ANALYSIS AND DEMONSTRATION OF CONFORMAL ANTENNA ARRAYS FOR DIRECTION OF ARRIVAL ESTIMATION AND BEAMFORMING

Abstract

Conformal antenna arrays provide the possibility for installation of antenna arrays on non-planar surfaces with the potential for improved performance in certain areas compared to planar arrays. This thesis introduces various new concepts for direction of arrival (DOA) estimation and adaptive beamforming techniques for various types of conformal arrays. Cramer-Rao Lower Bound analysis for different conformal antenna arrays in DOA estimation, adaptive beamforming algorithms for conformal arrays, reconstruction of covariance matrix based on the correlated input signals for conformal arrays, and robust adaptive beamforming algorithms against different parameters, are provided and discussed. Moreover, software-defined radio (SDR) for digital beamforming applying different algorithms is demonstrated using linear and conformal arrays. Measurements are performed in an anechoic chamber to verify the proposed DOA estimation and adaptive beamforming algorithms. This thesis may inspire other researchers in the area of beamforming algorithms for conformal antenna arrays.