Novel Tuned Rectangular Patch Antenna as a Load for Phase Power Combining

Abstract

Wireless communication systems have advanced significantly from the simple components. Guglielmo Marconi used to transmit radio signals across the Atlantic Ocean at the turn of the 20th century. Today, mobile and satellite communications permeate all aspects of our lives. The number of mobile and cellular phones has skyrocketed in recent years while satellite communication traffics including international telephone calls and DBS-TV (direct broadcast satellite television) has also increased substantially. Commercial cellular and PCS mobile communications [1] currently occupy the 800 MHz-2 GHz spectral region. Military and commercial satellite communications [2] including voice, data, and DBS-TV operate at higher frequencies ranging from 4-30 GHz, and are moving up higher to 60 GHz and beyond in order to facilitate higher data rates and a wider range of services. While the initial technological achievements in both mobile and satellite communications were geared to provide reliable service with wide functionality, there is a current focus on lowering the cost of service while maintaining superior quality. One of the main approaches to reducing system and operating costs is the conservation of system power resources and minimization of power wasted as heat. Of the approximately 250W of power produced by the solar-cell arrays on a typical satellite, more than 125W is dissipated as heat due to inefficient operation of the transmitter power amplifiers [2].