Verification of Four Elements Helical Antennas Array Design Procedure

Jan ZEMANOVIC, Peter HAJACH, Peter PODHORANSKY

I

Dept. of Radio and Electronics FEI SUT, Ilkovicova 3, 812 19 Bratislava, Slovak Republic

j an.zemanovic@stuba. sk, peter.haj ach@stuba. sk, peter.podhoransky stuba. sk

Abstract. This paper is focused on design, simulation, realization and parameters measurement of the four

element helical antennas array. First part of the article is

dedicated to the design of helical antenna and their electrical characteristic calculation. The second part is dedicated to the four elements helical antennas array design and realization. Single helical element and array characteristics were calculated and then simulated using CST Microwave Studio software package. Measured, calculated and simulated antenna characteristics were compared to each other, to verify correlation between the theoretically and experimentally obtained data.

Helical antenna

Typical arrangement of helical antenna with circular reflector and its mechanical parameters is given in Fig. 1.
.
D

Lo

1i
C=JTD

2a

Keywords
Helical antennas array, Circular polarization, Beam symmetry.

1. Introduction
Helical antenna can operate in two different radiation modes [1]. The first and most used is axial radiation mode. In this mode is radiation pattern parallel to the helical axis and maximum of radiated power is in the direction of axis. Radiation of helical antenna in this mode is elliptically polarized. Therefore these types of antennas and they derivates are extensively used in satellite technique. The second mode is normal mode of radiation. This mode is characteristic with radiation pattern similar to dipole antennas. Maximum of radiated power is perpendicular to the helical axis. The radiated electromagnetic wave can be polarized linearly or elliptically. Polarization of a wave depends only on geometrical dimension of the helical which are in this case

Helical antenna with diameter D has typically N turns of wire (with a radius a) with a constant gap S between turns. Then the overall length of antenna is L=N.S and the length of wire is Ln=N.LO=N. (S2+C2)'l2, where Lo is length of single turn and C=z.D is the circumference of a single turn. Last of the mechanical parameters is pitch angle of helix a. Relationships between particular parameters of a helical are
evident from the second part of Fig. 1. Reflector size must be at least 3/4 of operating wavelength A.

Fig. 1. Helical antenna with reflector

Design of helical antenna isn't an easy task, because the theoretically derived relationships between electrical characteristics and geometrical dimensions are based on simplified models. Therefore we must take into account a lot of experimentally derived design guidelines [1]: a n o an i - T much smallras an oerating wvelength.120 and 140. If the pitch angle is less then 120 Example of the design and properties verification of antenna will have greater directivity compared to the axial mode single helical antenna and four elements length L=N.S. When a >140 frequency dependence of helical array are presented in the next sections. Finally the input impedance is much smaller. radiation characteristic of the helical array arranged in the - Real part of input impedance of above mentioned matrix of 2 x 2 was calculated and simulated. Simulation of helix is between 100 to 150 Q. array was based on the radiation characteristic of the single helical element.

ax

978-1-4244-2138-1/08/$25.00 )2008 IEEE

- Frequency dependence of input impedance is smaller,

if a number of turns are greater.

70

14

turns rise.601 Value of input impedance of helical antenna is almost real value and is given by equation:
45]

- Directivity of helical antenna is greater, if a number of

2a

R - 140<-

(1)

40

N=35,5
1,4 1,3 1,5
1

with accuracy of about 20 O. Half power beam width (HPBW) can be calculated from the next equation [3].

1,7

Fig. 3. Beam width and maximal directivity frequency

f [GHz]

18

1,9

2,2 2,12,3

characteristic.

5223/2 HPBW [deg] HCN

=

(2)

Approximate directivity can be evaluated

D

Based on these results the following mechanical parameters of the helical antenna were chosen (Tab. 1). Calculation was based on the software especially developed on the Dept. of Radio and Electronics FEI SUT for helical antennas design.
|

ZI2NCS
2N+1I
2N

(3)

Helical diameter D [m n]

WavelengtbX [nmJ]

0,3X

166 58

and axial ratio is given by

AR =

Helical pitch S [num] Reflector diametqr[ThmJ Wire diameter d [nmJ]

0,24.

40

0,,
0,02

150

3,32

Equations (1) to (4) are valid only under the following conditions:

heDistance of [r

1. turn

g0

20

120 < a < 140, 3/4 < Cbl < 4/3 and N > 3
For the helical antenna synthesis we choose these input parameters: circular polarization radiation, center frequency fo=1,8 GHz, number of turns N=6, c""13,5 . Calculated mechanical parameters of helical must fulfill the equation [1] L =kl AR+

Tab. 1. Mechanical parameters of helical antenna.

2N

+S

sI

(5)

where k1 is constant equal to 0,8 in most cases.

Using the input data the frequency dependence of mechanical parameters and maximal absolute directivity of antenna was calculated (Fig. 2 and Fig. 3).
~
L
20 7

Feeding circuitry of the antenna was realized using quarter-wavelength impedance transformer. Coaxial quarter-wavelength impedance transformer is used to transform 140 Q input impedance of the helical to 50 Q impedance of a coaxial cable. Connection of the helical array to the coaxial transmission line was performed by the use of the 50 Q N connector. Simulated values of VSWR were compared to measured values obtained from the measurement on the SPARE sixport reflectometer originally designed on the Dept. of Radio and Electronics FEI SUT. Measured and calculated values of the WSWR are shown in Fig. 5.
10,0C0___ ~ ~ ~ 13,6'
___

900CST
8,00 ____ ____

MWS

_____~~~~~~~7,
__ _

2X
D

80

'

6,00_ 0X0-

13

1,4

1,

,B

1,7

[GHz]

liB

1,B

2,1

2,2

2,B

1,00

1, 10

1, 20

1, 30

1, 50 1, 40 f [GHzJ

1, 60

1, 70

1, 80

1, 90

2,00

Fig. 2. Geometrical dimensions of helical antenna frequency

characteristic.

Fig. 5. Comparison of measured and simulated results of VSWR

frequency characteristic.

Directivity of single element antenna was measured, calculated [1],[2],[3] and simulated using CST Microwave Studio software package. The following results were obtained (Tab. 2). Directivi:y
|[dB]J 7

Distance between the helical elements was experimentally chosen to be 1,5 X in both horizontal and vertical directions, because there was achieved very good symmetry of the main lobe in both E and H polarization planes.
All

[LI

[2J

| v| I
137,34

Measured

12,34

10, 5

t3,54

[5]

Tab. 2. Measured and calculated directivity of the helical

antenna.

2, sE4eeding circuitry consists of quarter-wavelength impedance transformer and 200 Q wire over ground plane transmission
line (Fig. 7.).

element of the array are feed by in-phase currents.

The characteristic of polarization was measured using corner reflector dipole antenna. The results of measurements for various frequencies are shown in Fig. 4. As we can see from the designed antenna is circularly polarized in working fTequency range.
oc-

side view

back view

fedIng
lines

TdlESTA
G-~~~~~~~~~~~~~O~X1ible

1330C>-

<300

300

zft

//

."
20

reflector
-M e

X0

reflector

coaxial cable

Fig. 7. Four element helical array feeding circuitry.

/Q
I

270

OdB

\',As mentioned earlier, coaxial quarter-wavelength impedance transformer is used to transform 140 Q input Eimpedance of the helical to 200 Q impedance of a wire over 90

i__
240

}; <

X 1800 MHz7 ..

20toz2000 MHz

120
2 ___~

array a Q cable. The 1700Mthe wholeground toplane50 and coaxial over grounddistance between wire plane
O(Fig. 8).
3

1 Xl" E

tground plane lines are connected

. |

transmission

to Finally these transmission parallelline. the feeding point to match

transmission line is secured by the polystyrene foam with l and height 10 mm. VSWR of the array was obtained from the measurement on the SPARE sixport reflectometer.

180,

Fig. 4. Measured polarization characteristics of helical antenna for various frequencies.

3. Four element helical array

Overall view on the realized helical array is presented in Fig. 6.

>

1 1
600

-5

l
800

1000

1.5
400

[MH0

1400

1600

1800

2000

Fig. 8. Four element helical antennas array WSWR frequency

characteristic.

Array factor of the N element uniformly spaced

where N is number of array elements, k is wavenumber and d is distance between array elements. Maximum intensity of radiation is in 0=O direction and Umax equals to 1.

Frequency [GHz]

[1J

CST MWS

Measured 1
Measured

1,6
1,8
2,0

17,373

17,| 2

18,41
19,3:

Uo_ 0

if

2Nkd

(7)

18,13
18,19

18 43
18,65
19,53

11,85
1 1,67
21,14

Then the directivity of array in axial radiation mode is given by equation:

Tab. 3. Measured, calculated and simulated directivity of four e n li elements helical antennas array in dB. tnayn

d (8) Do Umax 2Nkd =4N t) =4j+-j(dj t d At), yz UO

When the Hansen-Woodyard's approximation is used directivity is:___

Frequency [GHz]

[ll
24,3
21,6(i

CST
MWS

Measured Measured

1,6
1,8

20,10
17,7

22
20

2, 0

19,5j

15, 0

17

Umax Ua O=

1 o

L2Nkd

d
(9)

Tab. 4. Measured, calculated and simulated HPBW of four elements helical antennas array in deg.

0,5
n
L

i+ =1,805 4 1+ J d]

d )j d

4. Conclusions
The goal of this article was the verification of the design process of the helical array by the CST Studio Software package and by the experimentally obtained data. Implemented helical feeding circuit of the four element helical array can be considered being another output of the work. Despite of relatively small helical array dimensions we obtained very good radiation pattern rotation symmetry and directivity of 19,67 dBi.

As we can see Hansen-Woodyard's directivity is almost two times greater then axial directivity. Measured, simulated and calculated radiation characteristics at working frequency are presented in Fig. 9
3er .61

.......i_ i/~
08

M 301,Veasuredl

-CST MWS Calculated

Acknowledgements
~~~~~permission for the use of the CST MICROWAVE STUDIO
~~~~~~~~~~~~software package.
Finally we would like thanks to S-TEAM company for their
This work was supported by the grand AV-4/0012/07.

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References
[1] KRAUS, J. D., Antennas. New York: Mc Graw-Hill International
Ed., 1988.

X,

[2] LEE, J. K., ADAMS, A. T., Wiley Encyclopedia of Electrical and .-- Sv . v >/SzElectronics Engineering. [online], John Wiley & Sons, Inc., [cit: 2008-01-15]. Online on Internet.
[3] BALANIS, C. A., Antenna Theory - Analysis and Design Second Edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1997.

180

Fig. 9. Comparison of measured, calculated and simulated of characteristic of four element helical antenna array at 1,8 GHz.
Fi.

Chmaraistic foasur eleen elicula antenn arated

[4] LEE, K. F., 94 Principles of Sos

Sons, In. 1984. Inc.,

antenna

theory.

New York:

J.Wiley

&

[5] VAVRA, The comar1son f measued and alculatd HPBWVyd. STU,S., HAJACH, P., Antennas and propagation. Bratislava: 2001. and directivities of four element helical antennas array is [6] ThYURABSZ, l., Heli0calAntennas Array for 1800 MHz Band. Master shown in Tab. 3 and 4. Directivity of the array and single helix antenna was calculated using approximate method Thss'rtsaa 05 taking into account only the main lobe of an antenna [5]. Therefore there is some inaccuracy in the directivity determination.