Compact Conformal Arrays

Full advantage of digital adaptive processing for phased arrays can only be achieved if the mutual coupling between elements and between the elements and near-field scatters is taken into account. Compact and conformal arrays will have increased mutual coupling effects when compared to planar arrays (increased element blockage). This effort will develop an integrated electromagnetic and super-resolution analysis capability that will support the design of compact conformal arrays, including those with highly directive elements. This capability must simultaneously address (1) scattering from electrically large structure of conductors and high electrical constant materials, (2) near-field interactions and (3) radiation transient effects. In addressing these goals, the capability must be both accurate and efficient. The method-of-moments (MOM) codes that we are proposing (WIPL-D, parallelized WIPL-D) will provide the greatest capability in terms of modeling electrically large structures and accuracy of modeling. These will be integrated with adaptive/super-resolution signal processing to meet the requirement of high-resolution spatial enhancement. Our signal processing approach (uniform linear virtual array, direct data domain) will address highly non-stationary and transient interference environments. Issues for maintaining efficiency and accuracy in wideband radar and communication systems will be identified. A combination of MOM and marching-in-time (MOT) will be analyzed for efficient modeling of wideband scattering.