Date of Award:

12-2012

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Committee Chair(s)

Reyhan Baktur

Committee

Reyhan Baktur

Committee

Edmund Spencer

Committee

Jake Gunther

Abstract

This work presented the design of a single antenna structure that can perform the functions of about four antennas. The antenna is to be applied on a new kind of very tiny satellites. These satellites are called CubeSats. In contrast to an ordinary antenna that works at a single frequency band, the antenna designed will be able to work at about three different usable frequencies. In addition, it will be possible to make the waves emitted by the antenna to have multiple senses of rotation or no rotation at all. The multiple functional capability of the antenna will lead to a satellite communication system with enhanced capacity. The antenna presented is based on a class of antennas called slot antennas. Slot antennas are complementary to the popular wire antennas found in many appliances. The wire antenna is a solid conductor hanging in free space, the slot antenna is a thin rectangular space cut out of a thin sheet of conductor. The slot antenna, because of its planar shape, can be easily integrated with a satellite in such a way that solar cells for satellite power generation can be placed side by side with the antenna without the two disturbing each other. In the realization of the multifunctional antenna, already established ideas on the slot antenna were further developed and combined together. This antenna was initally developed using computer software and then manufactured for demonstration.

Checksum

99dd46e83e73837b89d2e6624f60cadd

Download

Share

COinS

Copyright for this work is retained by the student. If you have any questions regarding the inclusion of this work in the Digital Commons, please email us at .