Phased array antenna technology for weather radar applications

The technical requirements of a weather radar antenna with an electronic elevation scan are presented. A solution which could replace the conventional reflector antenna is outlined. The antenna will still be mechanically rotated in azimuth. In elevation the mechanical movement is completely replaced by electronic beam steering, or a combination of mechanical and electronic scanning is used. The proposed design is chosen so as to minimize the technical risks. The basic design is drawn from previous phased array antenna programs using 1D scanning with slotted waveguide arrays in the S-, C-, and X-bands. Savings are possible by minimizing the number of phase shifters, relaxing phase shifter requirements, and by introducing temperature control and a simple beam control system.