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PIERS Proceedings, Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA, March 2730, 2012

Performance Evaluation of Three Rectangular Patch Element Array Antenna Conformed on Small Radius Cylindrical Surface
Emad S. Ahmed and Jawad K. Ali Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Technology, Baghdad, Iraq

Abstract The cylindrical geometry can oer certain desirable antenna characteristics that
are not provided by planar elements. In this paper, a three-element cylindrical conformal array antenna has been presented as a candidate for use in wireless communications and Radio Frequency Identication (RFID). Each element in the array is a microstrip fed rectangular patch antenna designed to resonate at 2.4 GHz. Once the desired results were obtained for a single element, each element in the conformal cylindrical array has been then designed using the same dimensions and parameters. Modeling and performance evaluation of the array has been carried out using the commercially available electromagnetic software CST Studio SuiteT M 2009. Simulations have been conducted to study the performance of the proposed conformal array as well as the eects of small radius cylinder on mutual coupling and the radiation pattern of the array. The cylindrical radii in consideration are of about one quarter wavelengths or slightly more. The radius of cylinder used in simulation is taken to be 0.24 and 0.32. Compared with the existing cylindrical conformal antenna, the proposed array antenna possesses a reduction in cylindrical structure radius with acceptable ominidirectionality and gain needed for wireless communications and RFID applications. 1. INTRODUCTION

Miniaturization in the integrated circuit technology and advancement in signal and data processing have opened prospects for wide spectrum of applications which uses densely packed terminals placed in little volume. That is why such applications depend on availability of conformal shaped antennas, ensuring required directions of radio wave propagation and enabling hidden terminal mounting. The range of applications spans from sensors goes through wireless access modes and then up to modern miniaturized spacecraft [1]. One of the most important innovations in modern antenna technology is the conformal antenna array. Conformal arrays have good potential for application in aerospace vehicles with excellent aerodynamic characteristics. Cylindrical antenna arrays have attracted the greatest attention amongst conformal antennas and their applications include mobile cellular base stations, airborne radar and mobile satellite communication terminals [2, 3]. Microstrip antennas are often used because of their thin prole, light weight and low cost. Furthermore, they can be made conformal to the structure. When the radius of the curved structure is large, the antenna can be analyzed as the planar one. However, for structure with smaller radii, more rigorous analysis methods should be used. If the antenna has a cylindrical shape, i.e., if one principal curvature is zero, the antenna can be analyzed as a circular-cylindrical one. In the case were both principal curvatures are dierent from zero, the antenna can be analyzed as a spherical one [4]. The use of cylindrical substrate for microwave design is generally driven by the physical attributes of the system rather than by choice, since the analysis and fabrication are more complicated than for a comparable planar implementation. However, the cylindrical geometry can oer certain desirable antenna characteristics that are not provided by planar elements. There are also variety of congurations that can be realized, for example cylindrical conformal patch and slot antennas [57], microstrip [8], and coplanar transmission lines [9]. Cylindrical conformal structures, with radii greater than one half wavelengths, have been proposed for use as prospective candidates for mobile communications systems, cellular base stations, and Telemetry, Teleranging and Telecommand (TTC) communication that is essential to maintain space missions due to their full eld of view advantage [1, 10, 11]. In this paper, a microstrip fed rectangular patch antenna resonates at 2.4 GHz is considered. The proposed planar patch antenna is used in array consisting of three equally spaced elements. The proposed antenna array is conformed on a nite cylindrical substrate of 1.57 mm thickness and relative permittivity of 2.2. Two dierent radii for the cylindrical structure are simulated using CST Microwave Studio simulator. Results obtained on return loss, coupling between elements and radiation pattern are presented and discussed.

Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium Proceedings, KL, MALAYSIA, March 2730, 2012 1523 2. ANTENNA DESIGN AND CONFIGURAIONS 2.1. Single Element Antenna Structure

The conguration of the rectangular patch antenna is shown in Figure 1(a). The patch has been modeled in CST Studio and its dimensions have been adjusted to resonance at 2.4 GHz. A quarterwave transformer was used to match 343 input impedance to a 50 system. The nal dimensions of the entire microstrip patch are given in Table 1. Figure 1(b) shows the return loss response of the patch element antenna. It can be clearly indicated that the antenna was resonates at 2.4 GHz with return loss of less than 10 dB within 40 MHz bandwidth.
2.2. The Proposed Conformal Antenna Array Structure

Three patch elements were equally spaced on cylindrical substrate. The substrate material used for modeling has a thickness of 1.57 mm. The dielectric constant of the substrate is r = 2.2. The conductive material in the model is of 70.0 m thick copper. The radius of the cylinder is comparable to one quarter wavelength and the height is H = 90 mm. Inside the cylinder there is a
2 0 -2 -4
Return Loss, S11(dB)

-6 -8 -10 -12 -14 -16 -18 2 2.2 2.4 2.6 Frequency, GHz 2.8 3

(a)

(b)

Figure 1: (a) The layout of single element patch antenna structure, and (b) is its return loss S11 (dB) response for single element patch antenna.

Figure 2: A 3-D view of the modeled 3-element array. Table 1: Antenna dimensions in mm. W 60 W2 0.72 L 88 L2 24.05 W1 41.08 W3 4.84 L1 39.03 L3 15

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PIERS Proceedings, Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA, March 2730, 2012

continuous ground plane of 70.0 m thick copper. The model of the antenna array taken from the simulation software is shown in Figure 2.
3. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

The cylindrical structure of Figure 2 has been modeled through a commercially available nite element package CST Studio Suite. Cylinders with radii 30 and 40 mm (0.24 and 0.32) have been analyzed while keeping the rest of the antenna parameters xed. The simulation results of return loss of all of the ports of the array and the coupling among the antenna elements are shown in Figure 3. From Figure 3, its clearly observed that the coupling between elements for 30 mm (0.24) radius cylinder is about 1 dB, while for cylinder of 40 mm (0.32) radius, the coupling is less than 18 dB. The small radius of the cylinder results in decreasing the spacing between the elements so the mutual coupling between elements is increased. Simulated radiation patterns at 2.4 GHz for single element and 3-element array are illustrated in Figure 4. The radiation patterns are signicantly aected. In the elevation direction, the radiation pattern
10 0 -10
Return Loss, dB

10 0

Return Loss, dB

-20 -30 -40 -50 -60

S11 S22 S33 S21 S31 S32

-10 -20 -30 -40 -50 -60

S11 S22 S33 S21 S31 S32

R=30 mm
-70 -80 2 2.2 2.4 2.6 frequency, GHz 2.8 3

-70 -80 -90 2 2.2

R=40 mm

2.4 2.6 Frequency, GHz

2.8

Figure 3: Simulated coupling of the 3-element array conformed on cylinders with radii of 30 mm (0.24) and 40 mm (0.32).

E plane

H plane

E plane

H plane

(a)

(b)

Figure 4: Radiation patterns: (a) for element in cylindrical array, the radius of cylinder is R = 30 mm (0.24) and (b) radius of cylinder is R = 40 mm (0.32).

Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium Proceedings, KL, MALAYSIA, March 2730, 2012 1525

is strongly dependant on the cylinder radius but much less so in the azimuth direction. The E plane (E ) and H plane (H ) elds, depicted in the gure, reveal that they still have an acceptable quasi ominidirectional radiation pattern.
4. CONCLUSION

This paper presents detailed performance evaluation concepts of a three rectangular patch element conformal antenna arrays. There are few issues that should be taken into consideration when designing such antennas. Firstly the curvature of the cylindrical array aects the radiation pattern of the antenna and the optimal radius should be found depending on the application on hand. Secondly the spacing between elements is very important to consider as it aects the level of mutual coupling in the array. An acceptable mutual coupling was obtained for cylinder radius greater than one quarter wavelength. The result shows that the resonant frequency is not aected by curvature however the radiation patterns are signicantly aected. The radiation pattern in the elevation direction is strongly dependant on the cylinder radius but much less so in the azimuth direction. Simulation results shows that the proposed array antenna possesses an acceptable ominidirectional radiation pattern needed for most wireless communications and RFID applications.
REFERENCES

1. Pawel, K., O. Przemyslaw, and H. Pawel, TTC patch antennas made in a conformal form with small radius, Proceeding of Eu CAP 2006, Nice, France, Nov. 610, 2006. 2. Wang, Q. and Q.-Q. He, An arbitrary conformal array pattern synthesis method that includes mutual coupling and platform eects, Progress In Electromagnetics Research, Vol. 110, 297 311, 2010. 3. Josefsson, L. and P. Persson, Conformal Array Antenna Theory and Design, Wiley-Inter Science, 2006. 4. Niksa, B. and S. Zvonimir, Radiation properties of spherical and cylindrical rectangular microstrip patch antennas, Automatika Journal, Vol. 43, No. 12, 6974, 2002. 5. Jain-Ming, J., J. A. Berrie, R. Kipp, and S. Lee, Calculation of radiation patterns of microstrip antennas on cylindrical bodies of arbitrary cross section, IEEE Transaction, Antennas and Wave Propagation, Vol. 45, No. 1, 126132, 6. Ho, C. H., P. K. Shmaker, K. Smith, and J. W. Liao, Printed cylindrical slot antenna for commercial applications, Electronic Letters, Vol. 32, No. 3, 151153, 1996. 7. Pirai, M. and H. R. Hassani, L-probe fed circular polarized wideband planar patch antenna on cylindrical structure, Progress In Electromagnetics Research C, Vol. 3, 161167, 2008. 8. Huang, J., R. Vahldieck, and H. Jin, Microstrip discontinuities on cylindrical surfaces, IEEE MTT-S Symposium, Vol. 3, 12991302, Jun. 1993. 9. Su, H. and K. Wong, Dispersion characteristics of cylindrical coplanar waveguides, IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory and Techniques, Vol. 44, No. 11, 21202122, 1996. 10. Ning, Y., S. Y. Tat, N. Xiao-Chun, and L. Le-Wei, Analysis of probe-fed conformal microstrip antennas on nite grounded substrate, IEE Trans. Ant. and Propag., Vol. 54, No. 2, 554562, 2006. 11. Geng, J. P., J. J. Li, R. H. Jin, S. Ye, X. L. Liang, and M. Z. Li, The development of curved microstrip antenna with defected ground structure, Progress In Electromagnetics Research, Vol. 98, 5373, 2009.