GUIDED SURFACE WAVEGUIDE PROBES
Disclosed is a guided surface waveguide probe including a charge terminal configured to generate an electromagnetic field and a support apparatus that supports the charge terminal above a lossy conducting medium, wherein the electromagnetic field generated by the charge terminal synthesizes a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ i,B ) of the lossy conducting medium.
1 . A guided surface waveguide probe comprising:
a charge terminal configured to generate a guided surface wave comprising an electromagnetic field;
a support apparatus that supports the charge terminal above a lossy conducting medium, wherein the electromagnetic field generated by the charge terminal synthesizes a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ i,B ) of the lossy conducting medium; and
a feed network electrically coupled to the charge terminal, the feed network providing a phase delay (Φ) that matches a wave tilt angle (Ψ) associated with the complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ i,B ) in the vicinity of the guided surface waveguide probe.
2 . The probe of claim 1 , wherein the charge terminal comprises a spherical member.
3 . The probe of claim 2 , wherein the spherical member is hollow.
4 . The probe of claim 3 , wherein the spherical member is made of a metal material.
5 . The probe of claim 1 , wherein the charge terminal comprises multiple spherical members.
6 . The probe of claim 5 , wherein the spherical members are spaced from each other.
7 . The probe of claim 6 , wherein the spherical members are hollow.
8 . The probe of claim 7 , wherein the spherical members are made of a metal material.
9 . The probe of claim 1 , wherein the charge terminal comprises an ellipsoid member.
10 . The probe of claim 9 , wherein the ellipsoid member is hollow.
11 . The probe of claim 10 , wherein the ellipsoid member is made of a metal material.
12 . The probe of claim 9 , wherein a minor axis of the ellipsoid member is generally vertical.
13 . The probe of claim 9 , wherein a minor axis of the ellipsoid member is generally horizontal.
14 . The probe of claim 1 , wherein the charge terminal comprises a toroid member.
15 . The probe of claim 14 , wherein the toroid member is hollow.
16 . The probe of claim 15 , wherein the toroid member is made of a metal material.
17 . The probe of claim 14 , wherein the toroid member is generally horizontal such that a central axis of a central opening of the toroid member is generally vertical.
18 . The probe of claim 14 , wherein the toroid member is generally vertical such that a central axis of a central opening of the toroid member is generally horizontal.
19 . The probe of claim 1 , wherein the charge terminal comprises a cylindrical member.
20 . The probe of claim 19 , wherein the cylindrical member comprises rounded ends.
21 . The probe of claim 1 , wherein the charge terminal is hollow and comprises an outer surface including multiple openings that enable air to pass through the terminal.
22 . The probe of claim 1 , wherein the charge terminal comprises a plurality of rods that together define a discontinuous effective surface of the terminal.
23 . The probe of claim 1 , wherein the feed network comprises a conductive coil.
24 . The probe of claim 23 , further comprising a feed line connector that electrically couples the conductive coil with the charge terminal.
25 . The probe of claim 24 , further comprising a stake that electrically couples the conductive coil to the lossy conducting medium.