Design and Optimization of a Thinned Multi-Face Phased Array Antenna for L-Band Radar

In this paper, we present numerical results on the application of a genetic algorithm (GA) to thin a 640-element rectangular array (32 × 20) operating at 3.2 GHz. The inter-element distance is l/2 (l is the wavelength corresponding to the frequency 3.2 GHz). We first determine the optimal number of elements required for a thinned array steered to broadside (θ = 0, φ = 0) while maintaining a sidelobe level below −20 dB. We then investigate the beamforming performance for four scan directions: (−20°, 10°), (−35°, 20°), (0°, 15°), and (45°, 35°). Finally, we apply the same thinning procedure to the four faces of a phased array antenna system intended for radar applications. The percentages of active elements for the four faces are 53.1%, 53.7%, 58.1%, and 59.3%, respectively.