Raytheon Company

David E Roberts

Clifton Quan

Gerald A Cox

Timothy D Keesey

Raymond C Tugwell

Chris E Schutzenberger

Douglas A Hubbard

Scott T Johnson

Rohn Sauer

Shahrokh Hashemi-Yeganeh

Mark Y Hashimoto

Rosie M Jorgenson

Edward L Robertson

Stephen R Kerner

Richard A Montgomery

The present invention relates to panel array antennas, and more particularly to a cooling system for an antenna such as a jet stream conformal panel array antenna. In one embodiment, a panel array antenna for an aircraft includes a closed-loop fluid flow path that passes through the panel array assembly and dissipates heat to the jet stream outside the aircraft. A fluid such as pressurized air passes through this closed-loop path, flowing through strategically-placed openings in the layers of the panel array assembly and flowing over and around the hot electrical components in the panel assembly. The air is heated by these electrical components, and the heated air then flows through the flow path under the top sheet, dissipating the heat to the jet stream outside. In one embodiment, a panel array antenna includes a panel assembly having a top layer through which the antenna radiates or receives a signal, and a fluid flow path through the panel assembly. A first portion of the fluid flow path is disposed below the top layer such that a fluid passing through the first portion of the fluid flow path is in heat transfer proximity to the top layer.

Cooling system for panel array antenna

A spring loaded microwave interconnector (SLMI). The SLMI includes a waveguide probe head having a first side and opposite thereto a second side, the sides transverse to a central axis. A spring loaded coax central conductor coupled to the probe head first side and provides a distal conductive tip. The coax central conductor extends along the central axis. A dielectric sleeve is disposed about the coax central conductor adjacent to the first side. The distal conductive tip extending beyond the dielectric sleeve when in an extended position and is about flush with the dielectric sleeve when in a compressed poison. An multiport waveguide to multiport PCB assembly utilizing a plurality of SLMIs wherein the multiport waveguide and PCB have curved contours is also disclosed.

Spring loaded microwave interconnector

An RF interconnect between an airline circuit including a dielectric substrate having a conductor trace formed on a first substrate surface and an RF circuit separated from the airline circuit by a separation distance. The RF interconnect includes a compressible conductor structure having an uncompressed length exceeding the separation distance, and a dielectric sleeve structure surrounding at least a portion of the uncompressed length of the compressible conductor structure. The RF interconnect structure is disposed between the substrate and the RF circuit such that the compressible conductor is placed under compression between the substrate and the RF circuit. Examples of the RF circuit include a vertical coaxial transmission line or a grounded coplanar waveguide circuit disposed in parallel with the airline circuit.

Vertical interconnect between coaxial or GCPW circuits and airline via compressible center conductors

An RF interconnect between a rectangular coaxial transmission line including a coaxial center conductor and a dielectric structure with a rectilinear cross-sectional configuration fitted around the coaxial center conductor and an RF circuit separated from the airline circuit by a separation distance. The RF interconnect includes a compressible conductor structure having an uncompressed length exceeding the separation distance, and a dielectric sleeve structure surrounding at least a portion of the uncompressed length of the compressible conductor structure. The RF interconnect structure is disposed between the rectangular coaxial transmission line and the RF circuit such that the compressible conductor is placed under compression between the substrate and the RF circuit. Examples of the RF circuit include a vertical coaxial transmission line or a grounded coplanar waveguide circuit disposed in parallel with the center conductor of the rectangular coaxial transmission line.

Vertical interconnect between coaxial and rectangular coaxial transmission line via compressible center conductors

A coaxial-to-microstrip vertical transition includes a dielectric substrate having formed on a first surface thereof a primary microstrip conductor trace, and on a second surface a secondary microstrip conductor trace. A first conductive via extends through the dielectric substrate and electrically connects the primary conductor trace to the secondary conductor trace. A second conductive via is spaced from the first conductive via and extends through the dielectric substrate to electrically connect the secondary conductor trace to the coaxial center conductor. A bottom microstrip ground plane layer is defined on the second substrate surface. A conductive base plate structure has a cavity formed therein, the substrate positioned such that the base plate structure is in contact with the bottom ground plane layer, and the secondary conductor trace is positioned over the cavity. The substrate is positioned between a cover structure and the base plate structure, the cover structure disposed in spaced relation with respect to the first surface of the substrate. A coaxial transmission line structure includes an outer shield and a coaxial center conductor structure disposed within the outer conductor and transverse to the substrate, the center conductor passed through an opening in the cover structure to contact the second via. A conductive plate structure is positioned between the plane of the cover structure and the substrate, providing shielding surrounding the center conductor between the cover and the substrate.

Wideband shielded coaxial to microstrip orthogonal launcher using distributed discontinuities

Growing community of inventors

San Pedro, CA, United States of America

David E Roberts