Lecture-3

6.3. N - Element Array

6.3.1 Uniform array (Identical elements with identical current magnitudes and
uniform spacing)
The basic configuration for elements in an array is linear. Linear arrays are used widely in practice and
their operating principle can be used to understand more complex array geometry.
The basic array antenna model consists of two parts, the pattern of one of the elements by itself, called the
element pattern and the pattern of the array with actual elements replaced by isotropic sources, the array
factor. The total pattern of the array is the product of the element pattern and the array factor.The array
factor corresponding to linear array is found by replacing the each element by isotropic source radiators,
but retaining the element location and excitations. The field of an isotropic radiator located at origin may
be written as:

E I 0

e jkr
4r

rN

In the far field of the array

N

r3
r2
r1

r1 r
r2 r d cos
r3 r 2d cos

d
Y
3

rN r ( N 1)d cos
Fig.6.9 N-element array

2
It is assumed that the elements of the array are uniformly-spaced with a separation distance of d. The
current magnitudes of the array elements are assumed to be equal and the current on the antenna element
located at the origin is used as the phase reference (zero phase).
1

I 1 I 0 , I 2 I 0 e j 2 , I 3 I 0 e j 3 , , I N I 0 e j N
The far fields of individual elements are

E 1 I 0

e jkr
E0
4r

E 2 I 0 e j 2

e jk ( r d cos )
E 0 e j ( 2 kd cos )
4r

E N I 0 e j N

e jk [ r ( N 1 ) d cos ]
E 0 e j [ N ( N 1 ) kd cos ]
4 r

The overall array far-field is found, using superposition, as

E E 1 E 2 E 3 E N

E 0 [1 e j ( 2 kd cos ) e j ( 3 2 kd cos ) e j[ N ( N 1) kd cos ] ]

E 0 [ AF ]
AF [1 e

j ( 2 kd cos )

j ( 3 2 kd cos )

j [ N ( N 1 ) kd cos ]

(Array factor for uniformly-spaced N-element linear array)

A uniform array is defined by uniformly spaced identical elements of equal magnitude with linearly
progressive phase from element to element. The progressive phase is the phase by which the current in
each element leads the current of the preceding element. The array factor can be obtained by considering
the elements to be point sources.
The phase of the current associated with each element of an uniform array is:

1 0, 2 , 3 2 ,, N ( N 1) , where is the progressive phase shift.

Inserting this linear phase progression into the formula for the general N element array, the array factor
can be expressed as

AF [1 e j ( kd cos ) e j 2( kd cos ) e j ( N 1)[ kd cos ] ]

(6.8)

kd cos

[1 e j e j 2 e j ( N 1) ]
=

(6.9)
The function is defined as the array phase function and is a function of the element spacing, phase
shift, frequency and elevation angle.
Array Factor Analysis:
From eqn. (6.9), we have
AF e j

jn

n 1

AF e j AF e jN 1

AF

AF

e jN 1
e j 1

N 1

e 2

N
j N
e 2 e j 2

j
j
j

2
2
e
e e 2

N
j
2

sin N
2

sin
2

Here, N gives the location of the last element with respect to the reference point, in steps of length d. The
phase factor exp[(N-1)/2] is not important unless the array output signal is further combined with the
output signal of another antenna. It represents the phase shift of the arrays phase center relative to the
origin, and it would be identically equal to one if the origin were to coincide with the array center.
Neglecting the phase factor gives
N
sin
2
AF

sin
2

(6.10)

To normalize the array factor, given in equation (6.10), the maximum value of AF is required. So we can
re-write the equation (6.10) as
N
sin
2
AF N

N sin
2

In equation (6.11) the function inside the square bracket is similar to the following function:

(6.11)

f x

sin Nx
N sin x

This function has maxima at 0, , ... and the value of this maximum is 1. So the maximum value of AF is
N. Thus the normalized AF can be expressed as
N
sin
1 2
( AF ) n
N

sin 2

(6.12)

For small values of , the above expression can be approximated as

N
sin
1 2
( AF ) n

(6.13)

Nulls of the AF
To find the nulls of the array factor, the equation (6.12) is set to zero.
N
N
N
sin 0 n kd cos n n
2
2
2

(6.14)

So angles where the nulls appear is given by:

n cos 1
2d

2n

, n = 1,2,3,.... and (n 0,N, 2N, 3N, ...)

N

(6.15)

When n = 0,N, 2N, 3N..., the AF attains the maximum values. The values of n determine the order of the
nulls. For a null to exist, the argument of the arccosine must be between 1and +1. Thus the number of
nulls that can exist will be a function of the element separation d and the phase excitation difference .
Maxima of the AF
Maxima of the AF is determined in order to know the maximum directivity and the direction of maximum
radiation. The maximum values of the AF occur when
1
(kd cos m ) m
2 2

(6.16)

2m , m 1,2,3...
m cos 1
2

(6.17)

When equation (6.16) satisfy, the (AF)n =1, i.e. these are not maximums of minor lobes. As there is
always desirable to have a single major lobe in the radiation pattern, so the value of m must be 0 only.
Then the argument of the arccosine function in (6.17) becomes greater than unity for m= 1,2,3, ... . So
equation (6.17) has a single real valued solution:


m cos 1

2d

(6.18)

max

Secondary maxima occur when

N
sin
1
2
s

sin 1
2
2d

2s 1


N

(6.19)

Half power beamwidth (HPBW) of main lobe

The HPBW of the major lobe can be calculated by setting the value of (AF)n equal to 1/2. The
normalized AF expressed in equation (6.13) will take the value near to 1/2 when:
N
N
kd cos
1.391
2
2
h

[This value is obtained from the values of function f(x)= sin(x)/x ]

h

2.782
cos 1

2
N
2d

(6.20)

For the symmetrical pattern around the maxima, HPBW is calculated as

HPBW 2 m h

where the m is the angle where the maximum radiation occur.

(6.21)