Analysis and Design of Line-Source Slotted-Coaxial Feeders for Conical Reflectors Antennas

Using commercial electromagnetic (EM) solver HFSS, slotted coaxial line will be designed to illuminate a conical reflector. As it is well known, big parabolic reflector antennas are one of the most widely used type of antennas for deep-space communications due to their associated high-gain. However, when they are used in satellites and space crafts, they must be folded to confine inside the space shuttle, and later the reflector must be opened out to operate. This a critical aspect, since folding curved rods must be designed to fold/unfold big parabolic reflectors, needing complicated opening mechanisms and actuators. One simpler solution is to use conical reflectors instead of parabolic reflectors, since they can be opened using straight rods (non-curved). However, conical reflectors need a special type of feeder to obtain high gain radiation patterns. In this project, we will propose a slotted coaxial line-source antenna to properly illuminate a conical reflector in Ku band.