Investigation of the characteristics of conformal microstrip antennas

• Ralf T. Jacobs ^[1] ; Arnulf Kost ^[1] ; Hajime Igarashi ^[2] ; Alan J. Sangster ^[3]
  1. [1] Brandenburg University of Technology

     Brandenburg University of Technology

     Kreisfreie Stadt Cottbus, Alemania

     
  2. [2] Hokkaido University

     Hokkaido University

     Chūō-ku, Japón

     
  3. [3] Heriot-Watt University

     Heriot-Watt University

     Reino Unido

     

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• Localización: Compel: International journal for computation and mathematics in electrical and electronic engineering, ISSN 0332-1649, Vol. 27, Nº 1, 2008, págs. 110-121
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Purpose – The purpose of this paper is the analysis of the radiation and impedance characteristics of cavity backed patch antennas embedded in a curved surface. Single patch elements and small scale array antennas are considered. The impact of curvature on the performance of the patch antenna is investigated, and the effect of mutual coupling between the elements in an array is examined.

    Design/methodology/approach – A finite element‐boundary integral procedure has been implemented to accurately determine the performance characteristics of the patch radiators on planar and cylindrical surfaces. Simulated results will be shown to be in good agreement with measurements.

    Findings – Mutual coupling effects between array elements are examined and it can be observed that an active element primarily interacts with the nearest neighbour elements. A comparison of an array element with a single patch radiator shows that the mutual coupling effects cause no significant mismatch between a patch and a feed network in practical applications.

    Originality/value – The characteristics of conformal microstrip antennas are investigated for single patch radiators and patch elements in array environments. Simulations are supported by measurements.