Optimum Placement of Conformal Antenna Array Based on Path Loss Profile

Abstract

In this paper, the optimum placement of a conformal antenna array based on the path loss profile has been discussed. The arrays are considered to be conformed on the wings and cylindrical fuselage of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Two types of feeding designs have been presented: Rectangular Waveguide (RWG) for fuselage conformal antenna array and Substrate Integrated Waveguide for wing conformal antenna array. The optimum placement of conformal arrays proposed on the basis of path loss profile for the air-to-air link (AA) and air-to-ground link (AG). The proposed arrays have been designed and simulated in Ansys HFSS and it has been observed that the proposed arrays offer gains of 11.15 dBi and 9.8 dBi for wing and fuselage, respectively.