Experimental results for a conformal phased array with adjustable facets

To explore the practical implementation issues associated with conformal arrays, four thin X-band phased array tiles (each containing 64 elements in an 8 by 8 array) were placed in a fixture allowing variable angles between the tiles. By turning three knobs, this unique 256-element faceted phased array can be physically configured anywhere from slightly concave to extremely convex, facilitating the exploration of conformal beamforming techniques and the characterization of conformal antenna performance for different curvatures. In the extreme convex configuration this antenna demonstrated coherent electronic beamsteering across multiple tiles out to plusmn140 degrees, twice the scan capability of a typical flat phased array. The ability to modify the nominal pattern with a null in a desired direction was also experimentally demonstrated.