ARRAYANTENNAS

INTRODUCTION

The radiation pattern of a single element is relatively wide, and each element provides low values of
directivity (gain). In many applications, it is necessary to design antennas with very directive
characteristics (very high gains) to meet the demands of long-distance communication. This can only be
accomplished by increasing the electrical size of the antenna.

Note: Higher directivity is the basic requirement in point-to-point communication, radars and space
applications.

Enlarging the dimensions of single elements often leads to more directive characteristics. Another way to
enlarge the dimensions of the antenna, without necessarily increasing the size of the individual elements,
is to form an assembly of radiating elements in an electrical and geometrical configuration. This new
antenna, formed by multielement, is referred to as an array. Inmost cases, the elements of an array are
identical. The individual elements of an array may be of any form (wires, apertures, etc.).

Thus, antenna array can be defined as the system of similar antennas directed to get required high
directivity in the desired direction.

The total field of the array is determined by the vector addition of the fields radiated by the individual
elements. The individual element is generally called element of an antenna array.

The antenna array is said to be linear if the elements of the antenna array are equally spaced along a
straight line. The linear antenna array is said to be uniform linear array if all the elements are fed with a
current of equal magnitude with progressive uniform phase shift along the line.

In an array of identical elements, there are at least five controls that can be used to shapethe overall
pattern of the antenna. These are:

• The geometrical configuration of the overall array (linear, circular, rectangular, spherical, etc.)
• The relative displacement between the elements
• The excitation amplitude of the individual elements
• The excitation phase of the individual elements
• The relative pattern of the individual elements

Various forms of the antenna array are used as radiating systems. They are;

i. Broadside Array (BSA) ii. End-Fire Array (EFA)

iii. Collinear Array iv. Parasitic Array

1
Broadside Array (BSA)

The broadside array is the array of antennas in which all the elements are placed parallel to each other and
the direction of maximum radiation is always perpendicular to the plane consisting elements.A typical
arrangement of a Broadside array is as shown in Figure 1

A broadside array consists number of identical antennas placed parallel to each other along a straight line.
This straight line is perpendicular to the axis of individual antenna. It is known as axis of antenna array.
Thus each element is perpendicular to the axis of antenna array.

All the individual antennas are spaced equally along the axis of antenna array. The spacing between any
two elements is denoted by ′𝑑′. All the elements are fed with currents with equal magnitude and same
phase. As the maximum radiation is directed in broadside direction i.e. perpendicular to the line of axis of
array, the radiation pattern for the broadside array is bidirectional.

Thus, broadside array can be defined as the arrangement of antennas in which maximum radiation is in
the direction perpendicular to the axis of array and plane containing the elements of array.

Figure 1: Broadside array

End-Fire Array (EFA)

The end fire array is very much similar to the broadside array from the point of view of arrangement. But
the main difference is in the direction of maximum radiation. In broadside array, the direction of the
maximum radiation is perpendicular to the axis of array; while in the end fire array, the direction of the
maximum radiation is along the axis of array.

Thus, in the end fire array number of identical antennas are spaced equally along a line. All the antennas
are fed individually with currents of equal magnitudes but their phases vary progressively along the line
to get entire arrangement unidirectional finally. i.e. maximum radiation along the axis of array as shown
in Figure 2

Thus, end fire array can be defined as an array with direction of maximum radiation coincides with the
direction of the axis of array to get unidirectional radiation.

2
 Figure 2 end fire array

Collinear array

As the name indicates, in the collinear array, the antennas are arranged co-axially i.e. the antennas are
arranged end to end along, a single line as shown in Figure 3 (a) and (b).

Figure 3 Collinear array

The individual elements in the collinear array are fed with currents equal in magnitude and phase. This
condition is similar to the broadside array. In collinear array the direction of maximum radiation is
perpendicular to the axis of array.

So the radiation pattern of the collinear array and the broadside array is very much similar but the
radiation pattern of the collinear array has circular symmetry with main lobe perpendicular everywhere to
the principle axis. Thus the collinear array is also called omni directional array or broadcast array.

The gain of the collinear array is maximum if the spacing between the elements is of the order of 0.3 λ to
0.5 λ.

Parasitic array

In order to overcome feeding problems of the antenna, sometimes, the elements of the array are fed
through the radiation from the nearby element. The array of antennas in which the parasitic elements get
the power through electromagnetic coupling with driven element which is in proximity with the parasitic
element is known as parasitic array.

3
The simplest form of the parasitic array consists one driven element and one parasitic element. In
multielement parasitic array, there may be one or more driving elements and also one or more parasitic
elements. So in general the multielement parasitic array is the array with at least one driven element and
one or more parasitic elements. The common example of the parasitic array with linear half wave dipoles
as elements of array is Yagi-Uda array or simply Yagi antenna.

The amplitude and the phase of the current induced in the parasitic element depends on the spacing
between the driven element and parasitic element. To make the radiation pattern unidirectional, the
relative phases of the currents are changed by adjusting the spacing between the elements. This is called
tuning of array. For a spacing between the driven and parasitic element equal to 𝜆/4 and phase difference
of 𝜋/2 radian, unidirectional radiation pattern is obtained.

Yagi Uda Antenna

Yagi-Uda arrays or Yagi-Uda antennas are high gain antennas.A basic Yagi-Uda antenna consists a
driven element, one reflector and one or more directors. Basically, it is an array of one driven element and
one of more parasitic elements. The driven element is a folded dipole made of a metallic rod which is
excited. A Yagi-Uda antenna uses both the reflector (𝑅) and the director (𝐷) elements in same antenna.
The element at the back side of the driven element is the reflector. It is of the larger length compared with
remaining elements. The element in front of the driven element is the director which is of lowest length.
Directors and reflector are called parasitic elements. All the elements are placed parallel and close to each
other as shown in Figure 4. The length of the folded dipole is about 𝜆/2 and it is at resonance. Length of
the director is less than 𝜆/2 and length of the reflector is greater than 𝜆/2. The parasitic element receive
excitation through the induced e.m.f. as current flows in the driven element. The phase and amplitude of
the currents through the parasitic elements mainly depends on the length of the elements and spacing
between the elements. To vary reactance of any element, the dimensions of the elements are readjusted.
Generally, the spacing between the driven and the parasitic elements is kept nearly 0.1 𝜆 to 0.15 𝜆.

4
Working of Yagi Antenna:

The parasitic element is used either to direct or to reflect, the radiated energy forming compact
directional antenna. If the parasitic element is greater than length 𝜆/2, (i.e. reflector) then it is inductive in
nature. Hence the phase of the current in such element lags the induced voltage. If the parasitic element is
less than resonant length 𝜆/2 (i.e. director), then it is capacitive in nature. Hence the current in director
leads the induced voltage. The directors add the fields of the driven element in the direction away from
the driven element. If more than one director is used, then each director will excite the next. To increase
the gain of the Yagi-Uda antenna, the number of directors is increased in the beam direction. To get good
excitation, the elements are closely spaced. The driven element radiates from front to rear (i.e., from
reflector to director). Part of this radiation induces currents in the parasitic elements which reradiate
almost all radiations. With the proper lengths of the parasitic elements and the spacing between the
elements, the backward radiation is cancelled and the radiated energy is added in front.

Applications of Yagi Antenna:

• Yagi-Uda array is the most popular antenna for the reception of terrestrial television signals in the VHF
band (30 MHz-300 MHz).

• The array for this application is constructed using aluminium pipes.

• The driven element is usually a folded dipole, which gives four times the impedance of a standard
dipole.

• Thus, a two-wire balanced transmission line having a characteristic impedance of 300 𝛺 can be directly
connected to the input terminals of the Yagi-Uda array.

• Yagi-Uda arrays have been used in the HF, VHF, UHF, and microwave frequency bands.