A method using focal plane analysis to determine the performance of reflector antennas

Reflector antenna optimization schemes using array feeds and deformable flat plates (DFP) have been used to design systems that recover antenna losses resulting from antenna distortions. Historically, these optimizations have been carried out using the antenna far-field scattered patterns. The far-field patterns must be calculated separately for each of the antenna feed elements or for each different surface contour of the DFP. For large or complex antennas the far-field calculation times can be prohibitive. This paper presents a method that allows the optimization to be carried out in the antenna focal region where the scattering calculation needs only to be done once independent of the number of the elements in the array or degrees of freedom in the DFP