Optimization of Planar Phased Arrays for Vehicles

Radar sensors are used for the detection of objects surrounding a vehicle to enable advanced driver assistance systems. Wide angle azimuth field-of-view (FOV) sensor having high angular resolution is beneficial, but presents challenges for low-cost implementation where element-to-element spacing may be larger than one-half wavelength. Irregular placement of array elements in a two-dimensional (2-D) array can achieve low-cost targets, but may generate large sidelobes if done without care. We introduce an optimization method to determine placement of array elements in a vehicular volumetric beam-scanning radar to minimize sidelobe power for typical automotive beam steering angles. Optimization with array constraints is realized using a gradient-based nonlinear programming technique. Optimization is accelerated by extending
uv
-projection planes beyond the unit circle. For a grating lobe-free scan area based on vehicular applications, the azimuth scanning FOV is increased by 11° bidirectionally to
$\pm$
54° compared to a reference triangular grid array with 24 elements. The validity of an antenna design generated using the optimization method is established by a three-dimensional (3-D) electromagnetic wave simulation of a representative optimized array configuration.