Analysis and measurement of QKA antennas

Quadripod kettle antennas (QKA) are low-profile devices knowing to produce a quasi-omnidirectional radiation pattern. In this paper, a simplified QKA geometry is proposed. The theoretical analysis is rigorously made with the help of a mixed potential integral equation (MPIE) model. This model is generalized to account for the vertical metallic segments connecting the different levels of the QKA. Powerful integration techniques applied to space domain Green's functions allow eventual modeling of QKAs embedded into multilayered substrates. Careful measurements of prototypes realized on beryllium bronze with an etching process reveal a very good agreement with theoretical predictions.