Design of Microstrip Antenna and Array Conformable on Cylindrical Surface and Their Performance Analysis

Analysis and design of the planar microstrip antenna have been discussed in the preceding chapters. Planar microstrip antenna by and large can be considered to have reached its maturity. Development of conformable antennas on non planar surfaces lags behind vis-à-vis planar microstrip antennas. Relatively non planar or microstrip antennas conformable to non planar surfaces are at present topic of research. Specifically, theoretical works reported in literature pertain to conformable microstrip antennas on non planar regular surfaces like the cylinder, the sphere and the cone. The need for conformal antennas is more pronounced for the large-sized apertures that are necessary for functions like military airborne surveillance radars. A conformal microstrip antenna on a cylindrical surface with low profile has distinct advantage for applications related to fighter and spacecraft.