Array Manifold Modeling for Arbitrary 3D Conformal Array Antenna

Conformal array antennas (CAA) [L. Josefsson and P. Persson, 2006] will find their potential and promising applications in a variety of fields ranging from space-borne, airborne, ship-borne, and missile-borne radar, space vehicles and wireless communications to sonar, etc. Their benefits include reduction of aerodynamic drag, wide angle coverage, space saving, potential increase in available aperture, reduction of radar cross-section (RCS) and elimination of radome-induced bore-sight error, etc. Whereas, CAA also present many challenges to the antenna designer, including varying element normal due to curvature, strong mutual coupling and serious cross-polarization effect, etc.