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Ground plane impact on quadrifilar helix antenna performance with respect to deployment heights
Author(s) -
Ahmad Muhammad,
Khan Asim Ali,
Amin Muhammad,
Asif Hafiz M.,
Baig Sobia
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of communication systems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.344
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1099-1131
pISSN - 1074-5351
DOI - 10.1002/dac.4075
Subject(s) - beamwidth , ground plane , axial ratio , helical antenna , standing wave ratio , physics , antenna (radio) , optics , antenna height considerations , radiation pattern , acoustics , computer science , telecommunications , circular polarization , antenna efficiency , microstrip antenna , microstrip
Summary Quadrifilar helix antenna (QHA) has its applications in satellite communications. This paper presents the performance optimisation of input and radiation characteristics of QHA in the presence of infinite and finite metallic ground planes. For the infinite ground plane, it has been observed that input parameters such as impedance and voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) are stable, and the antenna has broader half power beamwidth (HPBW). Smaller metallic platforms that act as finite ground planes produce better 3‐dB axial ratio beamwidth and boresight axial ratio. Deployment of QHA on smaller metallic platforms such as nanosatellites and CubeSats enhances the circularly polarised beamwidth of the antenna with improved boresight axial ratio. However, on large low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, stable input characteristics and broader HPBW have been achieved at the cost of narrow circularly polarised beamwidth and degraded boresight axial ratio.