Conformal Array Geometry for Hemispherical Coverage

Abstract

Conformal arrays may be a viable solution in many antenna applications requiring a wide angular coverage with sufficiently high directivity values, so it is worth comparing different 2D conformal array geometries to satisfy these requirements. To this end, first, the singular value decomposition (SVD) of the radiation operator is exploited to determine the maximum directivity values an array can reach in the whole observation domain. A numerical study based on the maximum directivity and, hence, on the SVD is then proposed to select the array geometry complying with some given requirements. Therefore, the performances achievable by some array geometries (a semi-circumference, a trapezoidal, and an angle array) are analyzed, and the one assuring a better hemispherical coverage is suggested. Furthermore, such an SVD-based study is usefully exploited to determine which panels of a multi-faceted array must be fed to reach some assigned specifications.