A suspended conformal patch antenna for a constant-gain beam-switching phased antenna array

In this paper, a suspended conformal patch antenna (SCPA) for improving a constant-gain planar phased antenna array when switching the main beam direction to the desired direction is presented. The beam -switching antenna array is proposed in 4 main beam directions of 0, 15, 30, and 45 degrees. The proposed antenna array is composed of 4 SCPA elements operating at 2.45 GHz. The SCPA consists of an FR-4 substrate and an air gap between the radiator patch and the ground plane. The suspended patch antenna with the conformal patch antenna is used for improving the gain and beamwidth of antenna. The simulation was done using CST Microwave Studio 2021. The comparison results between the SCPA and a suspended planar patch antenna (SPPA) are illustrated with the antenna characteristics such as S-parameters and radiation patterns. The proposed antenna array prototype has been fabricated with SCPA of R = 30 mm. The measured results of the antenna characteristics are demonstrated and compared with the simulated results. The measured gain difference between the desired beam directions of 0 and 45 degrees is 2.72 dB. Consequently, the SCPA is very useful for the application in a constant-gain beam-switching phased antenna array.