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Description
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The objective of this project is to analyze, size and realize a new innovative multifunctional radar architecture for surveillance, security and airport transport applications. Thanks to the contribution of different Small and Medium Companies involved, it will be possible to introduce new sizing and synthesis strategies and advanced realization processes that will allow to realize a multifunction radar in the state of the art for the traffic management and airport surveillance. The reference architectures consists of an antenna with fixed faces, that is an architecture in which the antenna does not rotate as in the traditional case, but has a fixed number of faces assigned to allow coverage of 360°. An architecture of this type can have many advantages in terms of structural stability and data processing, and can introduce additional functionality compared to the traditional rotating architectures.
The real problem of these architectures is that, at least in a first analysis, the overall costs and weight are much higher with respect to the conventional ones that ensure, thanks to the rotation of the radiating system, the same coverage of 360¿. So, while managing to add a set of other functions not considered in traditional architectures, the total effort is not justified given the costs involved.
In order to investigate this problem well, and then provide an answer different from the previous one, the objective of the project is to study innovative architecture (different for size, number and position of radiating elements, number and position of the active controls, etc.) able to provide the necessary specifications (typically allocated in terms of maximum gain, side lobe level, range, number of radiated beams, etc.) while minimizing the overall costs and weight of the structure.
To fulfil the assigned specifications, two types of architectures will be analyze. In the first architecture will be developed and realized "low power" Transmit / Receive (T/R(1)) modules, very efficient and low cost, made of silicon germanium (SiGe). In this solution will be necessary, in order to fulfil the required specifications, to assign a single T/R module for each radiating element, given the small powers of this modules. This will require a regular arrangement (triangular or rectangular grid) of the antenna elements.
On the other hand, in the second architecture will be analyzed a less common solution where the radiating elements are not all connected to a single T/R module (T/R(2)) but are suitably sub-divided into a number of sub-arrays. The shape and the number of these sub-arrays will be optimized for the purposes. This type of solution also leads inevitably to study and realize new "high power" T/R modules in GaN (gallium arsenide) technology through which it is possible to increase the level of the output necessary to group a number of radiating elements into a sub-array. The amplitude control will be inserted at the level of sub-array while the phase control, appropriately realized to minimize the power losses, will be performed element by element and this represents a further innovation.
From a technological point of view, further contribution of the project is to use photonic technologies both for the analog/digital interface and the receiver. Given the huge amount of data to be processed, due to the multifunctionality of the radar to be realized, will be necessary to use high-bandwidth communication channels. The use of optical fibre, in addition to meeting this specification, has other advantages such as immunity from electromagnetic interferences, low loss and low cross-talk.
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Distribution
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Advancement of distribution in %
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Total amount distributed
4,270,879.63 euro
NOP R&C distributed amount
3,685,262.33 euro
PAC distributed amount
0.00 euro
Amount distributed with other funds
585,617.30 euro
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