Antenna and Propagation

Dr. Moazam Maqsood

moazam@ist.edu.pk

Lecture 5
Directional Antennas
Horn / Parabolic Reflector / Yagi-Uda

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Horn Antenna
• A flared out (opened-out) waveguide
• Horn antenna produces a uniform phase front
with a larger aperture
• Offers high directivity

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Phase Center
• The point in the antenna radiation pattern
where all the energy is converged to (for
receiving antenna) or emanates from (for
transmitting antenna)

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Horn Antenna
• Neglecting the edge effects, the radiation
pattern of a horn antenna can be determined
if the aperture dimensions and aperture field
distribution are known.
• Directivity is maximum for a uniform
distribution.
• Variations in the magnitude or phase of the
field across the aperture decrease the
directivity.

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Rectangular Horn
• Aperture is rectangular
• Sectoral H-plane
– Horn is flared out
perpendicular to the E-
plane
• Sectoral E-plane
– Horn is flared out
parallel to the E-plane
• Pyramidal
– Horn is flared out in both
planes

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Horn Antenna Design
𝜃 𝐿
cos =
2 𝐿+𝛿

𝜃 𝑎
sin =
2 2 𝐿+𝛿

𝜃 𝑎
tan =
2 2𝐿

𝑎2
𝐿= 𝛿≪𝐿
8𝛿

𝑎 𝐿
𝜃= 2 tan−1 = 2 cos −1
2𝐿 𝐿+𝛿

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Design constraints
• To obtain uniform distribution a very long horn
with small flare angle is required (Not practical)
• An optimum horn has the minimum beam width
without excessive side lobe level
• If δ is small fraction of wavelength, the field has
nearly uniform phase over the entire aperture
• For a constant L, the directivity of the horn
increases as the aperture and the flare angle are
increased
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Optimum design
• However, if δ is very large, field can go
through a phase reversal at the edges and
may reduce the directivity.
𝐿
𝛿0 = −𝐿
cos 𝜃Τ2

𝛿0 cos 𝜃Τ2
𝐿=
1 − cos 𝜃Τ2

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Rectangular Horn

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Directivity and Gain
• The directivity can be expressed in terms of
the effective aperture
4𝜋𝐴𝑒 4𝜋𝜀𝑎𝑝 𝐴𝑝
𝐷= 2 =
λ λ2
• For 𝜀𝑎𝑝 = 0.6
7.5𝐴𝑝
𝐷≅
λ2
Ap = aEaH (rectangular) and Ap = πr2 (circular)

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HPBW and FNBW

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Working Example
• Example 9-9.1 from Krauss (3rd Ed.)

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Solution

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Solution

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Reflector Antenna
• A sheet of metal (flat, corner or parabolic)
backing a primary resonant element
constitutes a reflector antenna.
• Reflectors are generally used to shape and
(or) direct the antenna pattern in a certain
direction.
• The size of the reflector defines the physical
aperture of the antenna and therefore
determines the overall gain.

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Reflector Antennas

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Corner reflector
• Reflects the energy in the
same direction as long as
the included angle is 90°
• Military ships and
aircrafts are made with
least no. of corners to
minimize reflections
• The inclusion and the
spacing of radiator are
varied inversely to
maintain efficiency

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Parabolic Dish
• Converts a spherical
wave from an isotropic
source at the focus into
a uniform plane wave at
the aperture
• Most commonly used
reflector antenna
• Ground Stations, VSATs,
Satellite TV reception
• Needs a directional feed

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Directivity
4𝜋
𝐷 = 2 𝐴𝑒
λ
For circular aperture
2
4𝜋 𝜋𝐷 2 𝜋𝐷
𝐷= 2 =
λ 4 λ
For square aperture
4𝜋 2
𝐷= 2 𝐿
λ
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Yagi-Uda Antenna
• Invented by Yagi and Uda in Japan in 1920
• Popular antenna for receiving terrestrial TV
• Array of parasitic dipoles preceding and
following a driven (dipole) antenna

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Yagi-Uda Configuration
• The antenna consists of a number of linear dipole
elements, one of which is energized directly by a
feed line while others act as parasitic elements
whose currents are induced by mutual coupling
• It is exclusively designed to operate as an endfire
array
• This is accomplished by having the parasitic
elements in the forward beam act as directors
while those in the rear act as reflectors
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Typical design values for end-fire
operation
• Director lengths: (0.40 ~ 0.45)λ
• Feeder length: (0.47 ~ 0.49)λ
– Feeder is usually a folded dipole
• Reflector length: (0.50 ~ 0.52)λ
• Reflector-feeder spacing: (0.20 ~ 0.25)λ
• Director Spacing: (0.30 ~ 0.40)λ

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A simple Yagi-Uda Antenna

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