AN EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT MODEL OF A RADIAL LINE PLANAR

ANTENNA WITH COUPLING PROBES

Marek E Bialkowski "and Pawel Kabacik '),

') School of Information Technology and Electrical Eng., University of Queensland,
Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia, E-mail: meb@itee.uq.edu.au
2, Inst. of Telecommunications & Acoustics, Wroclaw University of Technology,
50-370 Wroclaw, Poland, E-mail: pawel@n.ita.pwr.wroc.pl

Introduction: Many terrestrial and satellite communication systems require a

microwave planar antenna with a gain in the range of 30dB or more. Achieving this
value of gain using a planar microstrip patch array with a conventional circuit-type
feeding network, such as a microstrip corporate dividerkombiner, faces difficulties.
The reason is that for this value of gain, conduction losses of the microstrip
transmission line forming the feeding circuit considerably decrease the array gain
(typically by about 4-5dB at Ku-band [I]) making it an inefficient radiator. This
problem further aggravates at upper microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies. In
order to overcome problems with conduction losses of the circuit-type feeding
network, an alternative structure in the form of a radial guide has been proposed. In
[Z], a radial guide with a central coaxial probe has been demonstrated as a feeding
network for a radial line slot array antenna. An altemative structure has been described
in [3], [4]. In this case, a radial guide including a central coaxial probe and a large
number of coupling probes arranged in concentric circles feeding curl, helix or
microstrip patch antenna elements has been demonstrated.

The present paper concentrates on the planar radial antenna with coupling probes, as
described in [3], [4]. The usual design goal for this antenna is a loss-free, uniform
(amplitude and phase) aperture illumination to obtain maximum gain. Realization of
this illumination requires selecting proper positioning and length of the coupling
probes. To achieve this task in a predictable manner, in [ 5 ] an approximate model for
the feed network has been developed assuming only interactions between the central
probe and individual coupling probes. In the present paper, a circuit model is
described, which takes into account mutual coupling between all of the coupling
probes. The model is tested on the example of a 5-ring planar radial array which has
been described in [SI.

Antenna Model: The investigated antenna is shown in Fig. I(a). It consists of a radial
guide with a central feed probe and coupling probes arranged in concentric circles
feeding antenna elements. The antenna elements can be of microstrip patch type, as
shown in Fig. ](a), or other types, for example of curl wire or helix.

In order to predict the operation of this antenna, a radial line model is introduced, as
shown in Fig. I(b). The structure includes a center feed probe and a cascade of P
circular rings of coupling probes attached to equivalent admittances representing
antenna elements. The probes are assumed to be identical in individual rings but can be
different for different rings. The central probe excited by voltage VO produces an
axially symmetric TEM radial wave, which travels towards the coupling probes. Due
to the interactions of radial waves (incident, scattered and reflected) with the probes,
voltages V I , Vl, . . . Vp are established across equivalent admittances YAI, YA*,..,YAp

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@7803-733@8/O2$17.oO 02002 IEEE
representing antenna elements in the rings. Assuming that each antenna element sees
an identical environment, the equivalent admittances representing antenna elements
can be taken of equal value. They can be determined from measurements or theoretical
simulations. Between the rings, axially symmetric TEM radial waves are characterized
by voltages VRI, VR2, ....VRPll specified at the radial positions RI, R2, ... Rp+I
between the rings. At the same locations, these waves (looking from the left to the right
in Fig. l(b)) are characterized by wave admittances (ratios of the &component of the
magnetic field to the ycomponent of the electric field) YRI, YR2, ....YRP+I. The
admittance YRP+Iseen at the extreme side of the radial guide at r= RP+Ican be assumed
as known. For example, when the radial guide is closed by a conducting electric wall
Y R p + l = = at r=RP+l.All the remaining admittances YRI, YR2, ....YRp are yet unknown.
By assuming that voltage Vo applied at the center probe is specified, the objective is to
determine voltages {VI, V2, ... Vp} that excite the antenna elements. The resulting
voltage ratios {VINO, V2N0, ... VpNo} represent a set of coupling coefficients for the
elements, which can be used to calculate the radiation pattern of the array.

One has to note that obtaining the simultaneous solution for voltages {VI,V2, ... Vp}
is almost impossible. This is due to the very large size electromagnetic problem to be
solved. In general, the radial line planar array antenna may consist of several hundred
elements. In turn, the field surrounding each probe may involve tens of unknowns.
Hence the total number of unknowns can be in the order of thousands to determine the
voltages exciting the antenna elements. In order to overcome the difficulty of dealing
with this large size problem the properties of the cascade circuit of Fig. l(b) can be
explored. The strategy is as follows. By starting with the side ring P and by assuming
that YRp+Iand VRpare known, admittance YRp and the voltage ratio VpNRpcan be
calculated. Also determined can be voltage ratios VRp+lNRp and VpNRp. Next,
assuming that Y R p and VRp.1 are known, VP.I/ Vw.1 and YRp.1, VRpNRp.1 and Vp-
1NRp-1 for ring P-I can be calculated. This process can be repeated until the problem
of the I" ring is solved. At this stage voltage VR2 is obtained in terms of V? By
knowing all of the ratios V R J V ~ Iand V f l % p=1,2,.. ..,Pand by performing simple
calculations from the left to the right of the cascade all the voltage values can be
obtained in terms of VO.This procedure completes solving the problem of the entire
radial line antenna, in which the coupling coefficients {VINO,V ~ N O ... , VPNO}are
calculated. Fundamental to the success of the proposed method is obtaining the
solution to the basic problem involving one ring of coupling probes excited by the
center feed probe or an outward traveling axially symmetric radial wave. The solution
to this problem can be attained from the theory described in [ 6 ] .

Results and Discussion: Based on the above-presentedtheory a computer algorithm in

Fortran77 named RING-ANT.FOR has been developed to predict the operation of a
radial line planar antenna with coupling probes. This program was applied to analyze a
5-ring radial line planar antenna described in [5]. The following parameters were
assumed in simulations: operational frequency f=12GHz, free-space wavelength
h=25mm, radial cavity radius and height: RD=2.64h=66mm, B=0.27h=6.75mm, radial

All probes were assumed to be of the same radius of 0.02h=0.5mm. The feed probe
length was taken as LF =0.24h=6.0mm. The antenna was assumed constituted by

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linearly polarized microstrip patch elements, each representing a 5Oohm input
impedance. Mutual coupling between the antenna elements was neglected in
calculations. Due to the selected rings spacing of about 112, to obtain in-phase
contributions to the radiation pattem, every 2"d ring required an additional phase shift
of 180 degrees. In practice this is achieved by rotating the patches by 180 degrees in
altemating rings. In the developed algorithm, this was implemented by including a
factor (-l)'p''to the excitation voltages {Vp}.

Fig. 2(a) shows the calculated (by RAD-ANT.FOR) E-plane radiation pattems of the
radial line planar antenna as a function of the elevation angle 0 at three frequencies of
11.8GHz, 12GHz and 12.2.GHz. In calculations the principle of pattem multiplication
(array x element) was used. Patch elements were assumed to be square of 7mmx7mm
on a 1"-thick substrate of relative dielectric constant of 2.5. Their input impedance
was assumed 50Q. Note that the information about the substrate on which patch
antenna elements were developed was not available in [5]. The theoretical and
experimental pattems obtained in [5] (Fig.4(a)) are shown in Fig. 2(b). A rough
agreement between the radiation pattems of Fig. 2(a) and Fig. 2(b) is observed. One of
the reasons could be due to the lack of knowledge of the correct data for the patch
antenna elements in the RAD-ANT.FOR calculations.
Using RAD-ANT.FOR it was possible to determined voltages exciting the patch
antenna elements. The voltages (including the phase shift of 180° for altemating rings
and normalization to the 1" most inner ring) at the coupling probes in the rings were as
follows: VI=1.0 do', V2=0.97 -'I3', V3=0.63 e-J12o, V4=0.49 e-J15",v5=o.47 e-'"". These
values indicate that for the assumed locations and lengths of probes the antenna
features a non-uniform amplitude excitation. The phase seems to be much more
uniform as it varies only by 18 degrees across the array. By running iteratively
RAI-ANT.FOR it has been found that a more uniform amplitude excitation of VI=l.O
dos,V2=l.06 e-J40,V,=0.95 e-J70,V4=0.98 V5=0.92 e'"'can be obtained assuming
new lengths for the coupling probes of: Lp1=0.09h=2.25mm, Lp2=0.13h=3.25mm,
Lp3=0.18h=4.50", Lp4=0.17h=4.25mm, Lp5=0.18h=4.50mm. The plot of the
radiation pattem for such corrected values of probes lengths is shown in Fig. 2(a). The
presented results indicate sensitivity of the radiation pattem due to small changes in the
length of the probes.

Conclusion: In this paper a circuit model for a radial line planar antenna consisting of
one central feed probe and a large number of coupling probes arranged in circular rings
feeding antenna elements has been presented. In contrast to earlier presented model
([5]), the new model takes into account mutual interactions between all of the probes.
The results produced by the developed computer algorithm have shown an agreement
with the theoretical and experimental results presented by other researchers. It has been
noted that the radiation pattem is sensitive to small changes in the coupling probes
length.

REFERENCES
[l] H.J.Song, and M.E. Bialkowski, "Ku-band 16x16 Array of Aperture Coupled
Microstrip Patches", E E E Antennas and Propagation Magazine, vol. 40, No. 5,
pp. 25-29, 1998.
[2] N. Goto and M. Yamamoto, "Circularly Polarized Radial Line Slot Antennas",
ZECE Technical Report (in Japanese), AP80-57, p.43, August 1980.

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[31 H. Nakano et al., “Low-Profile Helical Array Antenna Fed from a Radial
Waveguide”, IEEE Trans. Antennas and Propag., vol. 40, No. 3, pp. 279-284,
March 1992.
[41 H. Nakano et al., “A Curl Antenna”, IEEE Trans. Antennas and Propag., vol. 41,
pp. 1570-1575, NOV.1993.
[51 H. Miyashita and T. Katagi, “Radial Line Planar Monopulse Antenna”, IEEE
Trans. Antennas and Propag., vol. 44, No. 8, pp. 1158-1165, August, 1996.
t61 M.E. Bialkowski and V.P. Waris, “Electromagnetic Model of a Planar Radial-
Waveguide Divider/Combiner Incorporating Probes”, IEEE Microwave Theory
and Techniques, vol. 41, No. 6/7, pp. 1126-1134, June/July 1993.

I
radlatlng layer patch antenna
L!
L
cou

Fig. 1. (a) Configuration of the radial line planar antenna; (b) its equivalent circuit
model.

0
h

-50
0 1 5 3 0 4 5 8 0 7 5 9 0
THETA [DEG]

(a)
Fig. 2. (a) E-plane radiation pattem of the 5-ring radial-line planar antenna of [5] as
determined by RAD-ANT.FOR, (b) Measured and calculated patterns, as presented in
Fig.4(a) of [SI.

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