Ku-band low-profile and wideband satellite communication antenna (LPWSA)

This paper presents a design tradeoff for an affordable Ku-band Low-Profile and Wideband Satellite Communication Antenna (LPWSA). The design is a hybrid phased-array antenna to be used as an airborne satellite communications (SATCOM) terminal with reduced height and improved low-angle coverage. The initial objective is to develop a feasible concept and simulate performance of a dual-band and dual-linearly polarized Ku-band antenna with simultaneous transmit and receive. The SATCOM antenna requirements are presented, along with simulations results for various antenna configurations, demonstrating improved gain performance at low-angle coverage by employing a novel "tilted louver array (TLA)" concept.