Antennas

Radiated Power
Radiation Pattern
Beamwidth
Pattern Solid Angle
Directivity
Efficiency
Gain

Antennas
Transmitting Antenna: Any structure designed to
efficiently radiate electromagnetic radiation in a
preferred direction is called a transmitting antenna.
Wires passing an alternating current emit, or radiate,
electromagnetic energy. The shape and size of the
current carrying structure determines how much
energy is radiated as well as the direction of radiation.
Receiving Antenna: Any structure designed to
efficiently receive electromagnetic radiation is called
a transmitting antenna
We also know that an electromagnetic field will induce
current in a wire. The shape and size of the structure
determines how efficiently the field is converted into current,
or put another way, determines how well the radiation is
captured. The shape and size also determines from which
direction the radiation is preferentially captured.

Antennas Radiation Power

Let us consider a transmitting antenna (transmitter) is located at the origin of a
spherical coordinate system.
In the far-field, the radiated waves resemble plane waves propagating in the
radiation direction and time-harmonic fields can be related by the chapter 5
equations.
Electric and
Magnetic Fields:

E s o a r H s
and
Hs

a r Es

The time-averaged power density vector of the wave is found by

the Poynting Theorem
1
P
r
,

Re E s H* s

Power Density:
2

P r , , P r , , ar

The total power radiated by the antenna is found by integrating over a closed
spherical surface,
Radiated Power:

2
Prad
P r , , gdS P r , , r sin d d

Antennas Radiation Patterns

Radiation patterns usually indicate either electric field intensity or power
intensity. Magnetic field intensity has the same radiation pattern as the
electric field intensity, related by o
It is customary to divide the field or power component by its
maximum value and to plot a normalized function
Normalized radiation intensity:

Pn ,

P r, ,
Pmax

Isotropic antenna: The antenna radiates

electromagnetic waves equally in all directions.
Pn , iso 1

Antennas Radiation Patterns

Radiation Pattern:

A polar plot

A directional antenna radiates and receives

preferentially in some direction.
It is customary, then, to take slices of the
pattern and generate two-dimensional plots.
The polar plot can also be in terms of decibels.
En ,

E r, ,
Emax

En , dB 20 log En ,
It is interesting to note that a normalized electric
field pattern in dB will be identical to the power
pattern in dB.

Pn , dB 10 log Pn ,

A rectangular plot

Antennas Radiation Patterns

Radiation Pattern:

A polar plot

It is clear in Figure that in some very specific

directions there are zeros, or nulls, in the
pattern indicating no radiation.
The protuberances between the nulls are
referred to as lobes, and the main, or major,
lobe is in the direction of maximum radiation.
A rectangular plot
There are also side lobes and back lobes.
These other lobes divert power away from
the main beam and are desired as small as
possible.
Beam Width:
One measure of a beams directional nature is
the beamwidth, also called the half-power
beamwidth or 3-dB beamwidth.

Antennas S
Antenna Pattern Solid Angle:
A differential solid angle, d, in sr, is
defined as

d sin d d .
For a sphere, the solid angle is found by
integrating
2

sin d d 4 ( sr ).

A radian is defined with the aid of Figure a). It is the

angle subtended by an arc along the perimeter of the
circle with length equal to the radius.
A steradian may be defined using Figure (b). Here,
one steradian (sr) is subtended by an area r2 at the
surface of a sphere of radius r.

0 0

An antennas pattern solid angle,

p Pn , d

All of the radiation emitted by the antenna is concentrated in a cone of solid

angle p over which the radiation is constant and equal to the antennas
maximum radiation value.

Antennas Directivity
Directivity:
The directive gain,, of an antenna is the ratio of the
normalized power in a particular direction to the
average normalized power, or

D ,

Pn ,

Pn , avg

Where the normalized powers average value taken

over the entire spherical solid angle is
P , d

P ,

4
d
n

avg

The directivity, Dmax, is the maximum directive gain,

Dmax D , max

Dmax

4
p

Pn , max
Pn , avg

Using Pn , max 1

Example
8.1: In free space, suppose a wave propagating radially away from an antenna
at the origin has
Hs

Is
r

sin a

where the driving current phasor

I s I o e j

Find (1) Es

E s o a r H s o a r
Find (2) P(r,,)
P r, ,

1
2

Re E s H

*
s

Is
r

sin a

Is
r

sin a r a

I
I

Re o s sin a s sin a

2
r

r
1

o I s
r

sin a

*
j
j

o I o e
Ioe
I o e j
1
1 o I o e j
Re
sin a
sin a

Re
sin

sin

2
r
r
2
r
r

I o2
1
1 I o2
2
2
I
1
o
Re o 2 sin a a o 2 sin a r
P r , , o 2 sin 2
Magnitude:
2
r
2 r

2 r

Find (3) Prad

2
Prad
P
r
,

g
d
S

P
r
,

r
sin d d

1 I o2

Prad o 2 sin 2 r 2 sin d d

2 r

1 I
o
2
r

Prad

2
o
2

cos3
3
0 sin d cos 3

3
sin
d d

0 0

1 I o2
Prad o 2
2 r

3
sin

cos3
cos

1
1
1 1
3
3

Find (4) Pn(r,,) Normalized Power Pattern

Pn ,

P r , ,
Pmax

1 I o2 4
4
2
Prad o 2 2 o I o
3
2 r 3

1 I o2
P r , , o 2 sin 2
2 r

cos3
sin d cos 3
3

We make use of the formula

Pmax

1 I o2
o 2
2 r

Pn , sin 2

cos3 0
cos 0

2 4

3 3

Find (5) Beam Width

1
sin 2 HP
2

Pn , sin
2

sin HP

1
2

HP,1 45o and HP ,2 135o

HP ,2 135o

sin HP

HP ,1 45o Pn 0.5

Beamwidth BW 135o 45o 90o

BW 90o

(6) Pattern Solid Angle p (Integrate over the entire sphere!)

p Pn , d
P sin sin d d
2

sin

sin

(7) directivity Dmax

Dmax

4 4 2

1.5
P 8 3
3

8
4
d 2
3
3

Pn 0.5

(8) Half-power Pattern Solid Angle p,HP (Integrate over the beamwidth!)
p , HP Pn , d
P , HP sin sin d d
2

135o

cos3
3
sin

cos

o
3

45

1
1

2 6 2

1
1

2 62

o sin d d o sin d
45
45

2 135o

135o

45o

135o

5 2
5
d
2

3
3 2

cos3 135o
cos3 45 o
o
cos 45

cos 135

3
3

2
2
10
5

2 6 2 6 2 3 2

Power radiated through the beam width

PBW

P , HP
P

5 2
5 2
3
0.88 (or) 88%
8
8
3

BW

PBW = 88%

Antennas Efficiency
Efficiency
Power is fed to an antenna through a T-Line and
the antenna appears as a complex impedance

Z ant Rant jX ant .

where the antenna resistance consists of
radiation resistance and and a dissipative
resistance.
Rant Rrad Rdis
j
For the antenna is driven by phasor current I o I s e

The power radiated by the antenna is

Prad

1
2

I o2 Rrad

The power dissipated by ohmic losses is

1 2
Pdiss I o Rdiss
2

An antenna efficiency e can be defined as the ratio of the radiated power

to the total power fed to the antenna.
e

Prad
Prad Pdiss

Rrad
Rrad Rdiss

Antennas Gain
Gain
The power gain, G, of an antenna is very much like its directive gain, but
also takes into account efficiency
G , eD ,

The maximum power gain

Gmax eDmax

The maximum power gain is often expressed in dB.

Gmax dB 10 log 10 Gmax

Example
D8.3: Suppose an antenna has D = 4, Rrad = 40 and Rdiss = 10 . Find
antenna efficiency and maximum power gain. (Ans: e = 0.80, Gmax = 3.2).
Antenna efficiency
Rrad
40
e

0.8 (or) 80%

Rrad Rdiss 10 40
Maximum power gain
Gmax eDmax 4 0.8 3.2

Maximum power gain in dB

Gmax dB 10 log 10 Gmax 10 log 10 3.2 5.05