Antenna Arrays

Arrays of point sources, field of two isotropic point

sources, principle of pattern multiplication, linear
arrays of ‘n’ isotropic point sources. Array factor,
Grating lobes.DesignofBroadside,End fire
andDolph Chebyshevarrays. Concept of Phase
array
• Usually a single element provides wide radiation and low
directivity (gain).
• In many applications it is necessary to design antennas with very
directive characteristics to meet the demands of long distance
communication.
• Enlarging the dimensions of single elements.
• Enlarging the dimensions of the antenna, without 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 multi‐ elements, is referred to as an
array.
• In most cases, the elements of an array are identical. This is not
necessary, but it is often convenient, simpler, and more practical.
The individual elements of an array may be of any form (wires,
apertures, etc)
• Antenna array is the radiating system in which
several antennas are spaced properly so as to
get greater field strength at a far distance from
the radiating system by combining radiations
at point from all the antennas in the system.
• In general, the total field produced by the
antenna array at a far distance is the vector
sum of the fields produced by the individual
antennas of the array.
• The individual element is generally called
element of an antenna array
• The antenna array is said to 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 general, the element in the antenna array is
a half wave dipole.
• As the antennas may be used in various
configurations such as straight line, circle,
rectangle etc., many configurations of antenna
arrays are possible.
• But practically limited number of
configurations is used extensively.
 Various Forms of Antenna Arrays
• Practically various forms of the antenna array
are used as radiating systems. Some of the
practically used forms are as follows.
• 1. Broadside Array
• 2. End fire Array
• 3. Collinear Array
 broadside array
• 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 broadside array consist 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 the 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 point sources with equal
amplitude and phase 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 we can define broadside array 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
 End Fire Array
• 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.
• 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
 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
Field of two isotropic point sources
• Two point sources with currents of equal
magnitudes and with same phase.
• Two point sources with currents of equal
magnitude but with opposite phase.
• Two point sources with currents of unequal
magnitudes and with opposite phase.
Pattern multiplication
Advantages
Example
 n Element Uniform Linear Arrays
• An array of n elements is said to be linear array if all the
individual elements are spaced equally along a line.
• An array is said to be uniform array if the elements in
the array are fed with currents with equal magnitudes
and with uniform progressive phase shift along the line.
• Consider a general n element linear and uniform array
with all the individual elements spaced equally at
distance d from each other and all elements are fed with
currents equal in magnitude and uniform progressive
phase shift along line as shown in the Figure
 Array of n elements with Equal Spacing and Currents
Equal in Magnitude and Phase • Broadside Array

• Consider 'n' number of identical radiators

carries currents which are equal in magnitude
and in phase. The identical radiators are
equispaced. Hence the maximum radiation
occurs in the directions normal to the line of
array. Hence such an array is known as
Uniform broadside array. Consider a broadside
array with n identical radiators as shown in the
Fig. 10.
Major lobe
Directivity
 Grating lobes
In addition to the main maximum, there are two
more maximum along 0 and 180. These are
referred to as grating lobes.
• In order to increase the directivity of an array its total length need
to be increased. In this approach, number of minor lobes appears
which are undesired for narrow beam applications.
• In has been found that number of minor lobes in the resultant
pattern increases whenever spacing between elements is greater
than λ/2.
• As per the demand of modern communication where narrow beam
(no minor lobes) is preferred, it is the greatest need to design an
array of only main lobes.
• The ratio of power density of main lobe to power density of the
longest minor lobe is termed side lobe ratio.
• A particular technique used to reduce side lobe level is called
tapering. Since currents/amplitude in the sources of a linear array is
non-uniform, it is found that minor lobes can be eliminated if the
centre element radiates more strongly than the other sources.
• Therefore tapering need to be done from centre to end radiators
of same specifications
 Dolph-Tschebyscheff Array
• Another array, with many practical
applications, is the Dolph-Tschebyscheff array.
• The method was originally introduced by
Dolph and investigated afterward by others .
• It is primarily a compromise between uniform
and binomial arrays.
• Its excitation coefficients are related to
Tschebyscheff polynomials