Optimized Microwave Multiport Beam-forming Circuit Design for Wideband Applications

This paper presents a practical modeling methodology for wide-band microwave applications on curved surfaces that focuses on the design of the beam-forming network playing a role similar to that of multiport power combiners/splitters. The beam-forming network was developed to provide equal electrical paths from the radiators to the common power receiver. While multiport Wilkinson-like power combiner design methodology are not available for those applications, phase shifting technique and symmetric power splitting devices are utilized to achieve flatter response compared to conventional techniques. Along with the effect of band-widening technique based on curved geometries, the significant flatness improvements of our newly designed microwave beam-forming network. Before that, some fundamentals about power combining and splitting are also given.