FEDERAL TVET INSTITUTE

Advanced Antennas Systems (ECT-534)

Chapter Three
Antenna Arrays

By: Dr. Habib Mohammed (Ass. Professor)

Antenna Arrays
Outline:
· Introduction

· Two Element Array

· N-Element Linear Array

· Design Procedure

· Superdirectivity

· Planar Array

· Circular Array

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Introduction

· The requirement for very directive antenna (for long distance

communications, for example) cannot be accomplished by
the single element antennas as their radiation pattern is
relatively wide.

· The directivity can be increased by increasing the

dimensions of the radiating aperture compared to the
wavelength (λ).

· This approach leads to mechanical problem and also difficult

from fabrication point of view.

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Introduction……

· Another way to increase the electrical size of an antenna is

to arrange several antennas in space and interconnect to
produce a directional radiation pattern.

· Such a configuration of multiple radiating elements to

synthesize radiation characteristics is referred to as an array
antenna.

· Usually, the array elements are identical for simpler design

and fabrication. Nowadays, antenna arrays are becoming
increasingly important in wireless communications.

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Introduction……

Advantages of using antenna array:

1. In an array, provisions can be made to make the fields

from individual elements interfere constructively in some
directions and cancel in some other directions.

2. They can provide the capability of a steerable beam

(radiation direction change)

3. They can provide a high gain (array gain) by using simple

antenna elements

4. They provide a diversity gain in multipath signal reception.

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Introduction……

· There are several design variables that can be used to

achieve the overall pattern of the array including:

a. The geometrical configuration of the overall array

(linear, circular, spherical, rectangular, etc.)

b. The relative placement of the elements

c. The excitation amplitude of the individual elements

d. The excitation phase of each element.

e. The relative pattern of the individual elements

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Two Element Array

· Let us assume, that two infinitesimal horizontal dipole

antennas positioned along the z-axis as shown below.

Fig. Two element antenna array

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Two Element Array……

· The total field of the array is determined by the vector

addition of the fields radiated by the individual elements.

· The electric field pattern in the y-z plane for one element is
given by:

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Two Element Array……

· The total field from the two elements is given by:

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Two Element Array……

Fig. Far-field observation

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Two Element Array……

· The far field approximation of this two element array

problem can be given by:

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Two Element Array……

· Then the total field radiated by the array can be expressed

as:

· The total field of the array is equal to the product of the field
created by a single element located at the origin and a factor
which is called the array factor (AF).
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Two Element Array……

· Thus, for a two element array of constant amplitude, the

array factor is:

· The normalized AF is expressed as:

· So, the far field of a uniform two element array of identical

elements can be expressed as:

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Two Element Array……

· The concept described in the above equation is called

pattern multiplication and it is valid for arrays with any
number of identical elements. So each array has its own
array factor.

· The total pattern, therefore, can be controlled via the

single-element pattern or via the AF.

· The array factor (AF) of an array can be obtained by

replacing the actual elements with isotropic sources.

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Two Element Array……

· The AF, in general, depends on:

ü Number of elements

ü Relative excitation (magnitudes and phases)

ü Spacing between the elements

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Two Element Array……

Example-1:

Obtain the pattern of two isotropic point sources with

identical amplitude and phase currents, and spaced
one-half wavelength apart.

Solution:

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Two Element Array……

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Two Element Array……

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Two Element Array……

Example-2:

Obtain the pattern of two isotropic point sources with

identical amplitude and opposite phase currents, and
spaced one-half wavelength apart.

Solution:

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Two Element Array……

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Two Element Array……

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Two Element Array……

Example-3:

Obtain the pattern of two isotropic point sources with

identical amplitude and in phase quadrate currents, and
spaced

i. one-half wavelength

ii. quarter wavelength apart

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Two Element Array……

Solution:

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Two Element Array……

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Two Element Array……

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Two Element Array……

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Two Element Array……

Example-4: (Principle of Pattern Multiplication)

An array consists of two horizontal dipoles located along

z-axis at one-half wavelength apart. If the excitation
magnitudes and phases are same, then obtain the shape
of the radiation pattern.

Solution:

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Two Element Array……

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Two Element Array……

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N - Element Array……

Uniform array:

· A uniform array is an array of identical elements with

identical current magnitudes and uniform spacing.

· The basic configuration for elements in an array is linear.

· Linear arrays are used widely in practice and their

operating principle can be used to understand more
complex array geometry.

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N - Element Array……

· The basic array antenna model consists of two parts, the

pattern of one of the elements by itself, called the element
pattern and the pattern of the array with actual elements
replaced by isotropic sources, the array factor.

· The total pattern of the array is the product of the element

pattern and the array factor.

· The array factor corresponding to linear array is found by

replacing the each element by isotropic source radiators,
but retaining the element location and excitations.

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N - Element Array……

· The field of an isotropic radiator located at origin may be

written as:

· It is assumed that the elements of the array are uniformly-

spaced with a separation distance of d.

· The current magnitudes of the array elements are assumed

to be equal and the current on the antenna element located
at the origin is used as the phase reference (zero phase).
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N - Element Array……

Fig. N-element array

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N - Element Array……

· The far fields of individual elements are:

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N - Element Array……

· The overall array far-field is found, using superposition as:

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N - Element Array……

· A uniform array is defined by uniformly spaced identical

elements of equal magnitude with linearly progressive
phase from element to element.

· The progressive phase is the phase by which the current in

each element leads the current of the preceding element.

· The array factor can be obtained by considering the

elements to be point sources.

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N - Element Array……

· The phase of the current associated with each element of

an uniform array is:

· Inserting this linear phase progression into the formula for

the general N element array, the array factor can be
expressed as:

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N - Element Array……

· The function  is defined as the array phase function and

is a function of the element spacing, phase shift, frequency
and elevation angle.

Array Factor Analysis:

· From the above equation, we have:

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N - Element Array……

· Here, N gives the location of the last element with respect

to the reference point, in steps of length d.
 N 1 
 
· The phase factor e  2  is not important unless the array
output signal is further combined with the output signal of
another antenna.

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N - Element Array……

· It represents the phase shift of the array’s phase center

relative to the origin, and it would be identically equal to
one if the origin were to coincide with the array center.

· Neglecting the phase factor gives:

· To normalize the array factor, we can re-write the above

equation as:

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N - Element Array……

· In the above equation, the function inside the square

bracket is similar to the following function:

· This function has maxima at 0, π, ... and the value of this

maximum is 1. So the maximum value of AF is N. Thus, the
normalized AF can be expressed as:

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N - Element Array……

· For small values of ψ, the above expression can be

approximated as:

Nulls of the AF:

· To find the nulls of the array factor, the normalized AF

equation is set to zero.

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N - Element Array……

· So angles where the nulls appear is given by:

· When n = 0,N, 2N, 3N..., the AF attains the maximum

values. The values of n determine the order of the nulls.

· For a null to exist, the argument of the arccosine must be

between –1 and +1. Thus, the number of nulls that can exist
will be a function of the element separation d and the phase
excitation difference β.
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N - Element Array……

Maxima of the AF:

· Maxima of the AF is determined in order to know the

maximum directivity and the direction of maximum
radiation.

· The maximum values of the AF occur when

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N - Element Array……

Maxima of the AF:

· Maxima of the AF is determined in order to know the

maximum directivity and the direction of maximum
radiation.

· The maximum values of the AF occur when

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N - Element Array……

· The above equation has a single real valued solution:

· Secondary maxima occur when:

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N - Element Array……

Broadside and End-fire Arrays:

· The phasing of uniform linear array elements may be

chosen such that the main lobe of the array pattern lies
along the array axis (end-fire array) or normal to the array
axis (broad side array).

Broadside Arrays:

· An array is referred to as a broadside array when it has its

maximum radiation in the direction perpendicular to that of
axis of the array i.e.   90 0
.

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N - Element Array……

· For optimum performance, both the element factor and the

AF, should have their maxima at   90 0
.

· The maximum of the array factor occurs when the array

phase function is zero i.e.

· For a broadside array, in order for the above equation to be

satisfied with   90 , the phase angle must be zero i.e. all
0

elements of the array must be driven with the same phase.

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N - Element Array……

Example:

Find the pattern of a broadside array of 4 isotropic point

sources of the same amplitude and phase. Spacing
between the sources is λ/2.

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N - Element Array……

Solution:

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N - Element Array……

Fig. Polar plot a broadside array of 4 isotropic point sources

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N - Element Array……

End-fire Arrays:

· End-fire arrays may be designed to focus the main beam of

the array factor along the axis of the array.

· It may be required that the array radiates only in one

direction, i.e., either   0 0 or   180 0 .

· The maximum of the array factor occurs when the array

phase function is zero i.e.

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 The End!

Any
Question?

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