Frequency reconfigurable self-adapting conformal array for changing surfaces

Conformal antennas placed on complex surfaces are receiving more attention as a method to increase the coverage of modern wireless communication systems. Furthermore, frequency reconfigurable antennas are being used in the development of multi-band multi-radio wireless platforms to simplify designs. In this study, theoretical development and a new 1 × 4 frequency reconfigurable self-adapting conformal antenna array that can be attached to changing conformal surfaces is presented. This conformal array consists of four reconfigurable microstrip patch antenna elements, a reconfigurable sensor circuit used to measure the curvature of the conformal surface and voltage controlled phase shifters. These phase shifters are controlled by the reconfigurable sensing circuit to implement phasecompensation to autonomously recover the pattern in both bands of the reconfigurable 1 × 4 array as the wedge- and cylindrical-shaped surface on which the array is attached upon change in shape. Throughout this study, analytical computations, simulations and measurements are compared and shown to agree.