Linear Pattern Correction Technique for Compensating the Effects of Mutual Coupling and Deformation in Wedge-Shaped Conformal Antenna Arrays

Abstract

In this paper, the effects of mutual coupling and antenna surface deformity in a conformal wedgeshaped antenna array are compensated using a linear pattern correction technique. The problem is formulated to reduce the absolute distance between the actual (simulated) and the desired radiation patterns and to allow for null positioning control. The individual field patterns for the antenna elements are deformed due to changes in mutual coupling and the conformal surface. The deformed patterns of the individual antennas for specific bend angles are stored as lookup tables and interpolated to get the desired radiation pattern at any arbitrary bend-angle. The problem is linearly and quadratically constrained at the null points and performance compared with unconstrained optimization. The proposed solution for diminishing the effect of mutual coupling and surface deformity is independent of main lobe direction, type of individual antenna, array geometry, and spacing between antenna elements. The closed-form results are validated through Computer Simulation Technology (CST) for the wedge-shaped deformed dipole antenna array. The results for the proposed scheme are also assessed with the traditional Open Circuit Voltage Method (OCVM) and show superior compensation for deformity and the mutual coupling effects in conformal beam-forming arrays in terms of main beam direction, position and depth of nulls.