Synthesis of Broadside Linear Aperiodic Arrays With Sidelobe Suppression and Null Steering Using Whale Optimization Algorithm

In this letter, a new optimization algorithm named whale optimization algorithm (WOA) is introduced and applied to the synthesis of uniformly excited broadside linear aperiodic arrays with sidelobe suppression and null steering under constraints on beamwidth requirements. Three design examples of pattern synthesis have been chosen to illustrate the effectiveness and superiority of WOA when compared to synthesis techniques described in the literature. The results show that the WOA achieves lowest maximum sidelobe level combined with deepest null depth level with narrow first null beamwidth relative to other state-of-the-art algorithms. The WOA results and convergence tests demonstrate superior applicability of this novel optimization algorithm.