One more look at the reduction of the number of controlled elements in limited-scan phased array antennas

Analysis of the array element use efficiency defined as a ratio of the theoretical minimum number of the elements to the actual number of the elements necessary for providing a specified array gain within a specified region of scan for non-overlapped large-aperture radiators in planar 1D and 2D hexagonal limited-scan phased arrays is carried out. The influence of the field distribution over the radiator aperture on the element use efficiency is studied. It is detected that the maximum element use efficiency corresponding to the maximum reduction of the actual number of the array elements is achieved with the distributions corresponding to shaping flat-topped element radiation patterns in similar way as it takes place in arrays of appropriate overlapped subarrays.