Therefore, the slotted waveguide is recommended. The large size of the transmitting antenna dictates that it be split into many subarrays, or sections, so that errors due to mechanical distortion can be corrected. In the study to determine the optimum size of the antenna array, the possibility of separating one large antenna into many small ones - all of which would equal the area of the large antenna - was explored. (The concept is known as the "cloud concept" in which the large antenna is split into many small antennas, each physically separate from the other and each antenna having its own solar collectors, its own distribution system and its own structural support). If the antenna could be split into many independent elements, the solar sollectors could be smaller, the DC power distribution system less complex, and the transportation and manufacturing problems would be reduced. In order to determine the prospects of using this multiple antenna "cloud concept", a comparison was made with the single antenna approach. Where n is the aperture taper efficiency. A is area of radiating antenna. For most aperture tapers 85-95 percent of radiated power is within the main beam. In this configuration, the array does not exhibit high sidelobes. The antenna pattern is a result of the product of a subarray pattern and an array factor as shown in Figure IV-C-1-2. The array factor has high sidelobes (known as grating lobes) due to the wide spacing of the subarrays, but
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