How it works

Conformal antennas are a form of phased array antenna. They are composed of an array of many
identical small flat antenna elements, such as dipole, horn, or patch antennas, covering the
surface. At each antenna the current from the transmitter passes through a phase shifter device
which are all controlled by a microprocessor (computer). By controlling the phase of the feed
current, the nondirectional radio waves emitted by the individual antennas can be made to
combine in front of the antenna by the process of interference, forming a strong beam (or beams)
of radio waves pointed in any desired direction. In a receiving antenna the weak individual radio
signals received by each antenna element are combined in the correct phase to enhance signals
coming from a particular direction, so the antenna can be made sensitive to the signal from a
particular station and reject interfering signals from other directions.

Anten conformal l mt dng ca anten mng pha. N bao gm mt mng ca nhiu phn t
anten phng nh, chng hn nh dipole, horn, hoc anten patch, bao ph b mt. mi
anten, dng t b chuyn i s i qua cc thit b dch pha c iu khin bi vi x l (my
tnh). Bng cch kim sot pha ca dng feed (mi), cc sng radio khng nh hng s b
loi b bi cc anten, c th c trn li trc anten bi qu trnh gi l interference (can
nhiu), to ra cc beam ca sng radio nhng hng chng ta mong mun. anten thu,
cc tn hiu radio yu c nhn bi cc phn t anten c trn li theo ng pha tng
cng tn hiu bt ngun t mt hng c th, do anten c th rt nhy vi cc tn hiu t
cc trm, v b loi b bi cc tn hiu ca nhiu t nhng hng khc.

In a conventional phased array the individual antenna elements are mounted on a flat surface. In
a conformal antenna, they are mounted on a curved surface, and the phase shifters also
compensate for the different phase shifts caused by the varying path lengths of the radio waves
due to the location of the individual antennas on the curved surface. Because the individual
antenna elements must be small, conformal arrays are typically limited to high frequencies in the
UHF or microwave range, where the wavelength of the waves is small enough that small
antennas can be used.

nhng mng pha thng thng, cc phn t anten c lp t trn mt b mt phng.

Ring i vi anten conformal th n c t trn b mt cong, cc b dch pha s b cho s
sai khc pha b gy ra bi s thay i v di ng truyn i ca sng radio do v tr ca
tng anten ring trn b mt cong. V mi phn t anten phi nh, nn mng ca conformal
phi c bit b gii hn bi tn s cao vng UHF hay vi sng (microwave), ni m chiu
di sng phi nh cc anten nh c th c s dng.

History:

Lnh vc v anten mng pha c rt nhiu tim nng trong nghin cu khoa hc t nhng nm
ca th chin 2 n khong nhng nm 1975. Trong nhng nm ny, ngi ta nghin cu rt
nhiu v mng conformal. Tuy nhin n khng c s dng rng ri cho n khi cc mng v
feedig v steering bt u xut hin. Cng ngh IC, mch tch hp kha lp c khong
trng ny, n cung cp cc gii php k thut tin cy rt nhng chi ph li kh thp, thm ch l
nhng mng anten phc tp. Ngoi ra, mt nhn t quan trng cho s pht trin ca vi x l s l
n c th gii quyt c t l gia tng v cng ln ca d liu c cung cp bi h thng mng
pha. K thut x l s gip cho anten mng pha tr nn hiu qu hn, l n cung cp gi tr
s dng cho chi ph u t vo.
Ngun gc ca anten mng pha c th c bit t nhng nm 1930 khi h thng cc phn cc
phn t dipole c sp xp theo hnh trn, to thnh mng trn, c phn tch bi Chireix
(1936). Sau , vo nhng nm 1950, cc lnh vc nghin cu v ti ny c cng b, v d
nh Knudsen 1953. Mng trn rt hp dn, bi v tnh i xng lun chuyn ca n. Mt nghin
cu sau s dng mng trn rng l h thng radar th nghim ca French RIAS (Dorey et al.
1989, Colin 1996).

tng nh hng v thu hp vng bc x, nhiu mng trn c t pha trn ca tng
anten s dng. V d in hnh l anten TACAN (tactical navigation). Anten ny c t mt
y, bc x tn hiu trn m ha-pha gip cho cc my bay tm c tm c v tr lin quan, v
d l sn bay (airfield).
Cc phn t anten c th c t trn radome (mi che radar trn my bay). Kh nng ny
gp phn lm tng s thch th mng conformal (Munger et al. 1974). Tuy nhin qu trnh pht
trin ny sau chm li. Mt v d ni bt l anten dome radar (Bearse 1975, Liebman et al.
1975), h thng anten ny l nhng thu knh truyn i th ng c dng bn cu.

Mt mng khc vi mc bao ph hn na hnh bn cu, trong trng hp ny ng dng cho kt

ni vi v tinh t cc thit b di ng, mng c tch hp cng ngh thu v pht. Tp ch
Space/Aeronautics xut bn 1967 (Thomas) by t gc nhn lc quan v s pht trin ca
anten conformal cho h thng radar nose trn my bay. Gc nhn v tng lai smart skin
anten conformal c cho l s cu thnh nn mt h thng RF hon ho, khng ch l cc phn
t bc x, m cn l h thng feed (mi), khuch i, iu khin in t, b lc