02/10/2020

Lecture 2
Antenna and wave propagation

Radiation Pattern
• When a signal is fed into an
antenna, the antenna will
emit radiation distributed
in space in a certain way. A
graphical representation of
the relative distribution of
the radiated power in
space is called a radiation
pattern.

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Radiates EM waves
Omni-directional RP
equally in all directions
Radiates EM waves in
plane

Radiates EM waves in a
particular direction
Directive Antenna

Radiation Pattern
• A mathematical function or a
graphical representation of the
radiation properties of the antenna as
a function of space coordinates.
• Radiation lobe

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Beam Width
• Beam width is the aperture angle
from where most of the power is
radiated. The two main
considerations of this beam width
are Half Power Beam
Width (HPBW) and First Null
Beam Width (FNBW).

HPBW (Half-Power Beam Width)

• The angular separation, in which the
magnitude of the radiation pattern
decreases by 50% (or -3dB) from the peak
of the main beam.
• The area where most of the power is
radiated
• Indication of HPBW
• The unit of HPBW is radians or degrees
FNBW (First Null Beam Width)
The angular span between the first pattern nulls
adjacent to the main lobe.

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Radiation Density & Radiated Power

• When Electromagnetic waves travel in space the power density of
radiation by antenna related to electric and magnetic field is given by:
𝑊 = 𝐸×𝐻 𝑊/𝑚
• For instantaneous power:  

𝑃 = 𝑊 𝑑𝑠
 
• Average power density:
1
𝑊 = 𝑅 𝐸×𝐻
2
• Radiated (avg) power by an antenna
 

𝑃 = 𝑊 𝑑𝑠
 

𝑃 = 𝑊 𝑑𝑠
 
• Relationship between 𝐸 and 𝐻 is 𝐸 = 𝐻𝜂
𝐸
𝑊 = 𝑎𝑟
2𝜂
Where 𝑎𝑟 is a unit vector in the direction
  of area where is power radiated
1
𝑃 = 𝐸 . 𝑎𝑟 . 𝑑𝑠
2𝜂
 

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Example
• An antenna is having a field pattern given by Eθ=cos θ, for 0 ≤ θ ≤ 90.
Find Half Power Beam Width and First Null Beam Width?

Solution:

θ = 0°
 
→ 𝑃𝛼𝐸 → 𝐸𝛼 𝑃
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at half power beam width power is half, and at the
  1
same time electric field should be 1/ 2 2

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𝐸 = 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃 =   → 𝜃 = 45°
2

∴𝜃 = 90° 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑦𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐

θ = 90°
𝜃 = 2×𝜃 = 180°

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Example:
• For an antenna 𝐸 𝜃 = sin 𝜃 Find FNBW and HPBW?
• For HPBW
• 𝐸 𝜃 = sin 𝜃 =  
• ∴ 𝜃 = 45°
•𝜃 = 2𝜃 = 90°
•𝜃 = 180 − 0 = 180°

Radiation Intensity
• Radiation emitted from an antenna which is more intense in a particular
direction, indicates the maximum intensity of that antenna.

Where,
U is the radiation intensity (Watts/Steradian or Watts/Radian2)
r is the radial distance
W is the power density.
𝐸 𝑟 𝐸
𝑊= ∴𝑈=
2𝜂 2𝜂

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𝑃 = 𝑊 𝑑𝑠 = 𝑈 𝑑Ω Surface integration

   

𝑃 = 𝑈 sin 𝜃 𝑑𝜃𝑑𝜙 Solid angle integration

Beam Efficiency
• Beam area: It is the area covered by the radiation pattern of a major lobe of
an antenna.
• Beam area is a combination of its radiant & steradian
• The beam efficiency states the ratio of the beam area of the main beam to the
total beam area radiated.
𝛺
𝜂 = , ΩA = ΩMajor lobe + Ωminor lobes
𝛺
Where,
ηB is the beam efficiency.
ΩMB is beam area of major lobe.
ΩA is total solid beam angle (beam area of major lobe and minor lobe).

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Deficiency =1-Efficiency

Beam Efficiency
Stray factor
𝛺
Stray factor =
𝛺
ηB is the Stray factor.
Ωminor B is beam area of minor lobe.
ΩA is total solid beam angle

• Exercise: what is the result of summation of the beam efficiency with

stray factor