A Fast and Efficient Method for Radiation Pattern Prediction in Large-Scale Tightly Coupled Linear Antenna Arrays

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetics and Antenna Theory
• Computational Electromagnetics
• Array Signal Processing

Background:

• Accurate radiation pattern prediction is crucial for large-scale, tightly coupled linear antenna arrays.
• Conventional array factor methods lack accuracy due to mutual coupling and edge effects.
• Full-wave simulations are computationally infeasible for large antenna arrays.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a fast and efficient radiation pattern prediction method (FERPP) for large-scale tightly coupled linear antenna arrays.
• To overcome the limitations of conventional methods and the computational burden of full-wave simulations.

Main Methods:

• FERPP utilizes a calibrated reference array for central elements, extending responses via phase compensation.
• Edge element responses are obtained from independent local full-wave simulations.
• Element responses are assembled into a global matrix for direct radiation pattern synthesis.

Main Results:

• FERPP demonstrated high accuracy, closely matching full-wave simulations for a 1024-element array.
• Predicted peak gains showed excellent agreement with full-wave results across single-beam and multi-beam configurations.
• The proposed method achieved remarkable computational efficiency, requiring only ~1.8% of full-wave simulation time.

Conclusions:

• The FERPP method provides a practical and efficient solution for radiation pattern prediction in large antenna arrays.
• It enables accurate beamforming analysis, significantly reducing computational resources.
• This advancement is vital for the design and optimization of modern antenna systems.