Design and Analysis of Multibeam Conformal X-Band Patch Array Antenna

This paper introduces a procedure for designing and testing a conformal array of microstrip radiators. The design procedure for a rectangular patch antenna at 9 GHz is briefly discussed. Next, a total of three patch antennas are designed on the same substrate, separated by a distance of roughly twice the radiation center frequency wavelength. The planar array is then bent to a specified radius to create a conformal array, and its beam pattern is predicted using an analytical model originally developed for open waveguide radiators. Lastly, the array is placed onto a 3D printed structure and excited by the corporate feed microstrip beamforming network.