Efficient Design and Simulation of LPDA-Fed Parabolic Reflector Antennas

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Log-Periodic Dipole Array (LPDA) fed parabolic reflector antennas serve high-gain broadband applications such as satellite communication, radio astronomy, and wideband radar, where constant performance over wide frequency ranges is essential. Despite nearly seven decades of research since the pioneering work of DuHamel and Ore in 1958, the synthesis and analysis of these antennas remain complex, requiring the tuning of many parameters across broad bandwidths. Traditional simulation approaches — combining Method of Moments for the LPDA with physical optics for the reflector — cannot account for mutual coupling between the feed and dish, and break down when support struts or electrically large reflectors are involved. This white paper presents an advanced full-wave simulation methodology using higher order basis functions that reduces unknowns by an order of magnitude compared to conventional MoM, demonstrates a practical three-step design strategy from stand-alone feed optimization through full antenna integration, and provides validated results for reflector diameters ranging from 24.2 λ to 242 λ with bandwidth ratios of 10:1 — all executed on standard desktop hardware with CPU/GPU acceleration.