Abstract:

The pattern of each element in the conformal array has a different direction because of the curvature of the conformal carrier, which results in the polarization diversity (PD) of each element. The polarization parameters of incident signals are considered in snapshot data model. The coupling between polarization status and parameters of source is the distinct difficulty in direction of arrival (DOA) estimation of conformal array antenna. A blind DOA estimation algorithm is proposed based on propagator method (PM) and sub-array divided technique for cylindrical conformal array antenna, in which special sub-arrays are designed. The decoupling method for DOA and polarization parameters is implemented, and a high-resolution DOA estimation algorithm is proposed. The proposed algorithm achieves the 2D-DOA estimation without the element pattern. Without spectral peaking searching and complex computation, this algorithm works well for pairing among parameters. Furthermore, the validity of this algorithm is confirmed by Monte Carlo computer simulations.