TEMPERATURE INFLUENCE ON DIRECTIONAL PROPERTIES OF LINEAR SLOT ARRAY

摘要

Theoretical analysis and measurersults of temperature influence on scan angle in linear slot array working in traveling wave regime are described in the paper. Discussed slot array is used in antenna array with electronically scanned beam and beam scanning in one plane is made by frequency change. Because of physical properties of materials used in waveguide its properties, especially main beam scan angle changes significantly with temperature change. So it is important to determine scan angle for different temperatures from working temperature range of the antenna. It is rather impossible to make all required in this case measurements in antenna test range or in anechoic chamber because of requirement of temperature control of the antenna environment during test in wide range of temperatures. But it is quite simple to make measurements of waveguide's electrical properties in temperature chambers. Matching the results of this measurement with theoretical analysis of waveguide properties based on material thermal expansions coefficients allows us to achieve reliable data of beam scan angle for different temperatures. Comparison with measurements on antenna test range for different air temperatures shows good agreement.