Design of overlapping element direct radiating arrays for satellite communications

Abstract

The current work contributes a detailed design of overlapping element direct radiating arrays for satellite communications employing the elements on a planar host. Direct radiating arrays are undisputedly considered as the next step in the space sector of communication industry but their advent is not without challenge. Direct radiating arrays can provide the highly adaptive performance needed for extremely demanding terrestrial and satellite communication cases but unfortunately their cost is also high. This cost is mainly due to the number of control points, (phase shifters plus amplifiers), needed to meet the specifications. Thus the quest for this number reduction is ongoing. Currently, there is a paradigm shift towards using not non-overlapping but overlapping radiating elements. The current work addresses the problem and assesses the solution's potential.