United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Edward E Altshuler

Teresa H O'Donnell

Steven R Best

Arthur D Yaghjian

Derek S Linden

An electrically small supergain endfire transmitting and receiving array antenna comprising at least one first resonant element with a first input terminal. The first resonant element driven by a power supply voltage supplied at the first input terminal. The electrically small supergain endfire transmitting and receiving array antenna further includes at least one second resonant parasitic element with a second input terminal. The second input terminal shorted and the second resonant element spaced less than about 0.25&#x3bb; from the first resonant element at any corresponding point. The antenna has a gain of at least 6 db and ka&#x3c;1.0.

Electrically small supergain endfire array antenna

A computerized process can design antennas using a completely deductive approach, that is, the desired electromagnetic properties are specified and the wire configuration that most closely produces the optimum result is synthesized. This new process uses a genetic algorithm in conjunction with an electromagnetic code. The genetic algorithm randomly selects a sample set of possible wire configurations from among all possible wire configurations. The performance of each configuration is computed using the electromagnetic code and ranked in order of quality. Partial solutions to this problem are obtained by 'mating' the best wire configurations with one another. This evolutionary process is continued until an optimal wire configuration is obtained. Although this new process has only been tested on wire antennas, it can be used to design printed antennas, microstrip antennas, patch antennas and any other type of antenna that can be analyzed using an electromagnetic code.

Process for the design of antennas using genetic algorithms

A double-folded monopole is used on a linear antenna to produce a traveling-wave distribution of current. The double fold is positioned one-quarter wavelength from the end of the antenna. The resultant antenna has three radiating elements that are orthogonal with respect to each other. The orthogonal folded dipoles each consist of five segments designed so that the currents have comparable magnitudes and are in phase to provide near hemispherical coverage.

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Newton, MA, United States of America

Edward E Altshuler