Chapter 12: Design of Planar Microstrip Array Antennas Using Simulation-Based Superposition Models

In this chapter, a technique for simulation-driven design of excitation tapers for planar antenna arrays is discussed. The technique exploits models constructed as a superposition of simulated radiation and reflection responses of the array under design. Low computational costs of these models are ensured by using iteratively corrected EM-simulation data computed with coarse-meshes. The technique allows for simultaneous control of the radiation pattern and the reflection coefficients. Numerical efficiency as well as scalability of the technique is demonstrated using the design examples of various sizes and topologies. The examples include 16-element and 100-element microstrip patch antenna arrays of the Cartesian lattice and a 100-element microstrip antenna array of the hexagonal lattice. The technique is versatile as it also can be applied for simulation-based optimization of antenna arrays comprising other types of radiation elements, e.g., wire dipoles or dielectric resonator antennas.