Direct radiating array (“DRA”) antenna, method of assembling a DRA antenna, and system for managing heat generated by a DRA antenna
Direct radiating array (“DRA”) antenna assemblies, methods of assembling a DRA antenna assembly, and systems for managing heat generated by a DRA antenna assembly are provided. A DRA antenna assembly includes: multiple radiating element modules, each radiating element module including a first dissipative component; multiple digital beamforming boards, each digital beamforming board having a radio frequency (“RF”) connection to and servicing a subset of the radiating element modules and including a second dissipative component; and a thermal plate having a top surface and a bottom surface, the radiating elements and the digital boards mounted to the top surface and the bottom surface, respectively, such that the first and second dissipative components are heat sunk to the thermal plate. The thermal plate includes a plurality of passive two-phase flow devices embedded therein for transporting heat received from the first and second dissipative components away from an interior of the DRA assembly.
1 . A digital direct radiating array (“DRA”) antenna assembly, the assembly comprising:
a single continuous thermal plate configured to receive heat from dissipative components of the DRA assembly and transport the heat away from an interior of the DRA assembly;
a plurality of radiating element modules, each respective one of the plurality of radiating element modules including a radiating element and a combined unit, wherein the combined unit includes a filtering module and a signal amplification module, wherein a bottom surface of the combined unit is mounted to a top surface of the thermal plate, and wherein the radiating element is mounted to a top surface of the combined unit; and
a plurality of digital boards for digital beamforming, each respective one of the plurality of digital boards having a radio frequency (“RF”) connection to and servicing a subset of the radiating element modules, the plurality of digital boards mounted to a bottom surface of the thermal plate such that each respective one of the plurality of digital boards is located under the subset of the radiating element modules serviced thereby;
wherein the thermal plate acts as a structural support for each of the plurality of radiating element modules and each of the plurality of digital boards;
wherein the thermal plate comprises a panel with a rigid, closed box structure having a plurality of pockets and a plurality of flat pulsating heat pipe (PHP) subpanels embedded within the pockets of the panel, the plurality of flat PHP subpanels configured to transport the heat outwards from the center of the thermal plate to a plurality of peripheral regions outside a footprint of a radiating surface formed by the radiating elements.
2 . The DRA assembly of claim 1 , wherein the radiating element is a dual band radiating element.
3 . The DRA assembly of claim 1 , wherein the combined unit is substantially within an element footprint of the radiating element.
4 . The DRA assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of radiating elements form a radiating array, and wherein the plurality of digital boards are substantially within a footprint of the radiating array.
5 . The DRA assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of radiating modules includes a first dissipative component and each of the plurality of digital boards includes a second dissipative component, wherein the first dissipative component is an amplifier unit of the signal amplification module and the second dissipative component is a digital beamforming integrated circuit of the digital board.
6 . The DRA assembly of claim 5 , wherein the thermal plurality of peripheral regions provide a thermal exchange interface between the thermal plate and spacecraft heat pipes mounted thereto.
7 . A method of assembling a digital direct radiating array (“DRA”) antenna assembly, the method comprising:
mounting a plurality of combined units to a top surface of a support plate, wherein each respective one of the plurality of combined units includes a filtering module and a signal amplification module, and wherein the mounting includes mounting a bottom surface of the combined unit to the top surface of the support plate;
mounting a radiating element to a top surface of each respective one of the plurality of combined units, wherein the radiating element and the combined unit to which the radiating element is mounted together form a radiating element module, and wherein the mounting includes forming a first RF connection between the radiating element and the combined unit; and
mounting a plurality of digital beamforming boards to a bottom surface of the support plate such that each respective one of the plurality of digital boards is located under a subset of the radiating element modules serviced by the digital beamforming board, and wherein the mounting includes forming a second RF connection between the digital beamforming board and the subset of radiating element modules serviced thereby;
wherein the support plate is a single continuous thermal plate configured to transport heat outwards from a center of the thermal plate to peripheral regions outside a footprint of a radiating surface formed by the radiating elements;
wherein the thermal plate acts as a structural support for each of the plurality of radiating element modules and each of the plurality of digital boards;
wherein the thermal plate comprises a panel with a rigid, closed box structure having a plurality of pockets and a plurality of flat pulsating heat pipe (PHP) subpanels embedded within the pockets of the panel, the plurality of flat PHP subpanels configured to transport the heat outwards from the center of the thermal plate to a plurality of peripheral regions.
8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising mounting the support plate to a spacecraft bus.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the DRA assembly is a dual band radiating array that performs receive and transmit functions, wherein the filtering module includes a receive filtering unit configured to filter receive signals and a transmit filter unit configured to filter transmit signals and input and output connections for receiving and transmitting signals from and to the signal amplification module, wherein the signal amplification module includes a receive signal amplification unit and a transmit signal amplification unit and the signal amplification module routes filtered signals from the filtering module to the receive signal amplification unit for amplification and transmit signals from the transmit signal amplification unit to the filtering module, and wherein the signal amplification module routes signals received from the plurality of digital boards to the transmit signal amplification unit for signal amplification and amplified receive signals from the receive amplification unit to the plurality of digital boards.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein each respective one of the plurality of radiating elements includes a first dissipative component and the radiating element is mounted such that the first dissipative component is heat sunk to the support plate, wherein each respective one of the plurality of digital beamforming boards includes a second dissipative component and the digital board is mounted such that the second dissipative component is heat sunk to the support plate.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first dissipative component is an amplifier unit of the signal amplification module and the second dissipative component is a digital beamforming integrated circuit.
12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising mounting the support plate to a spacecraft bus.