Gain enhancement of reconfigurable conformal antenna array

In this paper, high gain beam-switching conformal antenna array is presented. Compared with the conventional multibeam array for wider range of coverage, an improved schematic is developed by combing switches and phase shifter, with regard to any curved antenna array that takes form into a specific surface. Multi adjacent sub-arrays should be selected together with phase compensation to provide one beam because the relative positions among these sub-arrays are quite different and play a key role on the array pattern function fa. Improved gain of the reconfigurable conformal array can be realized. A X-band arced array with 4 sub-arrays is simulated and measured. Four sub-arrays are selected to provide one beam, which enhance the gain of each beam by 1.2dB-1.5dB and 2dB-2.4dB compared with lack of phase compensation and two sub-arrays selected, respectively. Besides, differences between measured and simulated results lie between 0.53dB-1.6dB, which may be explained by the accuracy of feeding system.