Helical and Horn Antennas

Prof. Girish Kumar

Electrical Engineering Department
IIT Bombay

gkumar@ee.iitb.ac.in
prof.gkumar@gmail.com
(022) 2576 7436

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 1

 Helical Antenna
d L
S
D
Helix axis

S C = D
L

A = nS
Total Length of Wire = nL
Total Axial Length (A) = nS
𝑆 𝑆
𝐿= 𝑆2 + 𝐶2 = tan−1 = tan−1
𝜋𝐷 𝐶

(Reference: JD Kraus, Antennas, Tata-McGraw Hill, 1988)

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 2
 Modes in Helical Antenna

Generally for Generally for

Circular Polarization Linear Polarization

C = πD ≈ λ C << λ
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 3
Axial Mode Helical Antenna: Ground Plane
C = πD ≈ λ
D ≈ λ/ π

(a) (b) (c)

Flat Shallow Cupped Deep Conical
Ground Plane Ground Plane Ground Plane
Low F/B Medium F/B High F/B
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 4
Axial Mode Helical Antenna - Input Impedance

For Axial Feed: R = 140 * Cλ 

For Peripheral Feed: R  150 / √Cλ 

Tapered Microstrip Line is used for Input Impedance Matching

Conditions for Circular Polarization (CP):

(a) 0.8 ≤ Cλ ≤ 1.2
(b) 12° ≤ α ≤ 14°
(c) n  4
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 5
Radiation Pattern of Axial Mode Helical Antenna

 Measured Field Patterns of Axial Mode Helical Antenna of 6 turns and

Pitch Angle α = 14°.
 CP Radiation Pattern for C/ (= C) from 0.73 to 1.22.
 ( ) Horizontally polarized field component and ( ) Vertically polarized.
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 6
 Gain of Axial Mode Helical Antenna

HPBW (Half-Power Beamwidth)

BWFN (Beamwidth Between First Nulls)

Directivity = 32,400 / HPBW2

2
Directivity = 12𝐶λ 𝑛𝑆λ
Gain = η x Directivity, η ≈ 60%

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 7

Design of Axial Mode Helical Antenna
Desired: Directivity = 24 dBi = 251.19
For Axial Mode Helical Antenna:
Assume: Cλ = 1.05 ( 0.8 to 1.2)
α = 12.7° (12° to 14°)
Calculate: Sλ = Cλ tan α = 0.2366
2
Directivity = 12𝐶λ 𝑛𝑆λ

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 8

 Normal Mode Helical Antenna
D D

S
Small Dipole:
S

𝑘𝐼𝑜 𝑆𝑒 −𝑗𝑘𝑟
𝐸𝜃 = 𝑗𝜂 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
4𝜋𝑟

Small Loop:
𝐷 2 −𝑗𝑘𝑟
𝑘 2 𝐼𝑜 𝑒
𝐸𝜙 = 𝜂 2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
4𝑟

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 9

Design of Normal Mode Helical Antenna (NMHA)

For Infinite Ground Plane:

Wire length:
≈ λ / 4 – text book
> λ / 4 – for practical design

Feed is tapped after one turn

for input impedance matching

(Reference: JD Kraus, Antennas, Tata-McGraw Hill, 1988, Page 337)

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 10
 Horn Antennas

E-Plane a
Sectoral b H-Plane
Horn Sectoral Horn

TE10 mode in Rectangular Waveguide

E-Field varies sinusoidally along ‘a’ and is uniform along ‘b’

Pyramidal Horn

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 11

 Pyramidal Horn Antenna

Maximum
Phase Error

Side View Top View

E - Plane H - Plane
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 12
Optimum Dimensions vs. Directivity

Lλ
aHλ
Reference:
aEλ JD Kraus, Antennas,
Tata-McGraw Hill, 1988
Page 652

Gain (dBi)
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 13
 Coaxial Feed Pyramidal Horn Antenna

E-Plane View H-Plane View

Reference: Hemant Kumar and Girish Kumar, “Design and Parametric Analysis of Pyramidal Horn Antenna with High
Efficiency”, Proceedings of International Symposium on Microwave and Optical Technology (ISMOT) 2015, pp. 134-137.
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 14
Coaxial Feed Pyramidal Horn Antenna at 900 MHz

Parameter Value (mm) Description

A 450 Aperture Width
B 320 Aperture Height
a 240 Waveguide Width
b 120 Waveguide Height
WG_L 110 Waveguide Length
RE = R H 250 Horn Length
l 75 Probe Length
r 3.5 Probe Radius
d_sc 67.5 Distance of feed from short

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 15

 Effect of Horn Length on Efficiency

For Horn Length RE = RH > 150 mm, efficiency > 72%

and for RE = RH > 250 mm, efficiency ≈ 80%
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 16
|S11| of Coaxial Feed Pyramidal Horn Antenna

Bandwidth for |S11| < -10dB :

CST Simulation: 47%
IE3D Simulation: 49.5%
Measured Results: 52%
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 17
 Radiation Pattern of Pyramidal Horn Antenna
Simulated E-Plane Radiation Pattern Simulated H-Plane Radiation Pattern

Gain = η (4 π A B / λ2 ) – Gain varies with frequency

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 18