Abstract
This work presents design and fabrication processes for creating statically gain-reconfigurable conformal patch array antennas. In our previous work, a fully printable and conformal antenna array on a flexible substrate with a new Left-Handed Transmission Line (LHTL) phase shifter based on a Barium Strontium Titanate (BST)/polymer composite was computationally studied for radiation pattern correction and beam steering applications. In this work, additive manufacturing techniques were used to experimentally demonstrate the phase compensation needed to improve the degraded performance of the conformal arrays. An Aerosol Jet direct-write printer was used to print several patch antenna arrays and was tested in an anechoic chamber to establish baseline gain metrics. Once a baseline is established, a high dielectric constant material (BST nano-ink) was dispensed onto the IDCs in several configurations, to provide the necessary phase compensation. The antennas were retested and the changes in their gain profiles were investigated. The findings of this work and the proposed method allow for gain compensation of curved conformal antennas and post-production modification of the radiation pattern of antenna arrays. This work has potential applications in the automotive industry due to the low cost of production and the ability to be integrated onto curved conformal surfaces without interfering with super structure or other mechanical design related criteria.
Hybrid Beamforming for Large Antenna Arrays With Phase Shifter Selection