Planar Antenna array for L-Band and S-Band ‘PALS’

Bryka Skystocks LLC, an ITAR compliant woman owned small business supplying to DLA’s critical needs since 2010, in partnership with Georgia Institute of Technology proposes to develop a novel high-power circularly polarized antenna array, especially, for directed energy efforts. Our goal will be to deliver a solid design and simulation results for a high-gain high-power dual CP antenna array suitable for directed energy effort at US Air Force. This initial phase encompasses a design study to identify the appropriate antenna architecture, construct a model for the array, design the feed antenna, simulate performance under 1 GW of pulsed power, and execute preliminary analysis of the shock/vibration performance. This antenna array will meet the MIL-STD-810g shock and vibration, handle an input pulse with FWHM of 10 ns, capable to radiate L- and S-band simultaneously. The robust antenna array design will offer a gain of at least 21 dB at 1.1 GHz (L-Band) and radiate with gain of at least 27 dB at 2.8 GHz(S-Band).  The antenna will also fit with a volume less than 1.5 cubic meters. Phase 1 modeling and simulation efforts will provide and address the following performance metrics: Antenna polarization, axial ratio, center frequency, bandwidth, volume, footprint, feed structure, power handling capability, realized gain, beam patterns in two cardinal planes, side lobe levels, and efficiency. The deliverable is a working antenna array design with a low-cost 3D printing manufacturing process using EOS M290 Selective Laser Sintering Printers at Bryka's facility to produce a functional prototype for the Air Force in Phase II.