Final Presentation Completion: Disruptive High Efficiency Power Supplies for Active Antennas

Last Updated: 28/10/2025 08:58     Created at: 28/10/2025 08:58

On September 11, 2025, Airbus & CRISA presented the results of NAVISP project EL2-094 project “Antenna Power Regulator (APR)”.

The project aimed to develop a high-efficiency, modular power regulation system for feeding RF Power Amplifiers in Active Antennas. The APR was designed to meet demanding requirements for current control, redundancy, and power density, supporting future satellite payloads and antenna systems.

The system was designed, simulated, and validated through rigorous testing and analysis, including:

              • Development of a modular architecture with bidirectional converters

              • Evaluation of electrical and thermal performance under operational conditions

              • Simulation of redundancy and telemetry acquisition scenarios

              • Assessment of mechanical constraints and safety interfaces

Key results include:

              • Feasibility of APR with up to 50V / 8A per converter and 97.8% efficiency

              • Use of EEE COTS + GaN switches to reduce size and cost while increasing power density

              • Successful functional and safety testing, with minor redesigns needed for telemetry

              • Identification of mass and dimension challenges for future iterations

              • Clear roadmap toward MVPSU Mk-1 and Mk-2 productization, integrating APR with other building blocks (ISO, CBUS, APD)

The project was co-funded by NAVISP Element 2, which supports the competitiveness of PNT technologies in partnership with European industry. The slides of the final presentation can be found here.