Conformal Patch Antenna Arrays Design for Onboard Ship Deployment Using Genetic Algorithms

Conformal antennas and antenna arrays (arrays) have become necessary for vehicular communications where a high degree of aerodynamic drag reduction is needed, like in avionics and ships. However, the necessity to conform to a predefined shape (e.g., of an aircraft’s nose) directly affects antenna performance since it imposes strict constraints to the antenna array’s shape, element spacing, relative signal phase, and so forth. Thereupon, it is necessary to investigate counterintuitive and arbitrary antenna shapes in order to compensate for these constraints. Since there does not exist any available theoretical frame for designing and developing arbitrary-shape antennas in a straightforward manner, we have developed a platform combining a genetic algorithm-based design, optimization suite, and an electromagnetic simulator for designing patch antennas with a shape that is not a priori known (the genetic algorithm optimizes the shape of the patch antenna). The proposed platform is further enhanced by the ability to design and optimize antenna arrays and is intended to be used for the design of a series of antennas including conformal antennas for shipping applications. The flexibility and performance of the proposed platform are demonstrated herein via the design of a high-performance GPS patch antenna. 1. Introduction Conformal antennas and antenna arrays (arrays) inherit their name from the fact that they “conform” to the shape of a 2D yet not planar surface. More specifically, conformal antennas are flat curving antennas that follow or are embedded to an object of predefined shape, like that of an aircraft’s nose. Conformal antennas and antenna arrays (arrays) have become necessary for vehicular communications (where a high degree of aerodynamic drag reduction is needed) due to their so-called “conformity” to arbitrary surface shape, like in avionics and high-performance ships or submarines. Conformal antennas were developed in the 1980s in order to be integrated with the outer metallic layers of aircrafts, with the purpose of reducing the aerodynamic drag and improving aircraft speed, fuel consumption, and gas emissions. Conformal antennas gradually replaced conventional ones that project from the aircrafts’ hull. As long as commercial applications are considered (including shipping), the technical limitations and constraints are similar to avionics, but the application of conformal antennas was until recently limited due to the high related costs of etching and integration. However, in the recent years the reduction of these costs has turned conformal