Two applications of HTS technology on an airborne platform

Conference · Sat Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:61228

Robertson, M A ^[1]

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1. E-Systems Inc., Greenville, TX (United States). Greenville Division

This paper describes two applications for HTS technology on an airborne platform. The first application is a RF front-end for an 8 to 40 GHz microwave/ millimeter-wave ESM system. The second application is a 2 to 4 GHz HTS Spiral Antenna Array System. The HTS microwave front-end unit consists of an HTS diplexer, and two low noise preamplifiers. The design demonstrates the benefits of HTS technology while providing a near-term insertion on a military airborne platform. The HTS Spiral Antenna Array System utilizes a 4 element conical spiral array (conventional technology) and a beamforming network consisting of a HTS power combiner, a HTS bandpass filter, HTS coupler, and a conventional technology low noise preamplifier. Both applications utilize low insertion loss HTS devices coupled with the cryogenic cooling of conventional low noise preamplifiers to lower the overall noise figure of the systems. The HTS Spiral Antenna Array System provides a 3 dB improvement in SNR over the best available conventional technology system. A 3 dB improvement in SNR can be compared to the doubling of the antenna aperture which provides a 3 dB gain increase, but at the expense of a decreased field of view. A 3 dB increase in SNR can also be viewed as a 41% increase in usable target range. The HTS antenna system maintains a wide field of view with a performance that approaches a steerable beam antenna. This is a cost effective approach for improving the collection capability of a system without the expense of developing a steerable beam antenna and the associated beam control hardware (tracker) and software.

• OSTI ID: 61228
• Report Number(s): CONF-940142-; ISBN 0-8194-1451-4; TRN: IM9526%%9
• Resource Relation: Conference: OE/LASE `94: conference on optics, electro-optics, and laser applications in science and engineering, Los Angeles, CA (United States), 22-29 Jan 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of High {Tc} microwave superconductors and applications. Volume 2156; Hammond, R.B.; Withers, R.S. [eds.]; PB: 235 p.
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
42 ENGINEERING NOT INCLUDED IN OTHER CATEGORIES
HIGH-TC SUPERCONDUCTORS
COMMERCIALIZATION
MILITARY EQUIPMENT
SUPERCONDUCTING DEVICES
USES
RF SYSTEMS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
DESIGN
SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO
PERFORMANCE