Sie sind auf Seite 1von 26

Helical Antenna

(Helix Antenna)
BHAVIN V KAKANI
IT-NU

Introduction

The helical antenna is a hybrid of two simple radiating elements, the


dipole and loop antenna.
It is basic VHF and UHF antenna which provides circular polarization.
Consist of a thick cooper wire wound in the form of a screw thread
forming a helix.

The radiating element is a helix of wire, driven at one end and radiating along the
axis of the helix.
A ground plane at the driven end makes the radiation unidirectional from the far
(open) end.
There are different types of ground plane:
Flat ground plane
Cylindrical cavity
Frustrum cavity

Helical beam antenna was proposed and invented by


J.D.Krauss in 1946.
Mostly used for satellite communication.

Can be used as a feed for parabolic dish/ reflector


antennas for getting much higher gain.

A single helical antenna or an array of helices are


useful in transmitting or receiving VHF signals through
the ionosphere

It is also used for space probe communications.

Modes of Operation

There are 2 modes of operation : Normal and Axial

Normal
Mode
NL<<

Axial Mode

3/4 < C < 4/3

D = diameter of helix

S = spacing between turns

N = number of turns

C = circumference of helix = D

A = total axial length = NS

= pitch angle

If one turn of helix is unrolled,


the relationship between S,C,,
length of wire per turn, L, are
obtained as

S = L sina = C tana

L = (S2 + C2 )1/ 2 = (S2 +2D2 )1/ 2

Becomes a linear antenna when


its diameter approaches zero or
pitch angle goes to 90 degree

Can be seen as loop antenna of


N turns when spacing vanishes

By controlling the size of the geometrical properties compared to


wavelength, the radiation characteristics can be varied.

The input impedance is critically dependent upon the pitch angle and
size of the conducting wire.

The general polarization of antenna is elliptical.

Circular and linear polarization can be achieved over different


frequency ranges.

The axial mode of operation is most practical because it can achieve


circular polarization over a wider BW.

Normal/Perpendicular Mode

Radiates maximum in broadside direction


i.e. Normal to the axis of the helix
This mode is obtained if the helix dimensions are made very small as
compared to wavelength NS<< .

Pattern is figure of 8 rotated about its axis

The limiting geometries of the helix are a loop and

a dipole, the far field radiated by a small helix in the normal


Mode can be described in terms of .

The resultant field is dependent on the ratio of the field strengths/


amplitudes of the two components.
Amplitudes of field components depends upon pitch angle.

Even though the RP of the loop and short dipole are same their
polarizations are at right angles.

Hence the resulting field is either circularly polarized/elliptically


polarized.

When is small, the radiation from loop is dominant


When is large, the radiation from short dipole is dominant
So in limiting conditions, both the polarizations are linear.

Consider helical antenna is


made up of number of small
loops and short dipoles arranged
in series

Loop diameter is D and length


of small dipole equal to the
spacing between two helix S.

The far field of a small loop is


given by

Similarly, the far field of short


dipole is given by

From above two equation, the


two fields are in phase
quadrature.

The Axial Ratio (AR) of elliptical


polarization is the ratio of
magnitudes of the two fields.

The axial ratio is given by

AR = 0 Linear horizontal Polarization

AR = Linear vertical polarization

AR =1 Circular Polarization

So the condition for circular polarization is given by

Axial/Endfire Mode of Radiation

Radiating field is maximum in the end fire direction or along the axis of
helix
polarization of wave is either circular or nearly circular
This mode is possible if the circumference is selected of the order of
one wavelength and spacing is selected approx. equal to pie/4.

In axial mode, the pitch angle varies from 12-18 degree.

Optimum pitch angle is 14 degree.

The terminal impedance is resistive at the resonant frequency

It becomes reactive at higher and lower frequencies.

The terminal impedance is given by

this mode, the antenna gain and beam width both depend on the
In
length of helix i.e. N.S

The beam width between half power points is given by

The Axial Ratio is given by

Dimension of Helix are critical in normal mode and it limits the BW of


antenna an also radiation efficiency.

But in axial mode, dimensions are not so important.

So both parameters are greater in this mode

Normalized radiation pattern of Helix


antenna

1. Design an end-fire right-hand circularly polarized helix having


a half-power beamwidth of 45o , pitch angle of 13o , and a
circumference of 60 cm at a frequency of 500 MHz.
Determine
i. turns needed
ii. Directivity
iii. axial ration
iv. lower and upper frequencies of the bandwidth over which the
required parameters remain relatively constant
v. input impedance at the center frequency and the edges of the
band from part d)
Answer: N=6, D=20.8 (13 dB), AR = 1.083, 375-667MHz, 140,
105, 187

2. Design a helical antenna with a directivity of 15 dB that is operating in the


axial mode and whose polarization is nearly circular. The spacing between the runs
is
10.
Determine the
1. number of turns
2. axial ratio, both as a dimensionless quantity and in dB
3. Directivity according to Krauss equation (in DB)
Answer: N=21, AR =1.02, HPBW= 36.8o D= 14.5dB or 15dB

3. Design a 10 turn helical antenna so that at the center frequency of 10 GHz, the
circumference of each turn is 0.95. Assuming a pitch angle of 14o,
determine the
a. mode in which the antenna operates
b. half-power beamwidth (degrees)
c. directivity in dB.
Answer: Axial mode, HPBW=36o , D=15dB

4. A lossless 10-turn helical antenna with a circumference of one-wavelength is


connected to a 78-ohm coaxial line, and it is used as a transmitting antenna in a 500
MHz spacecraft communication system. The spacing between turns is 10. The power
in the coaxial line from the transmitter is 5 watts.
Assuming the antenna is lossless:
a. what is radiated power?
b. If the antenna were isotropic, what would the power density (W/m2) be at a
distance of 10 km?
c. What is the power density at the same distance when the transmitting antenna is
a the 10-turn helix and the observation are made along the maximum of the major
lobe?
d. it at 10 km along the maximum of the major lobe an identical 10-turn helix
was placed as a receiving antenna, which was polarization-matched to the
incoming wave,
what is the maximum power (in watts) that can be received?
Answer: Answer: R= 140 , Prad=4.595W, Siso=3.656nW/m2, D=15,
Shelix
=54.8nW/m2, Ae=0.6m2, P-rec=26.6nW

5. Calculate

the directivity of 20 turn helix with pitch angle 12 degree and


circumference equal to one wavelength.
Answer: 63.75
6. For a 20 turn helical antenna operating at 3GHz with a circumference of
10cm and spacing between the turns 0.3and half power beamwidth.

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen