General hints on

Antenna Concepts

Assiut University, Electrical engineering

department Comm. Section
Introduced by Eng. Abdu-Allah Mahfouz
Antennas in our world
Antenna definition
Antenna (aerial) is defined as a device which receives or transmits
radio waves.
The main task of the antenna is to transduce EM energy from guided
system to free space.
Radiation quantities as for energy
There are 3 main quantities
 Radiated power 𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑠
• Represents the amount of radiated energy emitted by the antenna, 𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑑 is related to
input power 𝑃𝑖𝑛 by the antenna efficiency 𝜂 𝑜𝑟 𝛼 .
𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑑

𝑃𝑖𝑛

 Radiated power density 𝑊𝑟𝑎𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑊/𝑚2

• Represents the amount of radiated power per unit area, it is related to 𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑑 by the
following relation
𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑑 = ‫ 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑊 ׭‬. 𝑑𝑠 where 𝑑𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡
Radiation quantities as for energy
• There are 3 main quantities (cont’d)
Radiated power intensity 𝑈 𝑖𝑛 𝑊/𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛
 Represents the amount of radiation in certain direction nevertheless the distance away
the antenna , it is useful to cancel distance dependency in case of normalizing the field
patterns.
 𝑈 = 𝑟 2 𝑊𝑟𝑎𝑑
 There is a question imposes itself ,why
the unit of 𝑈 𝑖𝑛 𝑊/𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛?!
 Steradian is the solid angle (3-d angle)
created by cone intersection with a
sphere which has radius 𝑟 and the
resultant area, from this intersection,
equals 𝑟 2 .
Radial angle vs solid angle

𝑟 𝑑𝑠 𝑑𝑠

𝑟 𝑑𝜙

𝑑𝑙 2-D projection
3-D view

𝒅𝒍 = 𝒓𝒅𝜙𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝜑 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑑𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒

𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝒅𝒔 = 𝒓𝟐 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝜽 𝒅𝜽𝒅𝜙
We call 𝒅𝛀 = 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝜽 𝒅𝜽𝒅𝜙 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑
𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝒅𝒔 = 𝒓𝟐 𝒅𝛀
𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑑 , 𝑊𝑟𝑎𝑑 and 𝑈
𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑑 = ‫ 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑊 ׭‬. 𝑑𝑠
But 𝑈 = 𝑟 2 𝑊𝑟𝑎𝑑
Always it is assumed that radiation propagates in radial direction 𝑎𝑟
hence
𝑑𝑠 = 𝑟 2 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 𝑑𝜃𝑑𝜙
Hence 𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑑 = ‫ 𝑟 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑊 ׭‬2 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 𝑑𝜃𝑑𝜙 = ‫𝑑𝑈 ׭‬Ω
Example: isotropic point source
 𝑈 is uniform quantity equals 𝑈0 over all space i.e. 0 ≤ 𝜃 ≤ 𝜋, 0 ≤ 𝜙 ≤ 2𝜋
hence 𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑑 = 4𝜋𝑈0
Regions of radiation

There are 3 regions:

1. Reactive near field
2. Radiating near field (Fresnel)
3. Far field (Fraunhofer)
Our study is mainly focused in Far field region i.e. the
aforementioned radiation quantities is defined in that region.
1 ∗
 Remember that 𝑊𝑟𝑎𝑑 = Re{Erad × 𝐻𝑟𝑎𝑑 }
2
In the far field region Erad ⊥ 𝐻𝑟𝑎𝑑 ⊥ 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
The relation between Erad 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐻𝑟𝑎𝑑 is dependent on medium
1
𝐻𝑟𝑎𝑑 = 𝑎𝑝 × 𝐸𝑟𝑎𝑑 , 𝑖𝑓 𝑎𝑝 = 𝑎𝑟
𝜂
1 1
i.e. 𝐻𝜃 = 𝐸𝜙 , 𝐻𝜙 = − 𝐸𝜃
𝜂 𝜂
1 2
∴ 𝑊𝑟𝑎𝑑 = { 𝐸𝜃 2 + 𝐸𝜙 }
2𝜂
Radiation Pattern
Radiation patterns are graphs that depict field distribution around
the antenna in all directions. It is usually represented in spherical
coordinates.
Why spherical coordinate is used to represent radiation fields?!
 It reflects a good imagine about the real antenna field patterns. Note the oil
discharging example.
Vol

time
Radiation Pattern
Any radiation field in general is a function of space i.e.
𝐸ത = 𝐸𝜃 𝑟, 𝜃, 𝜙 , 𝐸𝜙 𝑟, 𝜃, 𝜙
Hence we have two field components are functions in 3 variables 𝑟, 𝜃, 𝜙
How can we represent them in 3-D plot?!
Let’s imagine the real situation
 The antenna is a center of a sphere of constant radius 𝑟1 ∈ 𝑓𝑎𝑟 𝑧𝑜𝑛𝑒
 There is a radiation meter rounds over the sphere surface and take the measurement of field
pattern.
 Indeed this measurement represents the total field resultant at that position.
 Draw a pole point, to scale, represents this measurement.
 If we repeat the previous steps in other graph at different sphere radius 𝑟2 we’ll get the same
radiation field plotted for radius 𝑟1 but scaled.
 Hence we satisfy only with one radiation field plot which doesn’t depend on distance away from
the antenna
Radiation Pattern
The best radiation quantity that omits distance dependency is
radiation intensity 𝑈 hence it is used to represent radiation pattern.

𝑟3 > r2 > r1
 Radiation Pattern concepts
Identify the pattern terms
 Major lobe
 Side (minor) lobes
 Back lobe
 BeamWidth(𝐵𝑊)
• 𝐻𝑃𝐵𝑊
• 𝐹𝑁𝐵𝑊
 Nulls
Usually it is required to plot field patterns in
principle planes hence it is projected by
substituting 𝜙 𝑜𝑟 𝜃 according to required plane.
 𝜙 = 0 ≡ 𝑥𝑧 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒
 𝜙 = 900 ≡ 𝑦𝑧 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒
 𝜃 = 900 ≡ 𝑥𝑦 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒
Directivity and Gain
The antennas can be divided as for being isotropic or directive types.
Isotropic antennas radiate power uniformly or regularly in overall
directions. The simplest example on it isotropic point source.
Directive antennas only cover specified sector.
Directivity is defined as the antenna
ability to focus the power in specific
direction.

Isotropic antenna Directive antenna

Directivity and Gain
Directivity may be considered as a comparison between the antenna
and the isotropic point source.
 The both antenna and isotropic point source are fed by the same amount of
power.
 In fact the radiation intensity 𝑈 of the antenna is given and it is required to
compute its directivity.
 𝐻𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑑 = ‫𝑑𝑈 ׭‬Ω
𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑑
 The isotropic point source radiation intensity is 𝑈𝑝𝑠 = as it is uniform in
4𝜋
all direction
𝑈 𝜃,𝜙 4𝜋𝑈 𝜃,𝜙 4𝜋𝑈𝑚𝑎𝑥 4𝜋
 𝐷 𝜃, 𝜙 = = , 𝐷𝑚𝑎𝑥 = =
𝑈𝑝𝑠 ‫𝑑𝑈 ׭‬Ω ‫𝑑𝑈 ׭‬Ω ‫𝑑 𝑚𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑈 ׭‬Ω
Directivity and Gain
 There is approximate formula to calculate 𝐷𝑚𝑎𝑥 provided that 𝑈 is normalized
4𝜋
 D𝑚𝑎𝑥 = Φ 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒Φ𝐻1 , Φ𝐻2 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝐻𝑃𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑔𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑠
𝐻1 Φ𝐻2

 Sometimes, it is difficult to calculate HP point hence it is assumed to equal 𝟎. 𝟓 𝑩𝑾𝑭𝑵 angle

 This equation indicates that the narrower the beams are, the more directive beam is.
 Notes
1
 Half power point equivalent to 2
points as for electric field.
The calculated 𝜃 𝑜𝑟 𝜙 From 𝑈 or 𝐸
equations are measured from
0, 𝑖. 𝑒 Φ𝐻 = 2𝜃 𝑜𝑟 2𝜙 assuming
pattern symmetry Φ𝐻1
The polar plot of the radiation Φ𝐻2
pattern is the 3D pattern projected in
a 2D plane as depicted.
Directivity and Gain
The antenna has ohmic losses hence the radiated power not equal
the input power as mentioned before.
The quantity that expresses antenna directivity taking into account
these losses is called antenna gain.
𝐺 = 𝜂D, 𝜂 < 1 𝑎𝑛𝑑 = 1 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒂
Note that 𝐺 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐷 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 and they can be
expressed in 𝑑𝐵𝑖 as follows 𝐺𝑑𝐵𝑖 = 10 𝑙𝑜𝑔10 (𝐺).
Keywords in this section
Antenna
Radiation
 Radiated power
 Power density
 Power intensity
 Radiation meter
 Radiation Patterns (lobe, Null, BeamWidth)
Radian and steradian
Solid angle
Farfield
Isotropic point source
Directivity
Gain