BICONICAL TRANSMITTING ANTENNAS, A NUMERICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

We have obtained a general, numerical solution of an ideal biconical transrnitting antenna, with arbitrary arm length and conic angle. We evaluate all necessary spherical functions, including Legendre functions of integer and noninteger degrees, and spherical Hankel functions of integer degrees. Using Schelkunoff s solution, field coefficients appear as an infinite set of unknowns that satisfy a linear equation. We truncate the infinite set at 16; for a 5O antenna the Legendre functions have maximum degree 33.3 in the interior region and 31 in the exterior region. To minimize the error, we discard the last two terms in all field, power, and impedance calculations. Solutions are checked in several ways for consistency, including evaluating and comparing calculated fields across the antenna aperture. Results obtained are input impedance, radiation pattern, all fields including near and far ones, and antenna surface current and charge density. Representative plots of all results are included. [Vol. 5, No. l, pp. 62-93 (l990)]