A 17-31-GHz Planar Multi-Beam Air-Filled SIW Hemi-Elliptical Lens Antenna for Mobile Satellite Communications

This work proposes a novel multi-beam planar hemi-elliptical lens antenna for satellite communication on the move (SOTM) applications. The antenna system comprises three main parts: the feeding section, the planar lens, and the radiating section. To efficiently transfer energy from the feeding section to the radiating section, the planar hemi-ellipticallens is constructed from a 1.575-mm-thick Rogers R<tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$T$</tex>/duroid 5880 substrate, sandwiched between parallel plates. To radiate multiple independent fan beams in the far field, three air-filled substrate integrated waveguide (AFSIW) horns are placed in the focal plane of the lens. For quick and efficient antenna design, each component of the antenna structure was optimized independently. The antenna concept has been validated over the 17–31 G Hz range, demonstrating a scanning capability of ±25° in the elevation plane. The proposed antenna exhibits beam scanning capabilities in elevation, with a maximum gain of 21 dBi and a scan loss below 3 dB within the operational bandwidth. Its low-cost fabrication process, low profile, and compactness make this antenna a very promising solution for SOTM applications.