A Cupola-Shaped Multimode Multiport Antenna for Aerial Direction Finding

Lukas Grundmann; Marc Gerlach; Wolfgang Schafer; Dirk Manteuffel

doi:10.1109/LAWP.2024.3519709

A Cupola-Shaped Multimode Multiport Antenna for Aerial Direction Finding

Lukas Grundmann^*
, Marc Gerlach
, Wolfgang Schafer
, Dirk Manteuffel

^*Corresponding author for this work

Institute of Microwave and Wireless Systems

f.u.n.k.e. AVIONICS GmbH

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review

Abstract

A multimode multiport antenna (M³ PA), constisting of a single conducting structure, is proposed for use with the airborne collision avoidance system (ACAS). Its cupola -shaped surface is selected from a set of aerodynamically suitable and symmetric structures. The selection is based on a presented statistical evaluation procedure for direction-finding (DF) antennas and algorithms, which predicts the root mean square error (RMSE) of the estimation using characteristic modes (CMs). A demonstrator antenna and feed network is manufactured and its three ports are measured in an anechoic chamber. The results match the intended far-fields of an electric monopole and two magnetic dipoles. The presented flight test results show that the antenna is capable of unambiguous DF across the desired angular range in a real world environment.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	873 - 877
Number of pages	5
Journal	IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters
Volume	24
Issue number	4
E-pub ahead of print	18 Dec 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/LAWP.2024.3519709 https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2409.14958
Publication status	Published - Apr 2025

Keywords

Aircraft navigation
direction -finding (DF)
modal analysis
receiving antennas
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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Cite this

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title = "A Cupola-Shaped Multimode Multiport Antenna for Aerial Direction Finding",

abstract = "A multimode multiport antenna (M3 PA), constisting of a single conducting structure, is proposed for use with the airborne collision avoidance system (ACAS). Its cupola -shaped surface is selected from a set of aerodynamically suitable and symmetric structures. The selection is based on a presented statistical evaluation procedure for direction-finding (DF) antennas and algorithms, which predicts the root mean square error (RMSE) of the estimation using characteristic modes (CMs). A demonstrator antenna and feed network is manufactured and its three ports are measured in an anechoic chamber. The results match the intended far-fields of an electric monopole and two magnetic dipoles. The presented flight test results show that the antenna is capable of unambiguous DF across the desired angular range in a real world environment.",

keywords = "Aircraft navigation, direction -finding (DF), modal analysis, receiving antennas, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)",

author = "Lukas Grundmann and Marc Gerlach and Wolfgang Schafer and Dirk Manteuffel",

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T1 - A Cupola-Shaped Multimode Multiport Antenna for Aerial Direction Finding

AU - Grundmann, Lukas

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AU - Schafer, Wolfgang

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N2 - A multimode multiport antenna (M3 PA), constisting of a single conducting structure, is proposed for use with the airborne collision avoidance system (ACAS). Its cupola -shaped surface is selected from a set of aerodynamically suitable and symmetric structures. The selection is based on a presented statistical evaluation procedure for direction-finding (DF) antennas and algorithms, which predicts the root mean square error (RMSE) of the estimation using characteristic modes (CMs). A demonstrator antenna and feed network is manufactured and its three ports are measured in an anechoic chamber. The results match the intended far-fields of an electric monopole and two magnetic dipoles. The presented flight test results show that the antenna is capable of unambiguous DF across the desired angular range in a real world environment.

AB - A multimode multiport antenna (M3 PA), constisting of a single conducting structure, is proposed for use with the airborne collision avoidance system (ACAS). Its cupola -shaped surface is selected from a set of aerodynamically suitable and symmetric structures. The selection is based on a presented statistical evaluation procedure for direction-finding (DF) antennas and algorithms, which predicts the root mean square error (RMSE) of the estimation using characteristic modes (CMs). A demonstrator antenna and feed network is manufactured and its three ports are measured in an anechoic chamber. The results match the intended far-fields of an electric monopole and two magnetic dipoles. The presented flight test results show that the antenna is capable of unambiguous DF across the desired angular range in a real world environment.

KW - Aircraft navigation

KW - direction -finding (DF)

KW - modal analysis

KW - receiving antennas

KW - unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

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JO - IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters

JF - IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters

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A Cupola-Shaped Multimode Multiport Antenna for Aerial Direction Finding

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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