The high-power radial line helical circular array antenna: Theory and development

The High-power radial line helical circular array antenna is a novel antenna developed to realize directional radiation of high-power microwaves. This kind of antenna uses short helical antenna as its radiation element, and uses radial line as its feeding waveguide. New probes that can be fixed directly on the radial waveguide (without the need for medium support) are used to couple energy from the radial waveguide to the radiation elements. The design theory of this antenna is proposed, the pertinent designs are derived, and the performances of three principal antenna prototypes, including 3-circle 36-element double-layer array, 3-circle 36-element single-layer array and 3-circle 48-element double-layer array, are presented. The simulated and measured results prove that this kind of antenna has a high efficiency, a compact structure, and a notable power-handling capacity.