Performance Evaluation of Three Rectangular Patch Element Array Antenna Conformed on Small Radius Cylindrical Surface

The cylindrical geometry can offer certain desirable antenna characteristics that are not provided by planar elements. In this paper, a three-element cylindrical conformal array antenna has been presented as a candidate for use in wireless communications and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Each element in the array is a microstrip fed rectangular patch antenna designed to resonate at 2.4 GHz. Once the desired results were obtained for a single element, each element in the conformal cylindrical array has been then designed using the same dimensions and parameters. Modeling and performance evaluation of the array has been carried out using the commercially available electromagnetic software CST Studio Suite 2009. Simulations have been conducted to study the performance of the proposed conformal array as well as the effects of small radius cylinder on mutual coupling and the radiation pattern of the array. The cylindrical radii in consideration are of about one quarter wavelengths or slightly more. The radius of cylinder used in simulation is taken to be 0.24λ and 0.32λ. Compared with the existing cylindrical conformal antenna, the proposed array antenna possesses a reduction in cylindrical structure radius with acceptable ominidirectionality and gain needed for wireless communications and RFID applications.