WEATHER FORECASTING RADAR ANTENNA:

AN APPLICATION OF ACTIVE MICROSTRIP ANTENNAS

T. Razban*, B. Robert*

ABSTRACT:
In this paper we propose an original antenna structure which may be
used in weather forecasting radars. It is composed of microstrip radiating
elements, active circuits and microstrip power splitters. This antenna may
take place of the heavy and expensive existing parabolic structures which
are used in satellite communications or radar applications. We'll discuss the
utility of its different components and the problems one may meet on the
way of their realization. At the end we'll give some experimental results
obtained only from certain components realized in our lab, the whole
structure isn't yet realized. This work is supported and financed by Institut
National des Sciences de l'Univers (I.N.S.U.).
1 - INTRODUCTION:
One of the important tools desired for weather stations is strato-
troposferic radar for measuring wind velocity in different atmosphere
layers. This information captured by the radar is useful for weather
forecastings and permits to aircrafts to avoid turbulent zones and reduce
their fuel expenses [1].
These radars use a great parabolic antenna (frequency about 960 MHz
or 400 MHz) to emit in a vertical direction and also in an oblic direction
(150 to west, east, north or south) to obtain reflections on atmospheric
layers which allow after a serious signal processing to evaluate the wind
velocity. The parabolic antenna with mechanical engins (to rotate into oblic
directions) is too heavy to be replaced any time and too expensive to be
produced in many copies to cover great surfaces like as a country.
Microstrip antennas are well-suited to take the place of the heavy and
expensive parabolic antennas, but before doing that, a great amount of work
must be done in matter of amplifying, phase shifting and power weighting in
antenna arrays. Associating amplifiers and electronical phase shifters behind
each radiating element allows us to attain all these objects [2-3], and to
remove mechanical heavy engins and expensive polished antenna surfaces.

* Laboratoire d'Electronique, Universite de Nice-Sophia Antipolis

CNRS, Bat.4, rue A. Einstein, 06560 Valbonne, France
tel:(33) 92942822 fax:(33) 92942812
888
2 - ANT:ENNA STRUCTUJRE:
The proposed structure is shown in figure-1. It is composed of 5 layers
in which are arranged radiating elements, power splitters and active circuits.
They are:

,f-.00000 panels

ra
radiating elements

S_ _ _ Sr4 ground plane

SJSS

A-W
..Wool'
I

AV

primary power splitter

Figure 1: Microstrip Active Antenna Structure.

( A: center panel; B: border panels; C: corner panels)

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 -Layer 1: Radiating patch array: 276 microstrip patches are arranged in
9 panels. Dimensions are calculated for the given frequency (961MHz), beam
aperture (50) and spurious side lobe level (-20dB),
-Layer 2: Power distributing network: made by microstrip lines to feed
in phase the radiating elements of subarrays,
-Layer 3: Active circuits: made with transistors, matching circuits and
commandable phase shifters,
-Layer 4: Panel distributing network: The microwave power is
distributed unequally among amplifiers of a panel to satisfy the unequal
power distribution in the radiating elements,
-Layer 5: Primary power splitter: is used to distribute the microwave
power into 9 panels.
In the following, we'll discuss why and how these layers are arranged as
explained.
Layer 1:Radiating patch array
A circular array is chosen rather than a rectangular one, for the
following reasons:
-It requires fewer radiating sources
-It genarates smaller secondary lobes.
A uniform power distribution in radiating sources doesn't satisfy the
secondary lobe limit (-20dB). This is shown in table-1 by the theoretical
results obtained for some uniform and non-uniform power distributions. One
notes that a raised parabolic power distribution with weighting factor c=0.1
provides a small secondary lobe level (-34.5dB). The array radius (a) may be
computed by the given formula (0=75.6X/2a) where 0 is the main lobe
aperture in degrees and X is the wavelength. Though, with 0=50 and
f=96lMHz (X=0.312 meters), the diameter of the array is 2a=4.72 meters.
One can choose c=0.4 with -24.7dB of secondary lobe level and obtain
2a=4.07 meters.
Power amplitude in 3dB main lobe Secondary
distribution Function extreme points aperture (degrees) lobe level (dB)
E(r) raised Factor c x
parabolic 0.4 65.3 - 24.7
2 2 _a
E(r) uniforn [
x
1 1 58.5- - 17.6

Table 1: Power distribution in a circular array.

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To determine the number of patch antennas, we need to fix the spacing
between them. We know that: a=27 (d/k)sinO where a is the phase shift, d
spacing between the radiating sources, x wavelength and 0 beam orientation
of the array. With 0=150 and X=0.312m, the spacing d may be computed
according to the chosen phase shift a (when oblic direction desired). To
reduce the number and the cost of the phase shifters, one can choose a
phase shift equal to a divisor of 3600. We choose a =900, and we obtain
d=0.3015 meters. If this spacing is respected on the bisector of E and H
plane, we'll have a spacing of 0.4264 meters in E or H plane. The substrate
used to support the patch antennas is a Glassy-Teflon one (Sr=2.2) on which
a square patch is about 10cm (in 961MHz) wide. Therefore a radiating
source may be composed of 4 patches fed in phase and spaced from the
adjacent sources by 0.4264 meters (figure 2).
0.4264 m
0.3015 m
.0 no ME No 0.0I
SO No I __

* ** * * *-
Eu..... m*
*
u.. *r* ** .
- C m* -* -:m* *m-m

Figure 2: Antenna arrangement in subarrays.

Layer 2: Power distributing network
This layer is made by striplines to feed in phase the 4 radiating
elements of subarrays. The dimensions are computed to match four 50Q
radiating elements to a 50Q driver.
Layer 3: Active circuits
This layer is made of amplifiers, Emitter/Receiver switches and
controlable phase shifters (figure 3).
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 sources

RF Power amplifier

shifter Low noise amplif er

Afft+f limiter
digital | c

Polarisation
Figure 3: Bloc diagram of an active module in the active layer.
Layer 4: Panel distributing network
Microstrip lines are used to satisfy the unequal power distribution in
the radiating elements and the matching of the input impedance of the
amplifiers to the output impedance of the driver.
Layer 5: Primary power splitter
This layer is used to distribute the microwave power into 9 panels. We
take into account the power required by each panel and the power
distribution is nonuniform.
3 - EXPERIMENTS:
Each part of the antenna is realized and tested seperately, but the
whole antenna is not assembled yet. As explained, the smallest component
of the antenna is a radiating source of 4 patches. A prototype of such
component is realized and measured (figure 4).

port 1 ofpot2f
the HP 8720 the HP 8720

Emitter antenna Receiver 4-patch antenna

Figure 4: Measurement of 4 element prototype.
The structure of this active antenna is shown in figure 5. The receiving
amplifier (figure 6) is located at one side of the ground plane and the
microstrip array antenna at the other. This separation avoid the cross
polarisation which may be provided by the active circuits. The two layers
are connected by a probe through the ground plane. The transmission
coefficent is measured (figure 7) between the emitting antenna and the
receiving four-patch antenna with and without two-stage amplifier. It shows
a gain of about 26 dB. The noise figure and the gain of the amplifier is also
892
measured by a noise figure measurement system (figure 8). We obtain a
gain of 26dB which confirms the previous result and a noise figure of 3dB.

probe microstrip patch

probe~ ~~~~~~~~~~~-I--
r 7 -D -o I _J O ' A

c
ground plane -b* ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . . . ... . . .. >,iE
_........
.......... .......
r
C t

Active ciruits
Figure 5 Structure of the active antenna. Figure 6: Two-stage amplifier.

[ 7V-T7
S21 *216M 100 MAO 10 48/ REr 0 dl
- I: 13.f36 dB
4.000
HF89708 Noise Figure Meter
40.00

--'fI
-
- 7t
DO

with anplifier Hr U-

CD

without amplifierT
0.000
I.,
GADO
TAPRT .o0000 GNz STO 1.0000 6Hz 900 MO z/IV )
FFEG. 110.00 1000

Figure 7 : Transmission mesure. Figure 8: Gain and N.E of the amplifier.

4 - CNCLUSION:

We studied the feasibility of a weather forecasting antenna according to a

financial support of Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers (I.N.S.U.). An
original structure is proposed after studying a lot of possibilities not
mentionned in this paper. A receiver component and other components like
power splitters, phase shifters are realized and measured. The good results
obtained encourage us to continue on the way we have chosen. One of
important component i.e. the emitter which needs high power amplifiers
isn't yet realized. This will be done later and we hope that the whole
antenna will be realized as soon as possible.

5 - R&EFERENCES:
[1]- V. KLAUS "Le profileur de vent, applications a la meteorologie
operationelle", f6vrier 1988, La Meteorologie, 7e s6rie, n°21.
[2]- R.J. MAILLOUX : "Phased Array Architecture for MM-Wave Active
Array", July 1986, Microwave Journal, pp.117-124.
[3]- J.L. POURAILLY et C. GUERIN : "Avenir des antennes-reseaux actives",
mars-avril 1989, L'onde Electrique, vol. 69, n°2, pp 7-14.
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