Feed horn optimization using feed+reflector co-simulation for advanced reflector antennas

摘要

Optimal illumination of a reflector is essential to maximize a reflector antenna's gain. In practice, this has been accomplished by specifying certain feed horn pattern characteristics, e.g. 10 dB BW, and independently optimizing the feed antenna to meet these requirements. In this investigation, we consider the possibility of optimizing the reflector antenna system through a co-simulation of the feed horn and reflector. Each test design is evaluated by first computing the feed horn pattern, followed by a physical optics reflector analysis using the simulated far-field feed pattern. Such a platform enables the fine-tuning of important pattern features within the feed+reflector system, such as cross-polarization, aperture efficiency, or sidelobes. As an example, the application of this reflector-feed co-simulation to a 1 meter Ka-Band offset reflector is compared to the conventional feed optimization approach, where the feed is optimized independently.