Electrically Conformal Antenna Array With Planar Multipole Structure for 2-D Wide Angle Beam Steering

Abstract

Electrically conformal antenna arrays (ECAA) for 2-dimensional (2-D) beamforming configured by wide beamwidth multipole radiation elements are proposed. Unlike the conventional conformal antenna array with physically curved shape, the proposed arrays are planar structures with wideangle beam steering. The wide range of beam steering with a low gain variation allows the planar array structure to achieve the electrically conformal phased array patterns. In order to verify the ECAA concept, two different types of ECAA in a 1x8 configuration using planar multipole antenna elements were fabricated at 5.8 GHz and compared to the conventional patch array. Each multipole element had halfpower-beamwidth (HPBW) wider than 110° at both E-and H-planes with the maximum HPBW of 175°. The first type of ECAA showed a measured peak gain of 10.8 dBi with a measured half power steering angle of 155° while maintaining a side lobe level (SLL) less than-10 dB. Further, the second ECAA showed a measured peak gain of 12.8 dBi with a measured half power steering angle of 144° while keeping the SLL less than-10 dB. These scan angles of the first and second types were extended about 66.7% and 54.8%, respectively from the conventional patch array with the same size. Lastly, two types of 8x8 array modules for 2-D beam steering were verified at 5.8 GHz and the first type showed a maximum peak gain of 21.0 dBi. Further, the 2-D half power steering angles in E-and H-planes of the second type were about 145° and 137°, respectively. INDEX TERMS Beamforming, electrically conformal antenna array (ECAA), phased array antenna, multipole antenna, wide angle 2-D beam steering

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