or patch antenna, microstrip transmission line and the
ground plane are made of a high conductivity metal.
• The patch is of length L, width W and sitting on top of dielectric
substrate of thickness h with permittivity 𝜀𝑟 .
• Typically the height h is much smaller than the wavelength of
operation
Advantages
• Light weight, low volume, low profile, planar configuration, which can
be made conformal
• Low fabrication cost and ease of mass production
• Linear and circular polarizations are possible
• Dual frequency antennas can be easily realized
• Feed lines and matching network can be easily integrated with
antenna structure
Disadvantages
• Narrow bandwidth (1 to 5%)
• Low power handling capacity
• Practical limitation on Gain (around 30 dB)
• Poor isolation between the feed and radiating elements
• Tolerance problem requires good quality substrate, which are
expensive
• Polarization purity is difficult to achieve
• Size is large at lower frequency
Applications
• Pagers and mobile phones
• Doppler and other radars
• Satellite communication
• Radio altimeter
• Command guidance and telemetry in missiles
• Feed elements in complex antennas
• Satellite navigation receiver
• Biomedical radiator
What is Horn Antenna?
• Jagadis Chandra Bose constructed a pyramidal horn in 1897.
• To improve the radiation efficiency and directivity of the beam, the
wave guide should be provided with an extended aperture to make
the abrupt discontinuity of the wave into a gradual transformation.
• So that all the energy in the forward direction gets radiated. This can
be termed as Flaring.
• Now, this can be done using a horn antenna.
• The operational frequency range of a horn antenna is around 300MHz
to 30GHz. This antenna works in UHF and SHF frequency ranges.
• A horn antenna or microwave horn is an antenna that consists of a
flaring metal waveguide shaped like a horn to direct radio waves in a
beam. Horns are widely used as antennas at UHF and microwave
frequencies, above 300 MHz.
Construction & Working of Horn Antenna

• The energy of the beam is slowly transformed into radiation, the losses are reduced and the focusing of the
beam improves. A Horn antenna may be considered as a flared out wave guide, by which the directivity is
improved and the diffraction is reduced.
• There are several types of horn antenna configurations out of which, three configurations are most
commonly used.
• Sectoral horn
• This type of horn antenna, flares out in only one direction. Flaring in the direction of Electric vector produces
the sectorial E-plane horn. Similarly, flaring in the direction of Magnetic vector, produces the sectorial H-
plane horn.
• Pyramidal horn
• This type of horn antenna has flaring on both sides. If flaring is done on both the E & H walls of a rectangular
waveguide, then pyramidal horn antenna is produced. This antenna has the shape of a truncated pyramid.
• Conical horn
• When the walls of a circular wave guide are flared, it is known as a conical horn. This is a logical termination
of a circular wave guide.
• The horn antenna may be considered as an RF transformer or
impedance match between the waveguide feeder and free space
which has an impedance of 377 ohms.
• By having a tapered or having a flared end to the waveguide the horn
antenna is formed and this enables the impedance to be matched.
• Although the waveguide will radiate without a horn antenna, this
provides a far more efficient match.
• However the main advantage of the horn antenna is that it provides a
significant level of directivity and gain.
Horn antenna types
• Pyramid horn antenna As the name suggests, the pyramid horn antenna
takes on a rectangular shape - the cross section through the antenna is
rectangular, as is the end of the antenna. It is normally used with
rectangular waveguide.
• Sectoral horn antenna: This form of horn antenna is one in which only
one pair of sides flared whist the other remains parallel. This form of
configuration produces a fan-shaped beam, which is narrow in the plane of
the flared sides, but wide in the plane of the narrow sides.

• E-plane horn antenna: This form of antenna is one that is flared in the direction of
the electric or E-field in the waveguide.
• H plan horn antenna : This form of antenna is one that is flared in the direction of
the magnetic or H-field in the waveguide.
• Conical horn antenna Again, as the name indicates, the conical horn
antenna has a circular cross section. It is normally used with circular
waveguide and is seen less frequently than the rectangular version.
• Exponential horn antenna This form of horn antenna is also called a
scalar horn antenna and it is one that has curved sides. The
separation of the sides increases as an exponential function of length.
The antenna can come as either a pyramidal or conical cross sections.
• Corrugated horn: The corrugated horn antenna has parallel slots or
grooves along the inside surface of the horn, transverse to the axis.
These corrugations are small when compared to the wavelength.
Radiation Pattern

• The radiation pattern of a horn antenna is a Spherical Wave front. The

following figure shows the radiation pattern of horn antenna. The
wave radiates from the aperture, minimizing the diffraction of waves.
The flaring keeps the beam focused. The radiated beam has high
directivity.
Advantages
• Small minor lobes are formed
• Impedance matching is good
• Greater directivity
• Narrower beam width
• Standing waves are avoided

Disadvantages
• Designing of flare angle, decides the directivity
• Flare angle and length of the flare should not be very small

Applications
• Used for astronomical studies
• Used in microwave applications
Sleeve Antenna
Sleeve Antenna
𝜆
• A vertical sleeve antenna is shown in the fig a. Here the ground
2
plane has degenerated into a sleeve or cylinder 𝜆/4 long.
• Maximum radiation is normal to the axis of the antenna.
• Another variety of sleeve antenna is shown in fig b. The antenna is
similar to a stub antenna with ground plane but with feed point
moved to approximately the centre of the stub.
• This is accomplished by enclosing the lower end of the stub in a
cylindrical sleeve of length λ/8
• A balanced-sleeve diploe antenna corresponding to the sleeve stub
type is shown in fig c. It is shown with a coaxial line feed and balun
Figures
Turnstile Antenna
• Turnstile antenna, also called crossed dipoles is another type of array
antenna. The shape of this antenna symbolizes the turnstile, which is
used at the entrances of few places.
• A basic turnstile consists of 2 horizontal short dipoles placed normal
to each other
• Frequency range: 30 MHz to 3 GHz (VHF and UHF bands)
Construction and working:
• Two identical half wave dipoles are placed at right angles to each
other.
• The two dipoles are energized with currents of equal magnitude but
in phase quadrature.
• To provide high directivity, several turnstiles may be stacked along a
vertical axis.
• The polarization of these antennas depends upon their mode of
operation.
• The pair of such dipoles frequently stacked is known as Bay.
cont
• In the figure shown, the two bays are spaced half wavelength apart
and the corresponding elements are fed in phase. The radiation
produced by the combination of bays results in better directivity.
• The metal plate can be replaced by tubing or grid of conductors to
reduce the wind resistance.
• The super turnstile is most suitable for TV transmission for
frequencies from 50MHz. Directivity can be increased by stacking
super turnstiles one above the other.
• ADVANTAGES:
1. High gain is achieved by stacking.
2. Super turnstile produces high gain output.
3. Better directivity is achieved.
• DISADVANTAGES:
1. The radiation power is 3dB below the maximum radiation of a half wave
dipole radiating the same power.
• APPLICATIONS:
1. Used for VHF communications, FM nad TV broadcasting, military
communications and satellite communications.
Artistic Antennas (Fractals)
• The Sierpinsky-triangle bow-tie antenna and Barnsley-Fern diploe
antenna are examples of a large class of fractal antennas.
• Fractals are structures that preserve their shape at different scales.
• The promethea moth antenna is an example of many insect antennae
that look like radio antennas.
• A moth antenna resembles a twin log-periodic antenna with elements
that look like folded dipoles.
Antennas for ground penetrating radar (GPR)

Like Earth Surface Radars, the radars can be used to detect underground anomalies
both natural and Man Made.
•The anomalies include buried metallic or nonmetallic objects, earth abnormalities
etc.,
•GPR receives and displays the radio echo of short transmitted radio pulse, but
with some important differences,
1. Far field radar equation to be modified as distance travelled by wave is less.
2. Power required is more since ground is lossy medium.
3. Mismatch at air-ground interface.
4. Pulse width should be less of the order of a few nanoseconds. The short pulse
generates broad spectrum signal.
Bow-tie antennas for GPR
• Typically two dipole antennas are used, one for transmitting and
other for receiving with the pair of diploes placed parallel and close to
ground.
Embedded Antennas
• The length of the dipole can be reduced when embedded in a
dielectric medium of relative permittivity 𝜀𝑟 more than 1.
• A λ/2 dipole embedded in a dielectric medium will resonate at same
frequency when its physical length is 0.5λ/ √𝜀𝑟
• If εr= 4 then for a λ/2 dipole will be half its free space size
• Used in Bluetooth technology, interfacing RF Network
cont
Plasma Antenna
• A plasma surface wave can be excited along a column of low-pressure gas
such as argon by adequate RF power coupled to the column in a glass tube
• The length of the column that is excited is a function of power applied.
Radiation efficiency is in the range 25 to 50%
• The plasma antenna is applied where the antenna radar cross section
should be small when not used or when the power is not applied.
• The plasma antenna is a system in which the radar cross section is only the
thin wall glass tube when not transmitting.
• With a laser beam producing the plasma the radar cross section becomes
zero when laser is off.
Antennas for terrestrial mobile
communication
• The frequencies for terrestrial mobile radio is between 200MHz to
60Ghz.
• The analog digital cellular radio operates for 800 to 1000MHz and
between 1700 to 2200 MHz.
• Wireless LAN uses frequencies 2.4 to 2.5, 5.1 to 5.8GHz and 17Ghz.
Base station Antennas
• The base station antennas are used to direct the power to the area
covered.
• In cellular system the power distribution is restricted to minimize the
frequency reuse distance.
• The base station antenna should cover a large area irrespective of
directivity in horizontal plane.
• In vertical plane the beam width is reduced to increase the directivity
to achieve a value between 5 to 17 dB.
• The horizontal plane beamwidth is between 50 to 360 degree.
Adaptive base station antennas
• In terrestrial mobile communication the user distribution and propagation
channel changes continuously for each user.
• The adaptive system is used to improve to improve SNR and maximize the
coupling between base station and wanted user while minimizing the
coupling between base station and other users.
• The benefits of adaptive base station antennas are,
1. Increased capacity due to increase in signal to interference ratio and
noise ratio
2. Increased coverage or range due to higher apparent gain of the baseband
antenna
3. Reduced output power especially at the mobile station
Adaptive Options
• Switched beam antennas
• The base station antenna has several selectable beams of which each
covers a part of cell area as shown in fig
• Beam forming
• It is a technique of providing main pattern or lobe towards wanted
directions and nulls in unwanted directions
• Adaptive arrays
• Adaptive array is the most comprehensive and complex configuration. The
system consists of several antennas where each antenna is connected to
separate transceiver and DSP.
• DSP controls the signal level to each element depending on the
requirement.