Microwave and Antennas VII sem 17EC71

Module 5
Part 2 Antenna Types
Helical Geometry

The helix is a basic three-dimensional geometric form. A helical wire on a uniform cylinder
becomes a straight wire when unwound by rolling the cylinder on a flat surface. Viewed end-on,
a helix projects as a circle. Thus, a helix combines the geometric forms of a straight line, a circle
and a cylinder. In addition a helix has handedness; it can be either left- or right-handed.

Figure 5.1: Helix and its dimensions

The following symbols are used to describe a helix
D = diameter of helix (center to center)
C = circumference of helix = πD
S = spacing between turns (center to center)
α = pitch angle = arctan S/πD
L = length of 1 turn
n = number of turns
A = axial length = nS
d = diameter of helix conductor
The diameter D and circumference C refer to the imaginary cylinder whose surface passes
through the centerline of the helix conductor. A subscript λ signifies that the dimension is
measured in free-space wavelengths. For example, Dλ is the helix diameter in free-space
wavelengths.
1

ECE,CEC,Benjanapadavu
Microwave and Antennas VII sem 17EC71

If 1 turn of a circular helix is unrolled on a flat plane, the relation between the spacing S,
circumference C, turn length L and pitch angle α is as illustrated by the triangle in figure 5.2.

Figure 5.2 Relation between circumference, spacing, turn length and pitch angle of a helix.

Suppose that we have a 1-turn helix with a turn length of 1 λ (Lλ = 1). When α = 0, the helix is a
loop of 1 λ circumference or of diameter equal to 1 λ/π. As the pitch angle α increases, the
circumference decreases and the dimensions of the helix move along the Lλ = 1 curve,
when α = 90◦, the “helix” is a straight conductor 1 λ long.

Practical Design Considerations for the Monofilar Axial-Mode Helical

Antenna

Before analyzing the many facets of the antenna individually, an overall picture will be given by
describing the performance of some practical designs.
The monofilar axial-mode helical antenna is very noncritical and one of the easiest of all
antennas to build.
Nevertheless, attention to details can maximize its performance.
The important parameters are:
1. Beamwidth
2. Gain
3. Impedance
4. Axial ratio
2
ECE,CEC,Benjanapadavu
Microwave and Antennas VII sem 17EC71

Gain and beamwidth, which are interdependent [G∝(1 / 2 HPBW)], and the other parameters are
all functions of the number of turns, the turn spacing (or pitch angle) and the frequency. For a
given number of turns the behavior of the beamwidth, gain, impedance and axial ratio determines
the useful bandwidth. The nominal center frequency of this bandwidth corresponds to a helix
circumference of about 1 λ (Cλ =1).
For a given bandwidth to be completely useful, all 4 parameters must be satisfactory over the
entire bandwidth. The parameters are also functioning of the ground plane size and shape, the
helical conductor diameter, the helix support structure and the feed arrangement. The ground
plane may be flat (either circular or square) with a diameter or side dimension of at least 3λ/4 or
the ground plane (launching structure) may be cup-shaped forming a shallow cavity (Fig. 5.3) or
replaced by loops.

Figure 5.3 (a) Monofilar axial-mode helical antenna on flat ground plane and (b) in shallow
cupped ground plane (c) General-purpose flush-mounted two-turn monofilar axial-mode helical antenna with
taper feed for matching to a 50-_ coaxial line. (d) Deep conical ground-plane enclosure for reducing side and
back lobes.
3

ECE,CEC,Benjanapadavu
Microwave and Antennas VII sem 17EC71

A two-turn flush-mounted design for aircraft applications is shown in Fig. 5.3c. The two turns
are required to obtain satisfactory pattern and impedance characteristics but that no significant
improvement is obtained with a deeper cavity and a larger number of turns since the size of the
aperture opening remains the same (like an open-ended cylindrical waveguide).
The deep conical arrangement of Fig. 5.3d is effective in reducing the side- and back-lobe
radiation Launching a wave on the helix may also be done without a ground plane using loops or
to produce a backfire beam for a dish feed.
Conductor size is not critical and may range from 0.005 λ or less to 0.05 λ or more. The helix
may be fed axially, peripherally or from any convenient location on the ground-plane launching
structure
with the inner conductor of the coaxial line connected to the helix and the outer conductor
bonded to the ground plane.
With axial feed the terminal impedance (resistive) is given within 20 percent by
R = 140𝐶𝜆 (Ω) ……….(5.1)
while with peripheral feed Baker (1) gives its value within10 percent as
R = 150 / √𝐶𝜆 (Ω ) ……….(5.2)
These relations have the restrictions that 0.8 ≤𝐶𝜆 ≤1.2, 12◦ ≤ α ≤ 14◦ and n ≥ 4.
As the helix tubing is brought close to the ground plane, it is gradually flattened until it is
completely flat at the termination, where it is spaced from the ground plane by a dielectric sheet
(or slab). The appropriate height h (or thickness of the sheet) is given by

where
w = width of conductor at termination
h = height of conductor above ground plane (or thickness of dielectric sheet) in same units as w
εr = relative permittivity of dielectric sheet
Z0 = characteristic impedance of dielectric sheet
The beamwidths and Dirctivity were found to be given by the following relations.

ECE,CEC,Benjanapadavu
Microwave and Antennas VII sem 17EC71

Problem:
If the flattened tubing width is 5 mm, find the required thickness of a polystyrene sheet (εr = 2.7)
for matching to a 50Ω coaxial transmission line.

The Yagi-Uda Array

Figure 5.4 Modern-version 6-element Yagi-Uda antenna with dimensions.

Atypical modern-version 6-elementYagi-Uda antenna is shown in Fig. 5.4. It consists of a driven

element (folded λ/2 dipole) fed by a 300Ω 2-wire transmission line (twin line), a reflector and 4
directors. Dimensions (lengths and spacings) are indicated on the figure.

ECE,CEC,Benjanapadavu
Microwave and Antennas VII sem 17EC71

The antenna provides a gain of about 10 dBi (maximum) with a bandwidth at half-power of 10
percent. By adjusting lengths and spacings appropriately (tweeking), the dimensions can be
optimized, producing an increase in gain of another decibel.
However, the dimensions are critical. The inherently narrow bandwidth of the Yagi-Uda antenna
can be broadened to 1.5 to 1 by lengthening the reflector to improve operation at low frequencies
and shortening the directors to improve high-frequency operation. However, this is accomplished
at a sacrifice in gain of as much as 5 dB.
Basic Operation
• The driven element is typically a 1⁄2 λ dipole or folded dipole and is the only member of
the structure that is directly excited (electrically connected to the feedline).
• All the other elements are considered parasitic. That is, they reradiate power which they
receive from the driven element.
• The elements are given the correct lengths and spacings so that the radio waves radiated
by the driven element and those re-radiated by the parasitic elements all arrive at the front
of the antenna in-phase, so they superpose and add, increasing signal strength in the
forward direction.
• The crest of the forward wave from the reflector element reaches the driven element just
as the crest of the wave is emitted from that element.
• These waves reach the first director element just as the crest of the wave is emitted from
that element, and so on. The waves in the reverse direction interfere destructively,
cancelling out, so the signal strength radiated in the reverse direction is small.
• Thus, the antenna radiates a unidirectional beam of radio waves from the front (director
end) of the antenna.

ECE,CEC,Benjanapadavu
Microwave and Antennas VII sem 17EC71

The Parabola-General Properties

Figure 5.5 Parabolic Reflectors

Suppose that we have a point source and that we wish to produce a plane-wave front over a large
aperture by means of a sheet reflector. Referring to Fig. 5.5a, it is then required that the distance
from the source to the plane-wave front via path 1 and 2 be equal or

and

This is the equation for the required surface contour. It is the equation of a parabola with the
focus at F.
Referring to Fig. 5.4b, the parabolic curve may be defined as follows. The distance from any
point P on a parabolic curve to a fixed point F, called the focus, is equal to the perpendicular
distance to a fixed line called the directrix.
Thus, in Fig. 5.4c,PF = PQ. Referring now to Fig. 9–18c, let AA’ be a line normal to the axis at
an arbitrary distance QS from the directrix.

ECE,CEC,Benjanapadavu
Microwave and Antennas VII sem 17EC71

Since PS = QS – PQ and PF = PQ, it follows that the distance from the focus to S is

PF + PS = PF + QS − PQ = QS
Thus, a property of a parabolic reflector is that all waves from an isotropic source at the focus
that are reflected from the parabola arrive at a line AA’ with equal phase. The “image” of the
focus is the directrix, and the reflected field along the line AA’ appears as though it originated at
the directrix as a plane wave. The plane BB’(Fig.5.4c) at which a reflector is cut off is called the
aperture plane.

ECE,CEC,Benjanapadavu