US-12627026-B2 - Integrated antenna and tether

Abstract

An integrated antenna and tether structure includes (i) a core including a first dielectric material, (ii) a first layer including a second dielectric material and a first conductive material thereon, the first layer wrapped around at least a section of the core, (iii) a plurality of wires including a second conductive material and wrapped around at least a section of the first layer, (iv) a second layer including a third dielectric material and a third conductive material thereon, the second layer wrapped around at least a section of the plurality of wires, and (v) an outer layer comprising a fourth dielectric material, the outer layer wrapped around at least a section of the second layer. In an example, the antenna structure is to transmit signals at a frequency of at most 50 Megahertz (MHz).

Inventors

• Matthew D. Thoren
• Gregory T. Nannig

Assignees

• BAE SYSTEMS INFORMATION AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS INTEGRATION INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20240226

Claims (19)

1. 1 . An integrated antenna and tether structure comprising: a core comprising a first dielectric material; a plurality of wires each comprising a first conductive material and wrapped around at least a section of the core; and a layer comprising a second dielectric material and a second conductive material on the second dielectric material, the second conductive material being in direct contact with one or more wires of the plurality of wires; wherein the layer is either (i) between the core and the plurality of wires, and wrapped around the core, or (ii) wrapped around the plurality of wires; and wherein a number of wires included in the plurality of wires progressively decreases along a length of the core, such that the number of wires included in the plurality of wires closest to a first end of the plurality of wires is at least 25% greater than the number of wires closest to a second end of the plurality of wires.
2. 2 . The integrated antenna and tether structure of claim 1 , wherein the number of wires included in the plurality of wires progressively decreases along a length of the core, such that the number of wires included in the plurality of wires closest to a first end of the plurality of wires is at least 50% greater than the number of wires closest to a second end of the plurality of wires.
3. 3 . The integrated antenna and tether structure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wires extends from a first end of the plurality of wires to a second end of the plurality of wires, and the number of wires included in the plurality of wires monotonically decreases along a length of the core and as the plurality of wires extend from the first end to the second end.
4. 4 . The integrated antenna and tether structure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wires are braided around the layer.
5. 5 . The integrated antenna and tether structure of claim 1 , wherein the layer is a first layer that is between the core and the plurality of wires, and wrapped around the core, and wherein the integrated antenna and tether structure comprises: a second layer comprising a third dielectric material and a third conductive material on the third dielectric material, the second layer wrapped around the plurality of wires, and the third conductive material being in direct contact with one or more wires of the plurality of wires.
6. 6 . The integrated antenna and tether structure of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of wires extends from the first end of the plurality of wires to the second end of the plurality of wires, the integrated antenna and tether structure comprising: a feedline coupled to a section of the plurality of wires closest to the first end and that is not wrapped around by the second layer.
7. 7 . The integrated antenna and tether structure of claim 5 , wherein: at least one of the first, second, and third dielectric materials is different from the other two, and each of the first, second, and third conductive materials are the same material; or at least two of the first, second, and third dielectric materials are the same material, and at least one of the first, second, and third conductive materials is different from the other two.
8. 8 . The integrated antenna and tether structure of claim 1 , wherein: the core has a first end and a second end that are not wrapped by the layer; the first end of the core is configured to tether the integrated antenna and tether structure to an attachment structure, and/or the second end of the core is configured to tether the integrated antenna and tether structure to an airborne device.
9. 9 . The integrated antenna and tether structure of claim 1 , wherein the antenna structure is configured to transmit signals at a frequency of at most 50 Megahertz (MHz), and the antenna structure has a length of at least 20 meters.
10. 10 . The integrated antenna and tether structure of claim 1 , wherein the first dielectric material of the core comprises one or more of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), aromatic polyamide (aramid), liquid crystalline polymer, or poly (p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) synthetic polymer, and wherein the second dielectric material of the layer comprises polyimide.
11. 11 . The integrated antenna and tether structure of claim 1 , wherein: the core extending from a first end to a second end has a first length; the plurality of wires is wrapped around a first subset of the first length, and not around an entirety of the first length; and the layer comprising the second dielectric material and the second conductive material is along a second subset of the first length, and not along an entirety of the first length, wherein the first subset and the second subset are different.
12. 12 . The integrated antenna and tether structure of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive material comprises at least one of aluminum or copper, and the second conductive material comprises aluminum.
13. 13 . The integrated antenna and tether structure of claim 1 , wherein the layer is in a form of tape or film comprising metalized dielectric material.
14. 14 . A system comprising: an attachment structure to tether to a first end of the core of the antenna structure of claim 1 ; and an airborne device to tether to a second end of the core of the antenna structure of claim 1 .
15. 15 . An antenna structure comprising: a core comprising a dielectric material; and a plurality of wires comprising a conductive material and wrapped around at least a section of the core; wherein a wire count of the plurality of wires changes at a junction along a length of the core, such that a count of the plurality of wires within a first segment that is on a first side of the junction is different from a count of the plurality of wires within a second segment that is on an opposing second side of the junction.
16. 16 . The antenna structure of claim 15 , wherein: the junction is a first junction; a second junction is along the length of the core, such that (i) the first segment is on the first side of the first junction, (ii) the second segment is on the second side of the first junction and a first side of the second junction, such that the second segment is between the first and second junctions, and (iii) a third segment is on a second side of the second junction that is opposite of the first side of the second junction; and the first segment of the plurality of wires has a first wire count, the second segment of the plurality of wires has a second wire count, and the third segment of the plurality of wires has a third wire count, wherein the first, second, and third counts are different from each other.
17. 17 . The antenna structure of claim 16 , wherein the dielectric material is a first dielectric material, and wherein the antenna structure comprises: a layer comprising a second dielectric material and a second conductive material thereon, such that the second conductive material is in direct contact with one or more wires of the plurality of wires; wherein the layer is wrapped around the core, and either (i) between the core and the plurality of wires, or (ii) wrapped around the plurality of wires.
18. 18 . A system comprising: a core comprising a dielectric material; a first structure to tether to a first end of the core; and a second structure to tether to a second end of the core; and a plurality of wires comprising a conductive material woven around at least a section of the core, wherein a wire count of the plurality of wires changes along a length of the core.
19. 19 . The system of claim 18 , comprising: a feedline at a first end of the plurality of wires; and a termination component at a second end of the plurality of wires; wherein a wire count of the plurality of wires at or near the feedline is higher than a wire count of the plurality of wires at or near the termination component.

Description

STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST This invention was made with United States Government assistance under Contract No. N6523620C8015. The United States Government has certain rights in this invention. FIELD OF DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to antenna and tether structures. BACKGROUND An antenna acts as an interface between electromagnetic signals propagating through space and electric currents propagating in transmit (or receive) circuitry. When transmitting electromagnetic signals, an electric current is applied to the antenna, and the antenna radiates the energy from the current as electromagnetic signals. When receiving radio waves, an antenna receives at least some of the power of an electromagnetic signals, and generates an electric current at its terminals, which is then processed by a receiver. An antenna may be designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic signals at different frequency bands. For example, a low frequency or very low frequency antenna transmits and/or receives electromagnetic signals in the range of less than 300 kHz. There remain a number of nontrivial issues with designing a very low frequency, or a low frequency, or a medium frequency antenna structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D schematically illustrate various views of an antenna structure comprising (i) a core comprising dielectric material, (ii) a first layer comprising a first dielectric material and a first conductive material thereon, the first layer wrapped around at least a section of the core, (iii) a plurality of wires comprising a second conductive material wrapped around at least a section of the first layer, (iv) a second layer comprising a second dielectric material and a second conductive material thereon, the second layer wrapped around at least a section of the plurality of wires, and (v) an outer layer comprising a third dielectric material, the outer layer wrapped around at least a section of the second layer, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 illustrates the antenna structure of FIGS. 1A-1D, and further illustrates a change in a wire count of the plurality of wires of the antenna structure along a length of the antenna structure, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3A illustrates a graph depicting power dissipation density along a length of wires of an antenna, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3B illustrates a graph depicting a variation in wire count along a length of an antenna, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3C illustrates a table depicting an example wire count reduction scheme of the antenna structure of FIGS. 1A-2, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4A illustrates a system comprising the antenna structure of FIGS. 1A-2, and attachment structures to tether the antenna structure, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4B illustrates another system comprising the antenna structure of FIGS. 1A-2, and a ground based attachment structure and an airborne device to tether the antenna structure, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Although the following detailed description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative examples, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent in light of this disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION An antenna structure is disclosed. In an example, a wire count of the antenna structure changes along a length of the antenna structure. In such an example, current within conductive wires of the antenna structure decreases as it travels from one end of the wires coupled to a feedline, to an opposing end of the wires coupled to a termination or corona mitigation (or corona reduction) component. Because the current gradually decreases from one end of the wires to the other end of the wires, the number of conductors (wires) used for carrying the current may beneficially also correspondingly decrease from one end of the wires to the other end of the wires. Accordingly, in one embodiment, a wire count of a plurality of wires of the antenna changes (e.g., monotonically decreases) along a length of the antenna. Decreasing the number of wires along the length of the antenna results in a corresponding decrease in weight of the antenna, without adversely impacting the antenna performance. In an example, the antenna is a monopole antenna. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises a core comprising a dielectric material, where the core is used to support the weight of the antenna and may further be used to tether the antenna to ground structures. A first layer is wrapped around at least a section of the core. The wires are wrapped around the first layer. A second layer is wrapped around the wires. Each of the first layer and the second layer comprises a dielectric material and a conductive material on the dielectric mater