Example 3.

1
communication
its
requires a total of 12 k W to operate
large GEO
satellite the satellite are
A The solar cells on

for housekeeping purposes. of

systems and 1.5 kW at all times. The efficiency
to face the
sun
rotate
mounted on two large sails that incident solar
BOL and 33% at EOL. Using an average
the solar cells is 36%% at sail to meet the power
calculate the area of cach solar
flux of 1.36 kW/m2
density is generated at
How much power
the satellite's life.
requirements at the end of
are 2.0 m wide. How long are they?
BOL? The solar arrays

Answer
EOL the solar cells
the satellite is 13.5 kW. At
The total power required by a r e a of
of 1.36 kW/m2, the total
efficiency is With an incident solar flux
33%.
solar sail required is

A = 13.5 13.5
0-33 x 1-36
0.33 x 1.36= 30.1 m2
where
power P kW
of solar cells will generate
a
At BOL, the 30.1 m2

0.36 1.36 14.74 kW

P 30.1 x x

of 15.05 m2 and will have a length of 7.53 m.

Each solar array must have an area

Example 3.2
that last 70 minutes in
large GEO satellite in Example 3.1 is subject eclipses
to
The
to maintain full communications capacity
spring and fall. The satellite is required
satellite must supply 13.5 kW for 70
during eclipses. Batteries on board the more
and the batteries must not discharge
minutes. The battery voltage is 50 V
than 50% during the eclipse.

(AHs). A battery with a

Calculate the battery capacity required in ampere hours
for one hour.
capacity of one ampere hour can supply one amp
watt hours per kilogram are used,
If lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 200
find the weight of the battery.

Answer
 at 50 V.
required to supply 13.5 kW
First calculate the
current

I=P 3, Svo 2D A

V 13,500
50 270 A
minutes (1.167) hours is 315 ampere
The energy supplied by the battery over 70
hours,
Hence batteries with a total capacity of
representing 50% of the battery capacity.
630 AH are needed.
at 50 V, which is 31.5
kWH. Hence the
The total battery capacity is 630 AH
to 6000 kg, so
is 157.5 kg. A large GEO satellite may have mass up
battery weight
satellite's mass in this example.
the battery accounts for 2.6% of the

Example 3.3

Calculate the total power radiated by the sun in watts and in dBW.

Hint: The sun is 93 million miles (about kilometers) from the earth. At
150 million
is
that distance, the sun produces a flux density of 1.36 kW/m2. This power density
radius of 150 million km.
present over all ofa sphere with a

Answerr

The surface area A of a sphere with radius R m is given by

2 2
A=4TR2 m2
The sun is radiating 1.36 kW/m2 over an area of

A =4 tR2 = 4 x Tt x (150 x 106)

2.83 x 1017)m2

Hence the power radiated by the sun is P watts where

P -2.83 x 1o17x 1.36 x 103 3.85x 1020)w

Converting to decibels
 205.9 dB W
P= 10 log10 (3.85
x 1020)
system on earth
maximum value for any power
This represents a

Antenna
Global Beam
Example 3.4
orbit. What
when viewed from geostationary
The earth subtends an angle of 17°
antenna that will provide global coverage at
are the dimensions and gain of a horn
4 GHz?

Answer
beam with a 3 dB beamwidth
We can specify a horn to give a circularly symmetric
of
3.2
17° by rearranging Eq.
DA =7503 dB =4.4

I ft). If we use a circular horn

At 4 GHz, à =
0.075 m, so D =
0.33 m (just over
will not be equal
excited in the TE1l mode, the beamwidths in the E and H planes
smaller to guarantee coverage
and we may be forced to make the aperture slightly
HE hybrid mode has a
in the E plane. A corrugated horn designed to support the
horns
circularly symmetric beam and could be used in this application. Waveguide
are generally used for global beam coverage.
Reflector antennas are not efficient

when the aperture diameter is less than 8 .

is approximately 100, 20 dB, at the center of

Using Eq. 3.3, the gain of the horn or

the beam. However, in designing our communication system we will have to use

the edge of beam gain figure of 17 dB, since those earth stations close to the
earth's horizon, as viewed from the satellite, are close to the-3 dB contour of the
transmitted beam.

Example 3.5 Regional Coverage Antenna

The continental United States (48 contiguous states) subtends angles of

approximately 5° x 2.5° in the E-W andN-S directions when viewed from
geostationary orbit. What dimension must a reflector antenna have to illuminate
circular beam 2.5° in diameter at 11 GHz? Can reflector be
halfthis area with a a

used to produce a 5° x 2.5° beam? What is the gain of the antenna'?

 Answer

have for 2.5° circular beam

Using Eq. 3.2, we a

DA= 752.5 = 30

diameter D =0.82 m (2.7 ft). The gain of this

and w i t h 0 . 0 2 7 2 m, the antenna

antenna,
331D
3.4 is approximately 34 dB.
from Eq.
(as need
To generate a beam with different beamwidths in orthogonal planes we an

aperture with different dimensions in the two planes. To produce a beam with
beamwidths of 5° x 2.5° requires a rectangular (or elliptical) aperture 15^ 30. x

In order to illuminate such a reflector, a feed horn with unequal beamwidths is

required, since the reflector must intercept most of the radiation from the feed for it
to have an acceptable efficiency. Rectangular, or more commonly elliptical outline
reflectors are used to generate unequal beamwidths. When orthogonal polarizations
are to be transmitted or received, it is better to use a circular reflector with a
distorted profile to broaden the beam in one plane, or a feed cluster to provide the
appropriate amplitude and phase distribution across the reflector.
The eanth Sublenols
n. omgle 17 whe
Vieuoed
Vieuwed from geasts ovit. had aa dim
amol goin horn hat oill Poviolu globa-
Covenagpa a i 4 H2. yooG
1 5 A*oor75

3dB 8sooEA
15 75
4 4
a SASN0

O.075 m
D 4.A AOOS D 033 m
30, 6UD 80, 0v0 Jo0(op

90o
((7)
ANThOl9 9