Efficient analysis of conformal antenna structures with multiple layers

Microstrip antennas are very well suited for the conformal integration into the surface of vehicles, vessels or airplanes, mainly because they are flexible and can be adapted to almost any kind of structure. In aeronautics, new materials like GLARE (glass-fiber reinforced aluminum) are composed of several thin layers resulting in a multilayer architecture, when stacked patches have to be integrated for broadband applications. The analysis of these structures using commercial simulation tools with full 3D-modeling is difficult and time consuming.