Design For Shaped-beam Of Conformal Arrays

Following the development of antenna arrays, conformal arrays, by their nature, are flush with the surface of aerocraft, missile on which they are mounted. This provides benefits such as visual unobtrusiveness and non-interference with aerodynamic performance and the performance of antenna.The pattern synthesis method for conformal arrays is studied in this dissertation. Firstly, three familiar configurations of antenna arrays are summarized and their pattern functions are analyzed. Two typical pattern synthesis methods are discussed. Secondly, pattern synthesis method for arrays based on adaptive array theory is presented. This method has no restriction on the spatial distribution and directional property of array elements, and can achieve the desired pattern effectively. With this algorithm, the flat top beam patterns of linear arrays and circular arrays are obtained. The pattern of conformal arrays is formed by mathematical transformations of coordinates. The cylindrical conformal arrays model is formed and the pattern's characteristic is received by analysis and simulation. A 3D pattern synthesis method for cylindrical conformal arrays based on adaptive array theory is presented. The values of the weighting function are iterated to minimize the absolute difference between desired and achieved mainlobe patterns and obtain lower desired sidelob levels. With the simulation of cylindrical conformal arrays, the patterns of flat top beam and cosec square beam are gained. At last the adaptive array theory is used to obtain the shaped pattern of sector cylindrical arrays and conical arrays. Example simulation show that the algorithm is effective to achieve mainlobe patterns and lower desired sidelob level of the complicated arrays constituted by arbitrary elements.